Hi everyone, I have been looking on the forum and on the internet, but still confused about the "Headlamp Beam Converters / stickers for driving in Europe." I am due to go in the next few days and still can't worked out where to put them. I bought them from the AA and thy provide a diagram for each car make / model, but for my car Skoda Superb Estate 2013 I am a bit confused from the example given. I made few pictures so that you can better understand my question, please see below:

 

 

 

 

 

If anyone with the same model as mine has already done that or if you know the right way, I'll appreciate your time and help.

 

Many thanks.

The headlights dip towards the curb so the AA diagram is correct.

 

If you have xenons then you can adjust the beam in the maxidot (‘tourist setting’)

I always stick then on as Eurolight instruct, I still get adequate light for night driving and have never been flashed in France or Spain.

Turn the lights on for 2/3 minutes before taking them off to soften the glue and take the backing off with the front, meths quickly removes any residue adhesive

Regards all

Juan

Thanks for the reply guys, so I guess the AA diagram is the one to use. No I don't have xenon, actually I am not sure?

What trim level is the car?

 

Elegance and L&K have xenon’s as std.

If you have a headlight height adjuster next to the light switch then they are std halogens.

My car is SE Plus and I have got the height adjuster.

Don't the halogens have selector levers like Octavias?

Probably yes (the MKI Superb had them) but unless you know what you are looking for they are a bitch to see them.

Don't the halogens have selector levers like Octavias?

I don't know to be honest? But everything works fine

Probably yes (the MKI Superb had them) but unless you know what you are looking for they are a bitch to see them.

Yes, I never used them on my MkI Superb.  I used Eurolights and found the best way to align them on the headlights was to stick them on the night before leaving.  I'd wait until it was dark enough to see the beam pattern on the garage doors and then hold the Eurolights against the headlight with the backing still in place so they didn't stick.  When I'd found the correct position to remove the kick up to the nearside of the beam pattern, I marked the positions and then stuck them on.

 

I only go abroad in summer and don't often need the lights for night driving, but headlights are compulsory 24/7 in some countries and I've never been flashed or stopped using Eurolights aligned in this way.

Yes, I never used them on my MkI Superb.  I used Eurolights and found the best way to align them on the headlights was to stick them on the night before leaving.  I'd wait until it was dark enough to see the beam pattern on the garage doors and then hold the Eurolights against the headlight with the backing still in place so they didn't stick.  When I'd found the correct position to remove the kick up to the nearside of the beam pattern, I marked the positions and then stuck them on.

 

I only go abroad in summer and don't often need the lights for night driving, but headlights are compulsory 24/7 in some countries and I've never been flashed or stopped using Eurolights aligned in this way.

I will try your method, but how can I determine the beam pattern? When I look at the lights at night, they just look so bright, whichever place I put the sticker would block some of the light.

I will try your method, but how can I determine the beam pattern? When I look at the lights at night, they just look so bright, whichever place I put the sticker would block some of the light.

If you are in front of a vertical, flat surface, such as garage doors, you should easily see the flat cut off of the dipped beam pattern, with an angle of about 35-45 degrees upwards at the left to illuminate the nearside in the UK.  This is the bit you need to block for driving on the right.

 

On cars with the adjustment via maxidot, the beam is flat all the way across.  This is safe and legal to use in the UK, you just lose the additional illumination on the kerb.

 

You see the odd foreign registered car with headlights on and you can tell if they don't have beam adjusters when the lights dazzle, even in daytime.

If you are in front of a vertical, flat surface, such as garage doors, you should easily see the flat cut off of the dipped beam pattern, with an angle of about 35-45 degrees upwards at the left to illuminate the nearside in the UK.  This is the bit you need to block for driving on the right.

 

On cars with the adjustment via maxidot, the beam is flat all the way across.  This is safe and legal to use in the UK, you just lose the additional illumination on the kerb.

 

You see the odd foreign registered car with headlights on and you can tell if they don't have beam adjusters when the lights dazzle, even in daytime.

