Hi,

Drove our 2015 L&K Estate in fog for the first time last night, the main beams are WAY too high, is there anything I should know about beam setting?

Thanks,

Robin.

ps Anyone know if it's much trouble for me to change my user name?

Anyone know if it's much trouble for me to change my user name?

As a Freedom member you are able to change your own display name. It's under the 'My Settings' menu and then on the LHS.

Hi,

Drove our 2015 L&K Estate in fog for the first time last night, the main beams are WAY too high, is there anything I should know about beam setting?

Thanks,

Robin.

ps Anyone know if it's much trouble for me to change my user name?

Take it to a dealer, it needs to be hooked up to the diagnostics for the headlights to be adjusted.

Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk

Why are you using main beams in fog?? All you're going to get is glare.....

Thanks for both of those replies, I may have changed my "title" if the system agrees!

 

About the headlights, thanks, whatever next?

I guess the car is still under warranty, but the supplying (very nice) dealership is 90 miles away.

I'll see what kind of reaction I get from a dealership a bit more local than that.

Cheers,

Robin.

Why are you using main beams in fog?? All you're going to get is glare.....

I'm guessing that you've never driven in day-time fog?

Neil,  Thanks, but trust me, there are occasions and conditions when that is the right thing to do--usually intermittently.  However a bit of fog offers a useful opportunity to see just where the beams are set.  I may be turning into a silly old f*rt but I have driven an awful lot of competition miles, at night in quick Rally Cars, so honestly I do know what is too low, too high and just right.

Incidentally, whenever I take a motorbike for MOT, our local friendly tester always wants the main beam raising! which is no problem as I can just lean over and set it correctly when I next ride in the dark!

However, the experience with this (disappointing) Skoda makes me wonder how many other new cars have incorrectly set high beams, which I guess don't get checked until first MOT, which might explain why we hear moans about modern super bright headlights dazzling oncoming traffic.

I nearly got started about the dozy one-eyed-charlies driving around with a headlight out.

Cheers anyway,

Robin.

Thanks for both of those replies, I may have changed my "title" if the system agrees!

About the headlights, thanks, whatever next?

I guess the car is still under warranty, but the supplying (very nice) dealership is 90 miles away.

I'll see what kind of reaction I get from a dealership a bit more local than that.

Cheers,

Robin.

Should be covered under warranty anyway.

Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk

Thanks Andy, I see you have the same car as us, how does it compare with whatever you had before?

Startins agree with what you say about it being covered by warranty, "unless there is any evidence of damage-------" fair enough, I can see no signs of damage, be some fun if Startins find any!  If, for any reason it fails to qualify for warranty, then there is a £45.00 charge, which I could probably live with.

Robin.

I had an Elegance spec O3 with Xenons before, so unsurprisingly pretty much the same!

Before that I had a L&K O2, that had retrofitted HIDs, the O3 is better.

Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk

Incidentally, whenever I take a motorbike for MOT, our local friendly tester always wants the main beam raising! which is no problem as I can just lean over and set it correctly when I next ride in the dark!

However, the experience with this (disappointing) Skoda makes me wonder how many other new cars have incorrectly set high beams, which I guess don't get checked until first MOT, which might explain why we hear moans about modern super bright headlights dazzling oncoming traffic.

 

Is the main beam really too high or would you just prefer it to be lower?

If your bike MOT is anything to go by, the Skoda dealer may tell you the beams are set correctly & ask you for the 45gbp.

 

My guess is that more complains about "lights dazzling people" are because many are now LED or Xenon which are much whiter/brighter than old bulb lights rather than because manufacturers don't set them properly.

Gabbo,

On a level flat road, with just 2 in the car, and with a bit of mist to show it up, the light beams are projected well above horizontal and disappear to infinity, IMHO  that ain't correct!

The motorbike tester is an excellent fellow, but very rarely rides a bike.

Just because the MOT rule book says something certainly doesn't make it true or correct, we just have to find ways to live with these organisations and their rules, a bit like Education has to put up with the horrors of OFSTED-------(and the all harm it has done).

Robin.

Bi-xenon lamps with projector lenses work slightly different to how you may expect. The lamp produces a full wide angle beam (high beam) and to get low beam there is a little shutter that covers half the lens basically cutting off the top section of the original wide angle beam, this is low beam. When you select high beam the shutter is removed showing the full wide beam again. I don't think you will be able to adjust it down without ruining low beam as the whole lamp would have to point down.

Bi-xenon lamps with projector lenses work slightly different to how you may expect. The lamp produces a full wide angle beam (high beam) and to get low beam there is a little shutter that covers half the lens basically cutting off the top section of the original wide angle beam, this is low beam. When you select high beam the shutter is removed showing the full wide beam again. I don't think you will be able to adjust it down without ruining low beam as the whole lamp would have to point down.

