Fuzzy / flickering Xenons?

[Ray Luxury-Yacht]

Heya chaps / chapesses!

 

I've recently (this month) been privileged enough to be the custodian of a beautiful, two-year-old, petrol - manual Octavia 3 VRS...with 12 thousand miles on the the clock, and one previous Skoda main dealer PCP owner. She's in perfect condition, as new, no accident damage evident ( and I used my 'fine-toothed comb too ) and looking gorgeous all over. I fell in love with her immediately, and handed over my cash asap!

 

Anyway, reason for posting......everything is all good and in order, apart from the Xenon headlamps? I have a question that others may be able to answer for me?

 

When I turn the lights on, the beams sweep down / up and left / right, and then settle to their self-centred position......and shining as perfectly and as bright as I would expect....no problems so far.

 

However, once I start driving, especially at any kind of decent pace down any A and B roads......when I start go go over any sort of bumps in the road, the headlamp beams start to flicker and flash, in time with the bumps.

 

It's almost like the bumps are making a bad electrical connection to the headlamps show up worse than ever before.....if that makes sense?

 

I don't think it IS a bad connection though....it's probably looking more like the Xenon bulb holders / mechanisms are rattling / flapping about a bit over all the bumps.

 

 

 

Does anyone / everyone else get the same / similar things on their Octy VRs 3's? I would be delighted to hear, if you'd be so kind....to at least stop me worrying further!

 

T.I.A!

 

 

[FluffyEyeball]

I've noticed this too, although not as severe as yours by the sound of it. Never got it seen to though as I assumed it was just normal movement...maybe not if some do it more than others?

Edited 12 September, 2016 by FluffyEyeball

[SC03OTT]

Xenons are self levelling and are constantly adjusting. This - I suspect - is what you're seeing. It's perfectly normal.

[skomaz]

Xenons are self levelling and are constantly adjusting. This - I suspect - is what you're seeing. It's perfectly normal.

 

No they're not!

 

They level once, when first switched on and when loaded - they don't then constantly re-level to suit the road bumps - the system isn't active in that way!

 

For the OP the chances are it is a burner that's on the way out.

[langers2k]

No they're not!

 

They level once, when first switched on and when loaded - they don't then constantly re-level to suit the road bumps - the system isn't active in that way!

 

For the OP the chances are it is a burner that's on the way out.

 

Are you sure?

 

On my MK2 Octavia they DO actively adjust once driving, it's most obvious when accelerating and braking.

 

I made a graph a while back when I was testing AHL/AFS2 showing the headlight movement http://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/392736-adaptive-xenon-headlights-possible-on-fl/?p=4564400

[SC03OTT]

Ill stand corrected if wrong. Pretty sure my old Focus ST did this though. If you drove next to walls/buildings you could see them constantly adjusting.

I can also see the lights in my vRS moving/resetting when initially stopped in traffic.

[billat29]

I had a similar problem when my car was new. One light would flicker on going over a bump. Light controller was replaced under warranty.

I think (but not sure) that the controller was showing an error.

Edited 12 September, 2016 by billat29

[skomaz]

Are you sure?

 

On my MK2 Octavia they DO actively adjust once driving, it's most obvious when accelerating and braking.

 

I made a graph a while back when I was testing AHL/AFS2 showing the headlight movement http://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/392736-adaptive-xenon-headlights-possible-on-fl/?p=4564400

 

I understood AFS II was effectively high beam assist and cornering - so picking up speed and steering wheel position to adjust and focus the beam to suit - not to react to 'bumps in the road".  In other words they level accordingly when switched on but not for each bump in the road...

[tomsimes]

I understood AFS II was effectively high beam assist and cornering - so picking up speed and steering wheel position to adjust and focus the beam to suit - not to react to 'bumps in the road".  In other words they level accordingly when switched on but not for each bump in the road...

They definiely do adjust depending on weather and speed:

http://www.skoda.co.uk/models/hotspotdetail?HotspotName=Octavia+Hatch+-+Bi-Xenon+headlights+with+LED+daytime+running+lights&Page=exterior&WebID=429ceca3-a03e-49ee-a7e1-0f7a5c96d6d6

[langers2k]

I understood AFS II was effectively high beam assist and cornering - so picking up speed and steering wheel position to adjust and focus the beam to suit - not to react to 'bumps in the road".  In other words they level accordingly when switched on but not for each bump in the road...

