Thanks for the clarification on tourist mode beam shape.

One correction to your post, warm HID restart can be as stressful for the ballast and the lamp as the pressure inside capsule is much higher. But I have been using 2x 100W aux HIDs on my Superb for over a couple of years now, I use them often at night with plenty of dip/full beam switching and they are OK with it so far

100watt HIDs?! - Never!

OEM's are only 35watts AFAIK - maybe they are 100Watt Halogen's pretending to be HID's...? - have you replaced the Halogen's with them?

Al.

No, custom ordered GHC D2S 75W capsules overloaded with 95W output / 105W input ballasts (actual values measured, killed 1 voltmeter as I forgot to disconnect it before the strike, used clamp ampmeter to get high voltage side current). About 8000-8500 lumens each :sun:

The 100W HIDs sit in Hella Micro Xenon magnesium housings that take D2S burners, expensive but very good for their size. Though nowadays I'd go for Micro Xenon Premium edition instead and stick to 50W rapid start ballasts over stock 35W burners.

The aux high beam lamps are mounted in the grille (next to Hella Micro aux fog lamps converted from H3 to 65W HID) and are aimed a bit upwards, provide ambient lighting. Main high beam road lighting is from factory high beam lamps with stock bulbs overloaded to ~18V (probably 19.5V unloaded voltage), with soft starter of course, otherwise they'd blow up after first use. I need to replace the H3 bulbs from time to time (about once a year) when they cloud up, but since they're cheap and easy to access it's no bother, and at 18V they give double the range/throw of stock voltage lamps (and still 50% more than Nightbreakers/Extremes/HID).

Work very well in forests on my trips abroad, basically day at night . Also great at 3am on autobahn to wake up lane hoggers

Edited 11 March, 201313 yr by dieselV6

This from the manual is rather confusing:

"Vehicles which are not equipped with Bi-Xenon bulbs do not have a manual headlight range adjustment control."

I'm pretty sure the bold 'not' shouldn't be there. Either that or I'm missing a controller.

You are not missing the adjustment knob,

factory fit xenon’s have to have self levelling headlights (no manual adjustment knob).

You are not missing the adjustment knob,

factory fit xenon’s have to have self levelling headlights (no manual adjustment knob).

No they don't ! many have manual adjustment

No they don't ! many have manual adjustment

That would make the manual even more confusing, though I'm still sure it's a typo.

That would make the manual even more confusing, though I'm still sure it's a typo.

Perhaps I didn't make things clear . The xenons on the Superb are self levelling but on other makes and models they often aren't , due to some confusing mot guidance some think any car with xenons MUST have a self levelling system but this isn't true however if the car does have a self levelling system it must work

Very interesting discussion.

I find the lights on my Superb to be dangerous under certain conditions. On the motorway they're fine. Around town they're fine. But on A roads you're faced with a choice between driving at 30 mph and holding people up, or driving at 60 mph to try and force the beam pattern to illuminate further ahead. But slow for a corner and the beam pattern shrinks, leaving you unable to see where you're going. And because there is no 'kick up' to the left, and the cut off is so sharp, any road signs stand above the illuminated area and are virtually invisible, leaving you with no warning of the hazards that you can't see.

The beam pattern is just too short at moderate speeds for you to see where you're going. I think i might explore getting the lights angled up a bit (or slightly less down) as suggested here.

Best lights I've ever used, far far better than the HID ones fitted to my Merc CLK - as long as they are on auto.

Will be trying the tourist mode tomorrow in Spain, should be interesting.

Took delivery of my car last Tuesday and coming from an Insignia with Xenon's I have to say so far I'm impressed with the lights on the Superb except the apparent lack of High Beam Assist, I can't see any mention of it in the manual, is it something the Superb doesn't have or can it be enabled via VCDS?

EyghonUK - There's a current thread on this here:

http://www.briskoda.net/forums/index.php?/topic/298216-Retrofitting-High-Beam-Assistent

Last updated at 9am this morning

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I followed the advice given by dieselV6 (post 22 above). It made a HUGE difference. I can now see where I'm going. Thanks for the tip.

Great topic lots of information, wish I understood the technical chat, useful points of reference for further reading if needed.

Had my Mk 11 for a month now and I am having difficulty seeking kerbs on poorly lit roads; illegal I know but it I put the front fogs on overall illumination is great and so far no one has flashed me to complain about them. I think because they are set low in the car it appears mot to disturb oncoming traffic. Also makes a huge difference on country roads particularly in conjunction with main beam.

