Hi,

Does anyone know if its possible to retrofit the FL Xenons, including headlight washers, auto levelling motors, etc for full OEM functionality and what kind of costs would be involved?

Cheers,

Craig

Hi,

Does anyone know if its possible to retrofit the FL Xenons, including headlight washers, auto levelling motors, etc for full OEM functionality and what kind of costs would be involved?

Cheers,

Craig

From what has been said in the past it is not cost effective to fit legal Xenon's to a car that doesn't have them fitted.

If you have a car that already has a washer system then it might be possible - however it is the washer system that will make things very expensive.

It would work out cheaper to source a car of similar age to your own with OEM Xenon's fitted, sell your car and buy the other one.

You need the washers, the height sensors and the new Xenons, as well as all the wiring looms....quite expensive, not worth it, I'd say...

We are talking thousands of pounds.

You won't get much change from £2K for the headlights themselves with the ignitors and ballasts, unless you can find some used ones.

The headlight wash system requires bumper off, either cutting of the existing bumper or sourcing a new one, new washer bottle, the washers themselves, colour coded caps and all of the wiring, connectors and coding.

Then you need the levelling sensors that are fitted to the front and rear of the car, not cheap, and then again the additional wiring and coding and faff of fitting.

You then have to find someone willing and able to do the work and then pay them at least two or three days labour.

It always makes more sense to either order them on a new car from the factory or wait and find a used one with them already fitted.

Both my Octavia's have factory xenon's, I knew before I got the second one it would take longer to find the right one as I wanted xenon's.

1 xenon kit 90€

then this http://www.kufatec.de/shop/product_info.php/info/p327_c101_Xenon-Auto-Leveling-Headlights---Retrofit----Skoda-Octavia-II.html

then washers ( kit here is about 30€, bottle and small washers)

(original reply: I'd mis-read the posting)

So:

369 for the leveling kit

90 for the xenons

30 for bottle and washers....

basically 490 euros....£420 in real money

Think I'd still be checking out the +120% halogens first.

Edited 20 November, 201114 yr by RainbowFore

I doubt you would get a pair of xenon headlights for €90. The OP was looking for oem xenons rather than aftermarket .

1 xenon kit 90€

then this http://www.kufatec.de/shop/product_info.php/info/p327_c101_Xenon-Auto-Leveling-Headlights---Retrofit----Skoda-Octavia-II.html

then washers ( kit here is about 30€, bottle and small washers)

This isn't OEM and without the self levelling is illegal in the UK.

I guarantee that you won't be able to retrofit xenon's for less than £2000 with off the shelf genuine parts.

The kufatec kit linked to includes the front and rear levelling sensors. It's the light units and other parts that are costly

OK, but they aren't OEM which is a specific requirement of the OP...

The only thing you could "require" for 100% retrofit would be the headlights.

But having the washers and self leveling system,(option) also getting the interior button with non-leveling system,

I don´t see anyone saying is not good for road usage.

A golf user has used the Kufatec levelling system and mention that it is the same as the original.

The washers don´t have to work with wipers, the system must have a button to activate them.

Anyway I did order washers from factory, same as those who have factory xenon.

I don´t have factory xenon, do have a xenon kit.

Just plugged up a self leveling kit(cheap kit) and it works ok.

Now, here in Portugal new cars at age of 4 must go to an inspection ( suspension, gases, lights and others are checked out)

Then at age of 6 and 8 and after that every year.

Will have to wait till 06/2014 to find out.

Rumors say that if xenon kit, they must see washers working and show leveling system is not from factory, 100% garanteed passed.

From what I could see personally, the headlight with original xenon is dif. because it moves side to side( side cuts) and holds a DS1 bulb, the rest is the same including the power plug.

Edited 21 November, 201114 yr by alberg

The Kufatec system looks interesting as it effectively replicates the functionality of the OEM Xenons. The only thing is I imagine its for the pre FL Octavia II, as the FL Octavia II uses AFL / Bi-Xenon headlight units.

If your car doesn't have xenons then the sensible thing is just to put the best quality bulbs in you can get. I had osram nightbreakers in my Golf, made a big difference, as did keeping the lens clean in the winter.

I've got xenons in the vRS. I wouldn't have a car without them now.

I was thinking of adding xenons but the cost put me of ,I did find this kit and the lamps

http://www.skoda-parts.cz/predmet.aspx?polozkaID=234

http://www.skoda-parts.cz/predmet.aspx?polozkaID=164

I had did the retrofit of only OEM Xenon headlights, it's 100% cost effective after trying too much aftermarket Xenon HID kits.

For me, i don't think that paying too much for headlight washers and auto leveling is reliable (It's possible but will cost too much, and you can build the headlight washers wiring loom by your self) and in my case; I found that manual leveling is more adjustable than auto leveling. (Some people complained that the auto leveling comes too low when the car is fully loaded)

If you are planning to retrofit only headlights, you will face a small problem, that leveling will not work at all with your car loom equipped with manual leveling.

The problem is with the leveling motors inside the headlights, as for manual leveling the motors have only 3 wires to control them, while all OEM Xenon headlights are equipped with auto leveling motors which comes with 4 wires to control them.

