Hi Guys

 

Thanks for taking time to read this, i'm in need of some help regards my headlamps - or what options my car has??

 

My wife owns a 2010 '60' plate Fabia elegance, now when we bought the car, the headlamps were in need of replacement - so I bought two new ones, complete from a Skoda dealership (not my local) via my chassis number. They matched the ones I had removed which said 'Bending Halogen' around the bulb lense and then some dimensions further on. When I start the car and turn the lamps on you can see the beam pattern move over to the left then return central (reflection in windows of back of other cars) so they have motors to move them etc but they don't following the steering as you'd expect, they remain stationary baring the initial movement, so I would guess they need to be calibrated?

 

I haven't seen an options list when the car was new, so I don't know if this 'bending halogen' is an option to what i think it might be - i.e. the headlamps turn around corners with the steering (like the foglights do in the bottom corner of the bumper) so to speak like my fathers Citroen C6 and the old Citroen DS used to. 

 

I rang my local dealer who became quite grumpy towards me, said that first of all no one in service/sales had ever heard of these style of lamps, book your car in for a diagnostic. (which one service chap said was 35 inc vat, then today another said it was 50 inc vat!) Then they said yours doesn't have that option?!

 

Can you guys help me? Does this option exist - swiveling headlamps and what it is called? Or am I been a muppet and thinking it has something it clearly doesn't.

 

Thanks in advance.

I have the cornering headlights fitted in my Fabia VRS and for a long time I thought they were the standard headlight fitting and it was just disabled. I eventually worked out the movements are very smooth when you are driving and you don't really notice it that much. 

 

Also, a big reason why I presumed they WEREN'T cornering lights is they don't move when you are stationary. And while driving slowly you would have to turn the wheel a lot to see the movement. I find it is most noticeable when driving in an underground car park so sharp 90 degree bends at slow speed and you can see the beam following the direction of the car. 

 

Another way to see if they are working is do a sharp turn towards a wall or something where you can see the light beams tracking along the wall. With the steering still applied as you are turning towards the wall stop the car but do not neutralize the steering wheel. If the function is working the lights will be facing around the corner until the car stops and then they snap back to centre position. 

 

Hope this helps!

Hi, thanks for the reply. I'm sure they aren't working but i will check when driving home tonight that they aren't swiveling.

When i drove my fathers C6 i can easyily see the beam pattern move from corner to corner and as you stated they don't move when stationary - nor does the C6.

Shall see in the next hour. By the way, at night when you start yours with the lamps already turned on before you start it, once running do the headlamp beams go left to right to the centre - almost performing a calbration check? Thanks again for the reply.

Hi, thanks for the reply. I'm sure they aren't working but i will check when driving home tonight that they aren't swiveling.

When i drove my fathers C6 i can easyily see the beam pattern move from corner to corner and as you stated they don't move when stationary - nor does the C6.

Shall see in the next hour. By the way, at night when you start yours with the lamps already turned on before you start it, once running do the headlamp beams go left to right to the centre - almost performing a calbration check? Thanks again for the reply.

Doessound like cornering function to me.

Ive seen a few cars do the calibration check.

My dads old vw passat with cornering and self levelling xenons used to go side to side and up and down now and again. Seemed it was calibrating itself.

Yes mine does that too, I think it only does the side to side check after starting the engine.

If you can find someone with VCDS then you can turn on 'Showroom Mode' where the lights turn with the car static as you turn the steering wheel. This mode is permanently disabled when the car is first driven over 10km/h (6mph).

The lights are pretty subtle, and best seen on high beam on a straight, wide, road if you jink from side to side they are pretty obviously moving.

My old Mondeo used to go "cross eyed" on start up to make sure they are aligned and then only activate after 5mph so stationary wouldn't work. But they were very noticeable compared to other I have been in.

Hi, thanks for the replies! When I drove home last night I saw the beam pattern move to the left then back to centre, only on start up. Been in the local hospital carpark gave me loads of turns and cars to see if the beam pattern moved but alas no.

Would any tech on here know about this option and how to program/calibrate these? They light up fine, but with the car looking as if the option is there I'd like to utilise it.

I'm now reluctant to entertain my main dealer, with them been rude and harsh as it sound not up to scratch on this issue I'd prefer to take it somewhere or to someone who appreciates my business.

Any help is appreciated, thanks for your time guys!