 

VW have been using dynamic self-levelling (automatic headlight range control) since ~1997, long before they added AFS.

 

It's mentioned in SSP191 (self study program) for the '97 Passat and described as follows: 

To prevent dazzling oncoming traffic, the gas discharge headlights have to be equipped with an automatic headlight range control.

 

The control unit for automatic headlight range control determines the car’s load condition by two sensors located on the front and rear axles on the left of the car. It continuously adjusts the headlight via the actuator to ensure that the road is always illuminated optimally.

 

It's best at reacting to acceleration and braking inputs as they tend to be more sustained but it will at least try and react to every bump that changes the suspension height.

Since then, VAG have added the following functionality:

- AFS adds the horizontal axis for left/right motion to allow for so called 'bending xenons' or dynamic cornering lights.

- AFSII supplements this with various driving modes. It changes the spread and height of the beams but not the beam shape.

- Dynamic/smart light assist adjusts the beam shape using either a roller or matrix lighting. This allows high/main beams to remain on without causing glare to other drivers as shown here: http://master.skoda-auto.com/models/new-superb/video-safety-sla

 

High beam assist is a separate system and will even work on halogen equipped cars. It doesn't need any AFS functionality as it's a front facing camera to temporally turn off the high/main beams when other vehicles are detected.

 

If it only levelled when switched on, the up/down readings on my graph would be constant apart from when in the ranges noted above. So as per SSP191, the xenons do adjust constantly based on body tilt angle relative to the vehicle axes

[skomaz]

 

 

It's best at reacting to acceleration and braking inputs as they tend to be more sustained but it will at least try and react to every bump that changes the suspension height.

 

 

Well in my opinion that's pretty stupid then as the levelling actuators won't have a cat in hells chance of keeping up with road bumps - longer slightly more sustained inputs, such as a second or so of acceleration, it will be able to react fine, but not each and every bump in the road.  The lag of the actuator moving will mean it'll be chasing it's tail all the time trying to keep up - even assuming the response is 'damped' to a certain degree to filter out bumps...

 

Easy to do with Matrix lighting but not easy with a mechanical method.

 

Hey ho you live and learn...

[V6Jules]

I've had one light controller replaced due to an error (it kept telling me the light was faulty on the car display) this fixed that but that light has always flickered when going over bumps. It looks like play in the light somewhere as is way too fast to be it trying to self level. Not really been that fussed as I will be changing the car soon hopefully

[octtyvrs82]

I have got a MY16 Octavia VRS with Xenons and I am experiencing the same 'wobble' with the offside lamp, whenever I go over a bump particularly when cornering with 'sport' headlight setting activated via 'individual' it definitely bounces due to some sort of mechanical limitation and not some sort of real-time counteraction.

 

I will take it back to the dealers to check under warranty even if only to see what they suggest.

 

 

[imikk3]

3 hours ago, octtyvrs82 said:

I have got a MY16 Octavia VRS with Xenons and I am experiencing the same 'wobble' with the offside lamp, whenever I go over a bump particularly when cornering with 'sport' headlight setting activated via 'individual' it definitely bounces due to some sort of mechanical limitation and not some sort of real-time counteraction.

 

I will take it back to the dealers to check under warranty even if only to see what they suggest.

 

 

Check your headlamps if the screws are tight enough, maybe that`s causing the rattle. I found mine loose however I didn`t notice any bounces going over bumps before I did it

[tintinandcharlie]

Definitely an on/off flicker on mine over bumps, as opposed to a positional adjustment. 102k on the clock, any suggestions?

OP: there's a nt9ocn name not heard in  long time...🙂

Edited 11 September, 2019 by tintinandcharlie

[Josip90]

Hello everyone, 

 

I have the same issue as written above on my 2015. Octavia mk3 2.0 TDI VRS.

 

In case that anyone found the cause of flickering headlight (Bi-xenon) while going over the bumps, I would truly appreciate their answer.