 

Ok thanks I will try that and if can't work it out, I'll do it as per the AA diagram above.

One of the joys of the Superb is that you don't need to use beam adjusters on the headlamp covers. I got fed up with having to use meths to remove all the glue! 

 

For the cars with halogen headlamps there is an aduster inside where you access the H3 bulb if it needs replacing. It is protected by a rubber cover about 70mm in diameter. Remove this cover and look inside using a mirror. on one side of the lamp is a little lever. if you operate this it will adjust the headlamps for driving on the right. Then put the cover back. There is one of these on each dipped beam headlamp. It's awkward at first, hence needing the mirror. I've done it enough now that I can do it by feel. I found out about it on BriSkoda, but can't find the thread!

Deflectors can fall off, and cost money to buy for every trip.  If you go abroad more than once a year, definitely worth using tourist levers in headlamps. If you drive abroad often enough, consider driving flat beam all the time, it really makes very little difference once you get used to it and set the headlight aim towards top of MOT spec (-0.5deg).

 

On newer VAG models (for Skoda it is Mk3 Octy, I think Rapid as well) you do not get the tourist levers, low beam are reflector ones, for me that crosses these cars out of the purchase list unless the dealer is happy to chuck in (projector) xenons (with tourist levers) free of charge.

This is why you need to tick the xenon headlights option when ordering, or wait for a used example with them already fitted.

 

Tourist mode can be selected from the comfort of the drivers seat without even lifting the bonnet.

Is the "Travel Mode" on MaxiDot really switching to flat beam?

 

I was under impression that the "tourist mode" accessible from MaxiDot on xenons only dips the beam down, without changing the beam shape (ie it's still the wrong-sided "z" beam shape).

 

Unless you happen to also have adaptive xenons, which possibly may have beam shape change on demand (though it's less of a problem there as they direct beam around with the car going into corner). If anyone can confirm that, let us know. 

As such, it reduces headlight range from around 75m to around 20m-30m to the right of the car.To get genuine "flat beam" shape from standard, non-adaptive factory xenons, you still need to operate lever inside the headlight. But at least there is a lever inside the xenons, reflector H7s do not have it.

 

I'd still expect the salesman to throw in the xenons as a free extra, though, as just like the full sized spare and jack+tools, being able to set correct beam for the country is an essential car feature deliberately omitted nowadays in the name of cost cutting / profiteering.

As far as I know the adaptive headlights are disabled while tourist mode is selected on the dual xenon lights, so you lose a lot of the benefits to having them while driving on the other side of the road.

I'd still expect the salesman to throw in the xenons as a free extra, though, as just like the full sized spare and jack+tools, being able to set correct beam for the country is an essential car feature deliberately omitted nowadays in the name of cost cutting / profiteering.

I think you'd be hard pressed to xenons thrown on for free TBH. They usually cost 1k or more as an option.

Never had a Eurolite fall off......that's on lengthy trips were the car goes through two or three car washes.

Buy them on eBay, cheap as chips

As far as I know the adaptive headlights are disabled while tourist mode is selected on the dual xenon lights, so you lose a lot of the benefits to having them while driving on the other side of the road.

You are correct as I am in the forces over in Germany all the adaptability functions are turned off. Still fun watching the lights do their little dance though.

I think you'd be hard pressed to xenons thrown on for free TBH. They usually cost 1k or more as an option.

You're quite right there, so no new car purchases for me until they again start making cars suitable for driving in any country, without "special" options that used to be standard (spare wheel, jack, tools, headlamps that can be adapted to flat beam).

You are correct as I am in the forces over in Germany all the adaptability functions are turned off. Still fun watching the lights do their little dance though.

Sounds like even the adaptive xenons do not switch to flat beam when selected from MaxiDot, merely dip down and possibly add a little fixed side angle so that the part upwards of the "kink" illuminates more road.

Edited 6 August, 201411 yr by dieselV6

No, the xenons simply just flat beam.

Good to know at least the AFS ones still work for Europe.