In my case, I had removed the motors from my old headlights, rewired them inside the new Xenon headlights (With a physical modification because auto leveling motors have bigger heads) and they work perfectly.

Be sure to recode the lights from CECM to enable Xenon lights or they will not work (they will flash just like police cars).

If you are planning to do this retrofit, I can help you with leveling motors swapping.

I had did the retrofit of only OEM Xenon headlights, it's 100% cost effective after trying too much aftermarket Xenon HID kits.

For me, i don't think that paying too much for headlight washers and auto leveling is reliable (It's possible but will cost too much, and you can build the headlight washers wiring loom by your self) and in my case; I found that manual leveling is more adjustable than auto leveling. (Some people complained that the auto leveling comes too low when the car is fully loaded)

If you are planning to retrofit only headlights, you will face a small problem, that leveling will not work at all with your car loom equipped with manual leveling.

The problem is with the leveling motors inside the headlights, as for manual leveling the motors have only 3 wires to control them, while all OEM Xenon headlights are equipped with auto leveling motors which comes with 4 wires to control them.

In my case, I had removed the motors from my old headlights, rewired them inside the new Xenon headlights (With a physical modification because auto leveling motors have bigger heads) and they work perfectly.

Be sure to recode the lights from CECM to enable Xenon lights or they will not work (they will flash just like police cars).

If you are planning to do this retrofit, I can help you with leveling motors swapping.

I love this, I really do. The setup is still illegal in the UK. What you can do in Syria (not even part of the EU IIRC) is completely different.

Seriously people, in the UK and EU the legal requirement is: washers and self-levelling. Manual levelling is not self-levelling, whether it's better or not is irrelevant....it's not legal. What you *can* do will always be different to what you're *allowed* to do.

If you are planning to retrofit only headlights, you will face a small problem, that leveling will not work at all with your car loom equipped with manual leveling.

Yes you can, that´s how I did mine with the cheapo leveling kit.

I got the wire that takes the power signal from the manual leveling "wheel" adjustmente.

Cut the wire and now the signal from de leveling kit is introduced into the wire that goes to the motors.

Since , at least on mine, the leveling motors works even without the headlights on, I got a relay that is powered from the rear lights( parking lights) meaning that the signal from leveling kit only passes to the headlight motor if the parking lights are on.

Had to use the rear taillight signal because I have Auto lights.

Edited 23 November, 201114 yr by alberg

I love this, I really do. The setup is still illegal in the UK. What you can do in Syria (not even part of the EU IIRC) is completely different.

Seriously people, in the UK and EU the legal requirement is: washers and self-levelling. Manual levelling is not self-levelling, whether it's better or not is irrelevant....it's not legal. What you *can* do will always be different to what you're *allowed* to do.

Might be worth looking at this in relation to MOT's...

My link

Might be worth looking at this in relation to MOT's...

My link

Yup, and I've replied in there too.

However, the 1st of January is still several weeks away, so those changes aren't in force yet.

Personally I can't wait for the assurance that I can fit HIDs legally to my Octavia.......

Yes you can, that´s how I did mine with the cheapo leveling kit.

I got the wire that takes the power signal from the manual leveling "wheel" adjustmente.

Cut the wire and now the signal from de leveling kit is introduced into the wire that goes to the motors.

Since , at least on mine, the leveling motors works even without the headlights on, I got a relay that is powered from the rear lights( parking lights) meaning that the signal from leveling kit only passes to the headlight motor if the parking lights are on.

Had to use the rear taillight signal because I have Auto lights.

Sorry because i didn't know that it's illegal in your country.

Could you please help me to understand; did you keep the original 4 wires motors and tried to wire them? or did you swap motors to retrofit 3 wires inside OEM Xenon lights?

Sorry because i didn't know that it's illegal in your country.

Could you please help me to understand; did you keep the original 4 wires motors and tried to wire them? or did you swap motors to retrofit 3 wires inside OEM Xenon lights?

All ( I think) european countries ,legal xenon need washers and self-leveling system.

All cars come with both when ordering xenon lights.

The kit had 3 wires going to the headlights, one 12v, another the ground and last the wire that carries de signal to move up or down headlights(this could run through 12v to 2v) Original leveling wheel runs from 12 to 6v(about).

Since the octavias( after 2009) headlights donnot have 3 wires to motor, all are located at the plug,

I went to the wheel leveling and looked for the wire that sends the signal to raise and lower the headlights when activating the leveling wheel.

The kit requires always 12v for memory, then from the 3 wires I used the ground and the signal wire.

The signal wire joined the wire( did cut the wire) that sends signal to motor.

Since the kit uses voltage from 9v to 2v( using resiter), meaning that the headlights are lower at start point so had to raise manually like if 12v or normal setting on wheel "0". Now the 2v minimal lowers the lights alot, still working on this, also working the fact that when acelerating 1,2 and 3 ( not slow) the lights drop to 3/2v , minimal, then raise to normal.

On the signal did put a resister 150k and after resister a condensor 10uf(positive to ground)

This helped the movement signal to be slowed down. Putting a higher resister will bring the starting voltage lower and that´s not good as you need to raise headlights manually to compensate.