Superb MK3 Headlight Distance

[Bimboveloce]

Hi,

Just recently the length of the beam from my headlights seems very short, causing me to drive very slowly on unlit roads. Does any one else suffer from this? is there a fix? is there a set distance they should emit?, how dow I checked if the self levelling is correct? Any suggestions on a possible fix?

Thanks in advance 

 

Tony

[cardo]

I don't have an answer for you, but I have noticed the same problem recently with my HID lights.

 

When I first got the car 2.5 years ago I thought the lights were terrific, but lately I would struggle to break 40mph on a country road because the throw of the dipped beams is so short.

The main beams seems fine and the lights do their start-up dance so I, too, would be grateful for some advice as to what might be causing this.

[Danoid]

41 minutes ago, Bimboveloce said:

Hi,

Just recently the length of the beam from my headlights seems very short, causing me to drive very slowly on unlit roads. Does any one else suffer from this? is there a fix? is there a set distance they should emit?, how dow I checked if the self levelling is correct? Any suggestions on a possible fix?

Thanks in advance 

 

Tony

The fact you’ve said just recently makes me think your cars needs the software update to fix the headlights.

 

Having said that, that recall or software fix only applies to xenons I believe.

 

If your car has xenons does it do the headlight dance? Right at the end it should lift the lights up but the software issue doesn’t do that so the headlight shines near the floor

[JR RS]

If there is a fault somewhere - the lights will, as a safety thing, point straight down.  Usually, a faulty AFS slave module causes this.

 

Check if there r any error codes?

Does ur headlight do the startup dance? i.e. down, left, right, up.

 

If the above r good, then u likely need to get them realigned at a garage.

 

There is a software fix for the headlights - to fix the issue where one of the headlights doesn't return to it's normal up position after the dance, because the car's startup sequence interrupts the headlights electronics.  

The software fix adds a time delay.

Edited 11 September, 2021 by JR RS

[Q102]

I had the same issue with my first Superb in 2016, I had optional Xenon lights fitted. Range was poor, bordering on dangerous. The light beam should change with speed, it is easy to see this.

They would do the startup dance and turned left/right.

 

The dealer (master tech at a main dealer) didn't hve a clue about how the lights work. All they appeared to do (I watched the dashcam footage) was plug the car in to the diagnostic computer and then they worked.

[Paikesejanku]

You can adjust light height manually to improve range. There are screws on top of the lights. Beware, if you set main beams too high your high lights will show up to sky. Find the balance.

[Bimboveloce]

Afternoon All,

 

From what you are collectively saying the car needs a visit to a dealer for a software check/update.

 

I will book it and let you know the outcome.

 

Many thanks for all your comments

 

Tony

[ApertureS]

On 12/09/2021 at 15:02, Paikesejanku said:

You can adjust light height manually to improve range. There are screws on top of the lights. Beware, if you set main beams too high your high lights will show up to sky. Find the balance.

This is far from a solution. Those adjuster screws are there to put the headlight in a default position and adjusting it will only cause blinding to drivers or others...

[Paikesejanku]

1 hour ago, ApertureS said:

This is far from a solution. Those adjuster screws are there to put the headlight in a default position and adjusting it will only cause blinding to drivers or others...

So put them to default, then they should cover the distance as it meant to be. I adjusted my lights and nobody is complaining about blinding.

Edited 13 September, 2021 by Paikesejanku

[SomethingSuperbly]

I've had this issue before- I think I still do actually. So do you quickly start the engine? I noticed that when I do that, the lights don't finish their "start-up dance" and remain stuck facing the immediate front of the car. Sometimes I had my car on a slight slope thinking it was a level sensor but I don't think it's got anything to do with that and more to do with  myimmediately starting the engine from cold.

 

My working solution which hasn't failed me yet is to turn the ignition on, wait until all the warning lights go off AND the lights finish their start-up routine, then start the engine.

[JR RS]

1 hour ago, SomethingSuperbly said:

I've had this issue before- I think I still do actually. So do you quickly start the engine? I noticed that when I do that, the lights don't finish their "start-up dance" and remain stuck facing the immediate front of the car. Sometimes I had my car on a slight slope thinking it was a level sensor but I don't think it's got anything to do with that and more to do with  myimmediately starting the engine from cold.