In fairness to Skoda, I am 65 this year and I am sure my night vision is deteriorating but if officer dibble does not give me a tug for using fogs i am a happy chappy and I really getting to like this car having moved from a Mk1 superb V 6 2.5.

Great topic lots of information, wish I understood the technical chat, useful points of reference for further reading if needed.

Had my Mk 11 for a month now and I am having difficulty seeking kerbs on poorly lit roads; illegal I know but it I put the front fogs on overall illumination is great and so far no one has flashed me to complain about them. I think because they are set low in the car it appears mot to disturb oncoming traffic. Also makes a huge difference on country roads particularly in conjunction with main beam.

In fairness to Skoda, I am 65 this year and I am sure my night vision is deteriorating but if officer dibble does not give me a tug for using fogs i am a happy chappy and I really getting to like this car having moved from a Mk1 superb V 6 2.5.

The only downside is that you will lose the benefit of the adaptive lights if you move from 'auto' to manual setting but maybe that doesn't bother you anyway.  I have to admit that I used to use the fogs with main beams before I had xenon lights.  Don't find them of much use now though as the xenons are quite overpowering compared to halogens.  I take your point about kerbs (and potholes of course). As a driver I do find the combination of xenons and halogens a little off putting from oncoming cars as from a distance it is almost like two separate cars approaching - maybe that's just me.  Happy motoring with the new Superb!

Hi,I take your point regarding auto I do fiddle about changing from auto to manual but only if I am having difficulty seeing potholes and kerbs, I think a lot does depend on the quality of the street lighting. Would prefer to loose temporary use of auto than to hit the kerbs. Don't know what the state of your roads are ( not been to Waterford but I hear it is lovely ) we are approaching third world standards.

Happy motoring indeed. Enjoy your car there is a lot like.

John

Can cornering fogs not be enabled on a Superb?

Corning fogs are enabled by using auto setting on the lights switch.

Corning fogs are enabled by using auto setting on the lights switch.

So if you have cornering fogs, why do you feel the need to turn this function off and turn both fog lights on?

Hi Kenny the cornering fogs are as they describe for turning so they only come on when going around corners. My concern is driving straight in a poorly lit road. Hope this helps.

John

I hope you turn off your front foglights when you met an oncoming vehicle.

The front fogs on the MkII Superb are quite bright.

Edited 23 March, 201412 yr by silver1011

Hi,I take your point regarding auto I do fiddle about changing from auto to manual but only if I am having difficulty seeing potholes and kerbs, I think a lot does depend on the quality of the street lighting. Would prefer to loose temporary use of auto than to hit the kerbs. Don't know what the state of your roads are ( not been to Waterford but I hear it is lovely ) we are approaching third world standards.

Happy motoring indeed. Enjoy your car there is a lot like.

John

Oh some of our roads have already hit third world standards believe me!!  Since the winter weather they are after getting a lot worse and I have become very good at dodging potholes with the 18" wheels.  I'm driving over to your part of world over the summer so I can compare! The cornering lights only operate under 40kph (25mph) so limited enough use.  I do find that the bi-xenons on the FL version and illuminate the road better than previous.

Corning fogs are enabled by using auto setting on the lights switch.

Cornering fogs work in both manual and auto modes.

Edited 23 March, 201412 yr by silver1011

Please don't drive with front fogs on when there is oncoming traffic, especially on dark country roads. It might be great for you that you can see the edges of the road a bit better, but someone driving a car that is lower to the ground than a 'normal' car will find it dangerous as you are restricting their field of vision. You force them to have to look at the ditch, rather than being able to concentrate on the road further ahead. Also if you are following someone and you have front fogs on, it severely restricts their vision in the mirrors. Doing this on dark wet roads is even more annoying.

If you were coming toward me you'd get flashed high beams and fogs. If you were following me I'd keep my rear fog on until you got the message.

Edited 23 March, 201412 yr by JakeBlade

Hi jake,

I have been driving for over 40 years and I have never driven with my fog lights for the very reasons you mention. You will have read my earlier posts so you understand why I was tempted to do it. With the lights being so low on the car and beam being wide and flat I made the assumption it would not cause issues for other drivers. Of late I have seen oncoming vehicles with similar profile fog lamps illuminated and they did not cause me any problems. Are you saying this is not the case with the Superb?

John