Adjusting Yeti's Xenons

[EZ_lo]

Hello fellas!

After a few months of driving I came to the conclusion that my headlights beam was a tad too high. Went to dealers and they corrected it.

Now I get the impression (yea - you guessed right ) that it is to low = beam reach too short.

So far I have found this topic:

http://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/197196-yeti-170-elegance-very-low-dipped-beam-headlights/

in which Shadowphax claims you do not need VAGCOM to adjust beam settings, just allen key.

Anyone can confirm this?

Just asking before I mess something up ...

[The Plumber]

Having similar issues but too short to start with, first dealer I asked said it couldn't be adjusted but the second agreed it could and managed to bring them up a wee bit; that was last year. Recently though I've noticed occasionally I get flashed for dazzling people, oddly when the road curves to the left.

Also had a couple of episodes where the 'swivel' function has stopped working but after a few days goes back to normal. Oh the first of these happened before the adjustment and the dealer found no fault.

TP

[EZ_lo]

I suppose everything can be perfectly ok with my headlights. Just wanted to know how difficult is the adjustment (eg if I can do it myself).

Back to your lights - if you dazzle when the road curves to the left your left (passenger side) lamp could be the suspect ...

[Merlinman]

Adjustment Torx screws on top/side of light units.

I park facing a wall, with a strip of wood on the ground to ensure car is square to the wall, mark wall where centreline and cut off fall and then carefully adjust half turn at a time, noting which way I've turned the screw!

Not sure this meets DOT standards, but I've been able to 'fine tune' my Xenons and I don't get flashed.

HTH

[EZ_lo]

Thank you, kind Sir

So the procedure goes on like this:

- proper place & position

- engine & lights on

- adjusting until happy

- lights & engine off

- good to go?

[James I]

MOT centre will set them with the beam tester thing.

I always get flashed but that might have something to do with the gear I carry in the boot for work.

[freedie]

Shouldn't, as Xenons are self-levelling (I hope)

[Tech1e]

Thank you, kind Sir

So the procedure goes on like this:

- proper place & position

- engine & lights on

- adjusting until happy

- lights & engine off

- good to go?

No, if you adjust xenons without them being set into the adjustment position by diagnostics then not only will the headlamps not be set correctly you also run a good chance of damaging the headlamp and it's levelling motor.

[EZ_lo]

Ok Tech1e - so that is exactly what I was asking: if it is possible to adjust them without VAGCOM thingy. Turns out it is not, is it?

[Tech1e]

No it's not, they need to be set into an adjustment mode first and then the adjusted position saved into the control unit.

[hell666]

Shouldn't, as Xenons are self-levelling (I hope)

They are, but only after they have been focussed and the setting (level) is saved as a reference point, which is used to auto level the beam on uneven rides.

[hell666]

I suppose everything can be perfectly ok with my headlights. Just wanted to know how difficult is the adjustment (eg if I can do it myself).

Back to your lights - if you dazzle when the road curves to the left your left (passenger side) lamp could be the suspect ...

The default (reference point) is most probably already set the last time you took it to the dealer, so all that you now need to do is turn the level adjustment screw to level the beam, which most probably is a Torx screw on the Headlight Unit. However, if the default position was not set and memorized by a VCDS prior to adjusting this way, it may just now work.

Before you start the process, place the car on a plain surface, unladen. Put on the Lights and start the Car so that the auto-levelling procedure completes and the beam is now pointing to the default level, adjust the screw to level the beam to a desired level/range and you are good to go.

[Anzio]

After reading all these posts, I will never buy one with self leveling lights.

[hell666]

After reading all these posts, I will never buy one with self leveling lights.

LoL!!!

On a serious note, they are not as bad as they seem, infact once set, they work like a charm. Most of these problems arise when you tweak something in or related to the functioning of the Xenon System.

[EZ_lo]

The default (reference point) is most probably already set the last time you took it to the dealer, so all that you now need to do is turn the level adjustment screw to level the beam, which most probably is a Torx screw on the Headlight Unit. However, if the default position was not set and memorized by a VCDS prior to adjusting this way, it may just now work.

Boy it got me confused ...

So again. If I understood Tech1e correctly, the adjustment is only possible when there is a qualified technician with VAGCOM available. So nothing is end-user-adjustable, because the system will not "memorise" the changes. You say it is the opposite. And Shadowphax in the other thread says that there are differences between Yeti's and Fabia's xenons (Yeti allows adjustment).

Where does the truth lie?

After reading all these posts, I will never buy one with self leveling lights.

There are no xenons without self levelling.

And this adjusting minor drawback is nothing compared to absolute awsomness of xenons when compared to regular bulbs! I'll go for them any time again!