 

My working solution which hasn't failed me yet is to turn the ignition on, wait until all the warning lights go off AND the lights finish their start-up routine, then start the engine.

 

Yes, that is the manual workaround 

I did the same until the software fix was applied during a regular car service.

 

The software fix adds a delay to the headlight startup dance, so when the engine fires, it doesn't interrupt the completion of the headlight startup sequence.

 

Below is the service print out of the software fix (warranty recall) carried out - 94K1.

Edited 13 September, 2021 by JR RS

[cardo]

1 hour ago, SomethingSuperbly said:

My working solution which hasn't failed me yet is to turn the ignition on, wait until all the warning lights go off AND the lights finish their start-up routine, then start the engine.

Now this is interesting = and I will certainly try this technique, although my lights appear to complete their startup sequence at the moment but still end up being too low for comfort.

 

The other thing I read elsewhere was about the level sensors (front and rear) that feed the headlight controller info on the car's loading.

I found the rear sensor, and it doesn't seem to be damaged or broken, so I have lubricated the joints to see if that helps. I haven't been out in the dark yet to test.

Without taking the wheel off, I couldn't see one on the front suspension, but I will have a crack at that when I have time in a few days.

 

On the subject of software updates, my car had an annual service just a few weeks ago, but there was no mention of software changes being done, and the problem remains the same.

 

Many thanks to all who have offered suggestions.

[JR RS]

U don't need the wheels off.  

Just look from behind the wheel.

Use the phone camera to see wat is going on.

 

Front right level sensor

 

 

Front left level sensor

 

 

Rear sensor

[Shugmo]

When I got my car, second hand, the lights were dangerously low. It was unsafe to drive in the dark on country roads.

 

Found a quiet lane, grabbed a hex key, and sorted it in 5 minutes.

 

No blinding of other drivers and no need to hook it up to a computer.

 

 

[cardo]

Thank you, JR RS, I didn't know where to look for the front one so I assumed it was a wheel-off job.

I'll have another crawl around underneath, when it stops raining!

On 13/09/2021 at 21:44, SomethingSuperbly said:

My working solution which hasn't failed me yet is to turn the ignition on, wait until all the warning lights go off AND the lights finish their start-up routine, then start the engine.

I was parked in the dark at a hotel yesterday and made a point of trying this out.

I switched on and waited for the warning lights to go out...and.waited...and waited....

My headlights did not run the startup routine until AFTER engine start.

 

I checked this on a couple of occasions and the lights don't dance until the engine is running!

Still too bloody low to drive over 30mph, so the investigation continues.

[cardo]

Hate to reply to my own post.....but I'm going to. 😃

 

The plot thickens - despite JR RS's advice, I took the front wheels off and had a proper look around.

 

My car simply DOES NOT HAVE the front level sensors , as pictured so well by JR RS.

The only one I have is the rear left side one.

Is it a petrol v diesel thing, or a European market v Australian difference? Only Skoda knows!

 

It's starting to look like I have to shell out for the dealer to diagnose and correct these damned lights!   (but I'll wait to hear how Bimboveloce gets on with his first)

 

[JR RS]

That is very strange @cardo.

 

Wat is the part number on ur headlights?

Does ur car have factory Bi-xenons?

 

I believe cars without Bi-xenons only have the rear sensor.

[Supernovas]

Hi Guys,

 

Quick update, took the car to my local trusted VAG specialist for an oil service, saving £75 and asked them to look at the headlight issue. They took to to a local MOT station and had the lights checked and said they were within MOT tolerances, but the beam is still so short and dangerous.

 

I will try the 95K1 software recall for headlights as suggested by JR RS. any other known solutions please let me know asap as the dark night draw in.

 

Many thanks in advance for all suggestions.

Tony

[Danoid]

1 hour ago, Supernovas said:

Hi Guys,

 

Quick update, took the car to my local trusted VAG specialist for an oil service, saving £75 and asked them to look at the headlight issue. They took to to a local MOT station and had the lights checked and said they were within MOT tolerances, but the beam is still so short and dangerous.

 

I will try the 95K1 software recall for headlights as suggested by JR RS. any other known solutions please let me know asap as the dark night draw in.

 

Many thanks in advance for all suggestions.

Tony

The software will only sort your lights out if it’s basically aimed at the floor and it wouldn’t pass MOT if it was.

