Hi, new owner here.

 

I live in UK, got a RHD car, but travel to countries that drive on the right (correct😋) side of the road often and am trying to figure out how to convert my xenon beams, as I'd rather know how to in advance than stand on a rainy dockside trying to figure this out!

I did lots of searching but am still clueless?

My car does not have the maxidot and no sat-nav, so I presumed the "it'll just do that automatically when it senses you're across the channel" option was not applicable to my vehicle?

So I took the headlight out to search for the magic beam-go-flat lever, but I can't see it?

I don't like the stickers, they don't work well imho.

I've (hopefully) attached a picture of my headlight

 

Cheers, Daniel

 

 

You need to use VCDS or similar to enable travel mode. A dealer can do it but may charge you 😕

 

The stickers aren't suitable as the AFS system moves the headlights around so although they'll be correct when you've fitted them, they won't be when driving.

Thanks for your reply.

 

That seems like the dumbest thing!

So if i had halogens I could flick the lever, if I had maxidot I could press buttons, but with factory xenons I have to go to a dealer???!!!

I travel across fairly frequently, sometimes with no notice (I have family and business at both sides of the sea) so going to a dealer isn't always an option.

Looks like I'll be looking into retrofitting maxidot...

There is not a lever to flick on the halogen headlights on my pre F/L, perhaps there is on later ones.

 

I find that unless the vehicle is loaded or dragging its ar5e like a dog with piles setting the headlamp height thumbwheel on the dash to its lowest setting will stop other drivers being dazzled when driving abroad, for me with LHD headlamps the problem would occur during my UK visits, no problem with them on the lowest setting but then I cant see as far ahead either!

1 minute ago, J.R. said:

There is not a lever to flick on the halogen headlights on my pre F/L, perhaps there is on later ones.

 

I find that unless the vehicle is loaded or dragging its ar5e like a dog with piles setting the headlamp height thumbwheel on the dash to its lowest setting will stop other drivers being dazzled when driving abroad, for me with LHD headlamps the problem would occur during my UK visits, no problem with them on the lowest setting but then I cant see as far ahead either!

 

I believe the flicky lever may only be in RHD cars, not sure though.

 

With the factory fitted xenons comes a mandatory automatic leveling system, which means no amount of Cake in the front or bananas in the boot will change the angle of the light in relation to the road. There is no manual adjustment, no thumb wheel.

Mine is a RHD but re-registered in France and now fitted with LHD headlights just to muddy the waters 😀

 

I understand re the Xenons, my comment was in response to your posting about flicking the lever if you had halogen lights, maybe it can be done on the F/L model.

 

My Yeti is a later F/L car and has halogen lights, there are no adjusting levers on that, I have had both RHD and LHD halogen headlights on both vehicles.

IIRC, flipping the lever on halogen headlight vehicles put it in a 'flat' beam (Tourist Mode, happy to be corrected), a sort of halfway house for driving in the UK and Continent.

 

Prior to going on a 3 week roadtrip around France and Spain I got my local dealership to put the headlights in the flat beam mode, (If I got pulled over, I  wanted to have paperwork to prove that I had the lights set up correctly) which I kept it in until fairly recently. Whilst in this mode I didn't get flashed by other whilst driving in France and Spain, and the vehicle passed at least 4 MoT's.

 

As to the OP, Maxidot is the way forward. IIRC (again) Langers2k and EddieNL are the people to speak to about modifying and updating your MkII Octy.

I'm still baffled by how they designed a system that requires you to visit a dealer to adjust the settings to be legal and safe across the puddle!🤔🤔🤔🤔

I've ordered a maxidot cluster and a visit to the far east (of England) is on the cards soon.

Should be cheaper than visiting the dealer each time I cross (about 12-15 times/year)

I will happily swap my set of halogen headlights for your xenons if you want

 

 

 

Edited 11 February, 20206 yr by slow_nick

10 hours ago, slow_nick said:

I will happily swap my set of halogen headlights for your xenons if you want

 

 

 

If only you'd mentioned this earlier! I've now got a maxidot on the way and it'd be too much hassle to send it back...😏