One question: I have just changed the lights in my car for some much fresher looking bixenons from a younger car.

So originally I had bixenons anyway but they were going a bit milky and ugly and the light output was relatively dim and the cut-off line was fuzzy.  You get the picture :-)

I have found that when I turn the lights on, they do not dip and raise up again.  Not sure if they ever did it though,

Can someone with a MK1 Superb fitted with factory bixenons please confirm if their car is doing the dip and raise the beam exercise every time the lights are powered on please?

Nobody has flashed me yet for blinding them at night, except on the continent, when I was too lazy to use the tourist lever :-)

 

 

It will only dip and raise if you have the engine off, turn on the headlights and then turn on the engine (if you are quick turning your lights on immediately after the engine starts you can catch it sometimes).

- ie it is the engine starting which is the trigger for the dip and raise, not the turning on of the lights.

Yep. Mine dips and raises every time.  Ooooo errrrr missus! 

 

Gaz

Do you start the car with your lights on Gaz, or are you just quick to switch them on?  I literally have to turn my lights on within a couple of seconds of starting the engine to see them move.  I believe they actually dip and raise regardless of whether the lights are on, as if I am quick I see half the sequence (like just the raise).

 

- ie it is the engine starting which is the trigger for the dip and raise, not the turning on of the lights.

 

Hmmmm……. now I've got to go out and see  :wonder:

 

So I might just as well take a rule and measure my parking sensor spacing too

 

G

lol!

Do you start the car with your lights on Gaz, or are you just quick to switch them on?  I literally have to turn my lights on within a couple of seconds of starting the engine to see them move.  I believe they actually dip and raise regardless of whether the lights are on, as if I am quick I see half the sequence (like just the raise).

 

Never start a car with lights on - I come from the time before alternators.

 

Interesting point about them doing it whether the lights are on or not.  I'm the only one in, so I can't even ask someone to come out with me and see what happens.  Mind you  I'll be disappointed if they do coz that makes it all a bit less magical in my book  :peek:

 

Gaz

Wow, so many replies during the time I spent outside playing with VCDS and the light again!!

Good work 

I was not happy with the range of one of the lights, was too dipped, so I went to adjust, same procedure as lunchtime today, only this time I get an error code Light not Adjusted 

Must be doing something wrong.

Handbrake off, ignition on, Xenon range controller (55) Meas blocks 001, wait 20 seconds, then lights on, adjust by turning top screw, then Meas blocks 002, Done, close controller.  Then back into controller, Faults, and it's stored there.. clear DTC in Xenon controller, motor goes noisy brrrrr, new error code stored.  

 

Incidentally, the front and rear level sensors are reading sensible numbers, one 2.7V and the other 1.9 V, and they move about when I rock the front or the rear of the car, so I think height sensors are OK.

 

Perhaps I should wait longer before turning lights on... perhaps 20s is not enough, I do not actually remember seeing or hearing the motors move within the 20 s window referenced on the Ross Tech website.

 

There is also a diagnostic feature in Xenon range adjust controller, where you can force the lights to lowest setting and then highest setting, and both are moving full range OK.

Edited 18 November, 201312 yr by oh_superb

Do you mean measuring blocks or basic settings?  The wiki says basic settings to get into adjust mode.

I mean measuring blocks.

Incidentally, forgot to mention, when I started the engine and turned the lights on immediately, I saw the lights do the range adjust 

It's just that the dot matrix display is saying I have a lights failure.

 

I thought I was doing this;

 

http://www.ross-tech.com/vag-com/cars/xenonalignment.html

 

Need to perhaps try again in Basic Settings instead... tried to do it in a bit of a hurry, but might have backfired ooops

 

I think you may be right JIMBOF, it should be basic settings, thanks for that, I will try again tomorrow.

Edited 18 November, 201312 yr by oh_superb

Measuring blocks would be wrong I think.  Measuring blocks should be totally safe all the time (ie it doesn't actually do anything, just let you read values) - to do adaptations etc they are nearly always through basic settings.

 

(edit - an exception to this is there is a bug in the airbag controller on MKIV golfs at least which means just opening the airbag controller can fry it with a permanent code you can't clear without a different hacky tool)

Edited 18 November, 201312 yr by jimbof

I did the same procedure using measuring blocks last week after replacing a ballast, and couldn't work out why the fault didn't clear and the range didn't adjust

I re-read the wiki and repeated it with basic settings and it worked fine.

It seemed to me that when you first turn on the lights, you see the range adjust, but if you turn them off and on again, they are still in the same position so don't move. So it can look as if the range adjusting is not working.

Maybe there is a time delay before they reset to the rest position?

I believe what you are describing is the same as my car.

I am pretty certain it is the engine starting which "triggers" the movement of the lights (nothing to do with whether you turn the lights on).

If you turn the lights off then on again without stopping the engine you won't (or at least I don't) see the lights move.

So it sounds like you have nothing to worry about now you've completed basic settings yay! 

(oops just noticed this post was not from the OP - will try and read better in future...)

Edited 19 November, 201312 yr by jimbof

All fixed, gone into Basic settings, group 001, then set, 002, save and leave, and all good.

Although I don't think much is happening with the left hand headlight when I turn the knob for range.  Don't know if something got dislocated.

It's about right though, nobody has flashed me yet, but it makes me wonder.

It's a flimsy design.  I'll have to look into it.

Rotodiesel posted a little guide to fixing them I think, might be worth a search.  I know looking at the tops of my adjuster screws it looks like the last person in there was using their screwdriver as a drillbit...

The 90 degree drive pops out on turning, as if something got disengaged further in... not sure, will need another look