 

I know it’s expensive but put on the Osram Nightbreaker Lasers.

 

Mine seems a little low but I’m sure it’s just the OE bulbs are crap like many others have said

[Duggerchopz]

On 25/10/2021 at 01:01, Danoid said:

The software will only sort your lights out if it’s basically aimed at the floor and it wouldn’t pass MOT if it was.

 

I know it’s expensive but put on the Osram Nightbreaker Lasers.

 

Mine seems a little low but I’m sure it’s just the OE bulbs are crap like many others have said

Just bit the bullet & bought these.  What a difference from the stock bulbs!  Incredible

[brettikivi]

mine are really good. Can maybe do a quick trick: I now have access to a flat garage, so I will see if I can jerry-rig something together with a laser measuring device and a measuring stick or two to show how far off the ground they are at a specific distance from a well-known flat spot on the car. Will have to see how to do this. Nominally the angle is 1% or so, it's printed on the headlamp itself. 

 

These are Xenons, LEDs or Halogens? With Halogen, replace with Nightbreaker or so. 

 

 . Bret

[Supernovas]

Thanks for all the help and advice. The headlamps were perfect then some time after a service and code refresh I started to notice the distance of the beams to be very short and had to drive very slowly unless on full beam. Anyone no the full distance of the beams for Xenon?

[brettikivi]

quick check on the motorway last night on the way home tells me I get reflections from 200m on the verge side. (I'm driving an LHD, so it's the right side for me, but the kick on the lamp profile is there). Main puddle of light stops around 75m or so, with a really wide spread on both sides, covering both lanes out to well over 50m. 

 

Might try to find a drone pilot for mapping this on snow later, but for the moment, will try to get a flat unlit carpark (I know where there is one) and take a couple of photos.

 

[j caff]

40 minutes ago, brettikivi said:

quick check on the motorway last night on the way home tells me I get reflections from 200m on the verge side. (I'm driving an LHD, so it's the right side for me, but the kick on the lamp profile is there). Main puddle of light stops around 75m or so, with a really wide spread on both sides, covering both lanes out to well over 50m. 

 

Might try to find a drone pilot for mapping this on snow later, but for the moment, will try to get a flat unlit carpark (I know where there is one) and take a couple of photos.

 

Why get so technical about it, just raise them with a 5mm Allen key, sorted👍. If they magically reinstate themselves ( I doubt they will) you can lower them again with said Allen key. 

[brettikivi]

I adjusted my Octavia lights with a screwdriver about a month before selling it and was surprised to find that a half-turn was more than enough. I was intending to have an accurate piece of information to say "hey, this is where it could be and seems to work well - this is the result" rather than "just dob a screwdriver in there and mess with it, job's a good'un". Too much and you'll blind everyone - it's a very subtle process.

 

I also wanted to have a reference to say "this is what you get if it's correct" and "these are the accurate measurements for this setup". Considering most of the time you're told to find a flat floor and measure... I'm sure there's a good way to do this with simple-ish tools. 

I feel there's a lot of guesswork going on here, and the light pattern Halogen vs Xenon Auto vs Xenon Manual vs LED is going to be very different, along with the light output. I know the candles on the front of the A2, I've driven Octys with all three light sources and though the Halogen on the Octavia is better than I thought, H7 output really is limited and so the height gets to be very important. After having been through Katsastus here last week with the A2, I think that most inspectors are looking for egregious errors, not "this is optimal". 

 

I see the wife's SX4 LEDs as being "too high", but the throw is beautiful. The Superb is on the limit but has a better spread, especially at 100-120km/h, so not "highway mode". Then again, the SX4 has a better high beam pattern, Superb has a blob of light at 1 o'clock which is mostly wasted. Distance also leaves quite a lot to be desired, but they're only ref 17.5, so no real surprise. SX4 dipped beam doesn't light the next lane over as well as the Superb. Octy lights were almost as good as either, prefer the LED colour to be honest but could do with more light on high beam.

I think I've done 1000km in the darkness over the last couple of weeks in the Superb, which makes it most of my seat time in the car...  Light is life up here. When the clocks go back at the weekend, it's darkness to the office, darkness back. Most of my trips up north and back will be pure darkness with no streetlights and minimal traffic, so I like my lights to be as good as they can be, especially with moose around.