[Kenny R]

Adaptation

Basic Setting

Headlight Adjustment

[select]

[55 - Xenon Range]

[basic Settings - 04]

Group 001

[Go!]

Activate the Basic Setting.

[ON/OFF/Next]

The meas. block field now shows "Wait" and should switch to "Adjust Headlights" then (this may take up to 10 seconds).

Adjust the headlights using their manual adjusting screws as referenced against a suitable aiming target.

[ON/OFF/Next]

The adjustment should now be learned.

[Done, Go Back]

[Close Controller, Go Back - 06]

[Tech1e]

And that apples to all Xenons, all require to be adjusted whilst in basic settings.

[EZ_lo]

Thank you guys!

That clarified a lot.

Hope it will be useful to others as well.

[Shadowphax]

Hello fellas!

After a few months of driving I came to the conclusion that my headlights beam was a tad too high. Went to dealers and they corrected it.

Now I get the impression (yea - you guessed right ) that it is to low = beam reach too short.

So far I have found this topic:

http://www.briskoda....eam-headlights/

in which Shadowphax claims you do not need VAGCOM to adjust beam settings, just allen key.

Anyone can confirm this?

Just asking before I mess something up ...

Just spotted your post on this. I can only say that the technician at the dealers said that the Yeti lights could be adjusted the old fashioned way. However, he did say that the old Fabia Xenon lights did have to use Vagcom to put the light levelling system into some sort of learn mode before adjusting. I've seen posts about Fabia Xenons where the owner had kept adjusting the lights without Vagcom and had managed to completely unscrew the adjustment mechanism.

We haven't had any issues with the Yeti lights since the manual adjustment so they haven't 're-adjusted' themselves.

[EZ_lo]

Thank you. I hope it is really this way because I am getting fed up with the technicians I am dealing with over here... Been 4x to the dealers and the lights are never ok (they changed the angle from 2,6% to ~0,6% then to 3% and back again). Dunno - maybe they should turn the screw 1/16 turn instead of 1/8 or so. Dunno what kind of equipment they have. I don't really care ...

Anyway I will give them one last chance today and will do it myself then ...

I am going for holidays and I am not willing to get ticket with German writings on it and payable in euro

[Merlinman]

Well mine haven't re-adjusted themselves after my mild tweaking!

And I suffered two time wasting fluffled dealer's attempts to set them correctly

I hope SUK undertake 'mystery shopping' on the quality of their dealerships service departments, because believe me, some of them are dire!

Those kind people on here with VCDS, especially Jonny5ive, have sorted many 'dealer unsolvable' issues for me!

[EZ_lo]

Right now my wife went there to spare me another visit. Apparently they regret they they did not show me previous time this magical device showing how precisely my headlights were adjusted ... Except that when I checked the adjustment there was 10 cm height difference at 3m distance to wall. Which is approximately 3,3%

Anyone can provide me with some source of data confirming that Yeti headlight height is 780 mm?

[Tech1e]

Well mine haven't re-adjusted themselves after my mild tweaking!

And I suffered two time wasting fluffled dealer's attempts to set them correctly

I hope SUK undertake 'mystery shopping' on the quality of their dealerships service departments, because believe me, some of them are dire!

Those kind people on here with VCDS, especially Jonny5ive, have sorted many 'dealer unsolvable' issues for me!

Yes we do have mystery shop in the dealer network.

[Merlinman]

Reassuring

[speedsport]

My h/lights were too high when the car was delivered. The supplying dealer said they were within "tolerance" so wouldn't adjust them.

I kept getting flashed at by oncoming cars (no comments please Bobdog) so I adjusted my lights the old fashioned way, with a long Allen key.

Lining up against a garage door, with the car about 20ft (6m) away on a flat & level surface, it was clear that the driver's side light was pointing about 3" (75mm) higher than the nearside. Using a (removable) marker pen, I marked a line on the door at the top of the horizontal cut off of the beam, and also the point at which the beam started to rise sharply at an angle (to illuminate the nearside kerb) so that if i adjusted the wrong adjuster, I could get back to where I started. Then (by trial & error) I found the vertical adjuster and lowered the drivers side beam until it matched the other side.

The setting hasn't changed since, so yes, on a 2010 Yeti, you can adjust the Bi-Xenons without doing anything with VCDS or VAGcom.

I haven't been flashed at since.

As a final check, I had a friendly MOT tester check the alignment about a week later & he said that both beams were toward the top end of acceptable, but were both fine - which mean the offside one must have been too high before I adjusted it.

John 1, Skoda dealer 0 !!

Incidentally, the road ahead is now much better illuminated when on main beam, both lights are pointing where they should rather than one of them looking for UFO's.

Edited 4 August, 2012 by speedsport