Many thanks, that's very interesting, I ought to have worked it out for myself, it partially explains why Bi-Xenon and HID lights are considered naughty on motorbikes, especially without self-levelling suspension.

I sort of wish I'd kept the old Octy2-----I understood how that one worked and it never, ever annoyed me!

However, the experience with this (disappointing) Skoda makes me wonder how many other new cars have incorrectly set high beams, which I guess don't get checked until first MOT, which might explain why we hear moans about modern super bright headlights dazzling oncoming traffic.

The MOT checks headlamp alignment on dipped beam only, main beams just get a check to see if they work.

I wrote elsewhere in this Forum on the matter of main & dipped beam adjusting

topic/378415-octy-iii-main-beam-adjust/

 

This note becomes my final chat on this line…

 

The major difficulty in adjusting the Octy III beams is that Skoda in their wisdom has combined both beams in one pressed unit. Adjustment effectiveness depends on manufacturing accuracy as well as a belief that all components will correctly meet the blueprint standards.  That is, no drift in the alignment of main and dip beam mirrors in the complete unit, the unit fits correctly in its cradle, and the light bulbs are correctly made to standard and mate correctly within the unit.  I doubt all these tolerances will be met over time so there will be some difficulty in adjusting the beam patterns.

The earlier Octy had separate adjustment for main and dipped beam so removing the present frustration of having to set the Octy III beams using only two simple adjusters.

 

In my earlier thread I said…

 

First construct the standard ‘on the wall’ beam-setting geometry which may be found at

            http://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/aim/aim.html

 

Next set the internal beam/load setting wheel to zero.  Then, counterintuitively, ignore the usual first action to set the dipped beam, but directly attack the main beam.  The dipped will need to be shrouded to allow sight of the main beams’ patterns on the wall. Following Daniel’s geometric advice set the hot spots correctly by turning the lower hex clock- or anticlockwise depending on the error you have experienced: you will see the result on the wall.  The Octavia’s Owner’s Manual on page 235, Figure 212 clearly shows the two 6mm hex sockets to adjust the whole light unit: the upper hex (shown white) moves the whole unit horizontally and the lower hex does the vertical adjustment – the whole unit and thus both dipped and main beams follow these adjustments.

 

I have experimented for a long time and find there is a very delicate balance between (i) the dipped beam alignment (so as not to blind oncoming traffic); (ii) setting the internal load setting wheel (hoping its own zero setting correctly sets the motor to zero in the dipped half of the light unit); and (iii) still having the main beam light far up the road ahead.  Multiple road tests are needed to satisfy one’s subjective judgement of the quality of the settings and then returning to the ‘on-the-wall’ adjustments – or better, using a friendly mechanics’ beam adjuster unit.

 

About the best bulbs – I said:

For my dipped beam (the outboard light of the headlamp unit) I have replaced the standard H7s with… Phillips +130% X-treme Vision bulbs.  It says on the box, 3,700 kelvin and + 45 meters further than the standard.  Twin pack at 28.00 € from Amazon.

These work very well, giving an intense white patch of dipped beam (deep and wide with sharp cut-offs).   The +45 meters could assist the far end of the dipped pattern.

 

For my main beam (the inboard light of the headlamp unit) I initially replaced the standard H15s with… Xenon Super White: Super Plazma Xenon Bulbs which state on the box they run at 7,500 kelvin. Twin pack @ 27.50 € from Amazon.

I do not think these give what it says on the pack… they perform poorly offering little support at the distant end of the beam.

I have now reverted to the standard (clear) bulbs but may consider the uprated Osram Cool Blue Intense rated at 3,700 kelvin as they are not heavily blue-coated.

Edited 16 December, 201510 yr by johnbkidd

All of the above is for Halogens, the OP has Xenons so it is a completely different arrangement.

Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk

Yes, my Octy III has halogens.

 

Still… the owner’s manual page 235 does show the basic headlamp unit bereft of any motorisation.  And the adjustment screws will be seen clearly. 

Most owners will go to the local VAG and pay accordingly.  Note these hints below…

 

Hints at

            http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?1235530

 

            http://www.vwaudiforum.co.uk/forum/showthread.php/150673-Xenon-headlight-adjustment?s=9d143a859f2fbb7af7733af6e45f1d59

 

And maybe a good definition

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

Try this link as a similar thing was covered when the MK3 cars first came out.

http://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/297456-xenons-and-main-beam/

Try this link as a similar thing was covered when the MK3 cars first came out.

http://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/297456-xenons-and-main-beam/

 

.... and the summary is to take it to the dealer if you have Xenons - you can end up in a whole world of pain if you try and adjust them yourself.