Hi All.  After some help. Son's Fabia MK2 Projector Headlights seem to be faulty. Can't use full beam. When turn full beam onnit switches headlights off a part from side lights.

But works if I pull them back and hold in position. Any suggestions would be great.
Check fuse and thats all good

I assume that they have worked in the past so has your son changed anything, such as fitting HID lights to the dip beam, between them working and now not working?

Also is the battery in good condition and fully charged?

He's only just bought it privately. Dipped beam works. But full beam only seems to work when you hold the stalk.

 

What are HID lights?

They are High Intensity Discharge lights also called Xenon. Some car owners retrofit them into projector headlights for more light output although the car should not pass an MOT with them fitted. They gave also been known to damage some cars electronics. They can give a very white light much different to the standard halogen lights.

 

Are you sure that the dip beam should stay on when the high beams are used?

After looking in the boot I found an empty box of these.

 

I guess these are wrong.

 

Will buy new bulbs. 

No age listed on your car but early versions  (Pre facelift) Had projector bulbs and only one filament, with a shield that went up and down, blocking a percentage of the beam, on dipped, unblocking on full. Stand in front of the car to see if you can hear the flap/shield as your son switches from dipped to full. Check to see if any fuses are intact or the motors have failed or that the bulbs are fitted correctly.

You do know the stalk is pushed forward, towards the dashboard, for high beam? Just pulling it to the steering wheel flashes the front lights, not turns them on. (Not as obvious as it sounds, my daughters Clio needed one pull to flash, a second to turn back off or they stayed on full). 

I have a 2010 facelift 1.2 htp elegance with projector dipped lights. These stay on when high beam is selected. Both high and low beam each use a single H7 bulb rated at 55w (four bulbs in total). If your main beam flash (stalk pulled towards you against the spring) works okay when the main light switch is turned off, and also works okay when the lights are switched on dip beam then it sounds like the stalk switch is faulty to me? 

Its seem to only have 1 space for H7 bulbs per light.

 

Its 2010 model. And the previous owner has installed these lights. If I pull the stick towards me they only come on if the light switch is on.

 

If i push the stick both dip and main beam disappear leaving the just side lights 

 

Check fuses and they all seem OK.

 

Can't check the motor on the light as my son is now at work

OK, check they are fitted correctly, though just for a starting point. You might JUST hear the motors flap if all is quiet and the engine is not on but its not easy.They should still FLASH (Pull towards you) Even when the ignition is off, key out.  Have a look at the light switch, to see if the last owner has fitted an auto light switch. It will have a point saying auto. Sometimes, people get the thing wrong!

Hi No Auto lights. Have that in my Golf.

 

Lights don't flash when off either. Only way to get them to flash is having the lights on

 

 

Just put some phillips H7 and still no joy. 

 

If I push the stalk ever so lightly they come on. 

 

Sound like the relay makes a clunking noise

ok so the switch could be the issue. Prob is I have lights with front and rear fogs so posting you that, wont help. (Thinking of trying first, to eliminate). Then if not that, the stalk. Edit, you posted that just as I sent my one. now it sounds a bit more like the stalk.

 

Edited 21 July, 20205 yr by mrgf

Does sound odd! Does the stalk "Feel funny"? When you do that, it kind of looks like the stalk is a bit floppy. They do feel a bit click but in a positive osrt of way. click on, click off.

Edited 21 July, 20205 yr by mrgf

Doesn't feel funny. Its worn on the top of the stalk tho

 

So might get a switch an stalk

Not sure the ease of removing the stalk, the switch is easier then you'd think. Push in, twist clockwise quarter/half turn, pull out, if memory serves me right. New they are quite pricey but anything from a fiver up, on eBay. Be sure to get the correct matching one as some have front fogs, some don't. some have large rear plug, others have small rear plugs.

Hi,

I have a very similar problem, on a 2012 TSI 1.2 petrol. Full beam only works in the 'flash option' when you pull the stalk against the spring to flash on full beam . The fullbeam light comes on and the blue indicator on the dash confirms it The  problem is full beam doesn't come on at all when pushing the stalk into the forward position. same with the blue light on the dash, thereby confirming no full beam.

 

I was wondering if any one knows if different bulbs are used for the two kinds of full beam, ie the temporary 'flash' and the fully on 'full beam'. I know the temporary flash uses an h7 next to the big round halogen. I'm reluctant to pull off the steering wheel and replace the expensive stalk unnecessarily, Surely there is a relay somewhere that could be at faulty, or like I mentioned, 2 different bulbs for the two ways of achieving full beam? Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks Fred

After 2010, the projector lights changed so you may have two bulbs, Fred66. For you, it is just possible a fuse (Doubt it as left and right ought to use seperate ones though) Could be blown or Bizarrely, both headlight bulbs. Check inside the light units for two sets of H7 bulbs, take out one at a time and examine them. Obvious blown bulbs- great... Hard to know or look sound, after refitting , swap the two per headlight around on both units. If the problem remains exactly the same, it shouldn't be a bulb issue. If the mains work, flash doesn't,  bulbs need renewing. I may be wide of the mark but worth a look. The problem is, usually, the flash and the main will be exactly the same bulb, with dipped being a different one. Try it anyway. If access is ok, it will only cost you ten-fifteen mins of your time.

Thing is my stalk clicks as nicely as it did before this fault appeared.  

Mine has 4 wires to 1 bulb

The noise you are hearing is the "shutters" in the headlamps opening for full beam, so you def have one bulb and projector headlamps...................however they can still do this but the lights dont work as the switch contact is faulty in the stalk.

 

I would say 95% its the stalk thats faulty, repaired a fellow members on here with the same fault.

How easy / complicated is it to do

Thanks mrgf,

 

As it happens I've checked the fuse, (no 36 ) it seemed fine. I also changed the h7 , which still work fine in the full beam flash mode. There is another significant bulb that I didn't manage to get out, or turn on for that matter,  from the front is looks like nothing I've ever encountered before, a three inch circular lens , it'son the furthest outer side of the assembly, I will definatly need a to have another go at that one tomorrow, will post back . Again thanks for your insight

Fawn rush, I have never counted but it looks standard. It might also feed the flap. As they are just one filament, the flick from dipped to high, moves the flap/shield up or down. Hard to spot, easier to hear if someone flicks the switch whilst you looking are in the engine bay.

 

Fred,66, That may be good or just misleading. 

 

Both, replacing of the stalk is a bit of work. Steering wheel, airbag, clock springl plastic shroud all need to come off, I believe.

8 hours ago, Fred66 said:

Thanks mrgf,

 

As it happens I've checked the fuse, (no 36 ) it seemed fine. I also changed the h7 , which still work fine in the full beam flash mode. There is another significant bulb that I didn't manage to get out, or turn on for that matter,  from the front is looks like nothing I've ever encountered before, a three inch circular lens , it'son the furthest outer side of the assembly, I will definatly need a to have another go at that one tomorrow, will post back . Again thanks for your insight

 

 

The 3" bulb you are mentioning is not a bulb.............thats the lens of the projector headlamp. (see image)

 

So just to confirm, do the lights flash when you pull the stalk towards you ? if they do, then its the stalk, the full beam internal switch is faulty.

 

Replacing stalk is as mentioned, steering colum shroud, airbag, steering wheel, then the switch assembly. Takes about 15-20 mins once you have done it once. If you do attempt to do this, disconnect the battery BEFORE removing the airbag / steering wheel and do not reconnect until EVERYTHING is back together, if you dont, you will latch an airbag fault.

 

 

Edited 22 July, 20205 yr by UrbanPanzer

UrbanPanzer, thank you for your reply. Yes pulling the stalk towards me against the spring gives a (temporary) full beam from a couple of the H7s,As long as it's held there ot works.  Pushing the stalk into the forward position for continuous full beam is the fault , no blue confirmation light on dash , no full beam.

 

I was hopping forlornly  that their was a faulty relay somewhere, does all that current (55w) flow directly through the stalk?

 

 I will remove the 'projectors' bulbs today, the one behind 3 inch lens thing , that you have so kindly illustrated, (though my ones are on the outer side of that light assembly).

Can you (or someone) tell me if I need a puller of some kind to get off the steering wheel, and where might I look for a replacement stalk. Presumably Skoda will require a pound of flesh for such an item,  Also judging how different my lights are from fawnrush's identifying the correct stalk will also be important.

 

This is the newest and most expensive car I've ever owned, it's also the best for performance and comfort, but I'm learning all these good things come at a price. 55K on the clock 8 years old and a part that should be good for 200k has failed already 😲