I'm going to be shortly moving from the UK to France, and want to bring our 2017 Skoda Superb 3 estate over with us. I realise there is something we need to do with the headlights, i.e. get them pointing the opposite way to the UK but what I can work out is whether this car does it automatically based on GPS or am I dreaming I read this somewhere.

 

The headlight units have a part number of 3V2.941.016 (1LJ 011.939-04) and are made by Hella in the Czech Rep..  

 

As the car will be going over permanently I don't mind going through the hassle of replacing the headlight units if required so if anyone knew of the part numbers that I would need to get that would be great.

A permanent move will require new front lights as well as the fog lights altering. @J.R. will be able to fully update you. 👍

24 minutes ago, Cmonty said:

whether this car does it automatically based on GPS

Even if it can do, would you actually trust VAG electronics to do this?

33 minutes ago, KenONeill said:

Even if it can do, would you actually trust VAG electronics to do this?

It does work perfectly, but it only flattens the beam pattern and removes the kick up. its only a temporary solution as there is no kick up at all, let alone to the correct side. 

1 hour ago, ApertureS said:

It does work perfectly, but it only flattens the beam pattern and removes the kick up. its only a temporary solution as there is no kick up at all, let alone to the correct side. 

 

So does my car have this headlight capability as standard?

 

Or am I potentially looking at temporarily firing on some eurolites to get me over there legally and swapping in new headlight units / fog-lights once there and before i get a french mot (control technique).

 

Apologies for all the questions.. 

Here are the part numbers if you are going to swap headlights over

As you can see, part number is same, just the 3rd digit changes

3V2 are RHD

3V1 are LHD

 

Not looked at foglamps yet, but I was also wondering how much more technology you have that needs adjusting (everyone else missed this so far)

Do you have radar / lane warning and a whole host of tech that might need fully adjusting!?

Best to let us know what features your car has.

Edited 9 August, 20223 yr by varooom
Spellink

I assume you realise that once here permanently you have a 3 month period to pass a CT and then get french regd, also you might have to pay a large fee because of pollution etc.

I did it in 2015 and had to pay north of 1500€, my car was built in 2013 and registered UK side at the end of Feb 2014, the pollution regs here changed 01/01/2014 and it was based on first registration date, for me at the time it was cheaper than buying an equivalent french reg'd car.

I only changed headlight / foglight units and had to change over the rear foglight side, ie uk offside to french side, ie uk nearside.

Hope this helps!!

Edited 9 August, 20223 yr by Frenchtone

If u have the bi-xenon headlights, then yes, it is able to do it.

 

I'm not sure if u need Columbus exclusively for the GPS based "travel mode" which automatically flattens the beam.

 

My headlight part numbers r 3V2.941.015.B and 3V2.941.016.B

 

Edited 9 August, 20223 yr by JR RS

16 minutes ago, varooom said:

Here are the part numbers if you are going to swap headlights over

As you can see, part number is same, just the 3rd digit changes

3V2 are RHD

3V1 are LHD

 

Not looked at foglamps yet, but I was also wondering how much more technology you have that needs adjusting (everyone else missed this so far)

Do you have radar / lane warning and a whole host of tech that might need fully adjusting!?

Best to let us know what features your car has.

 

Nice one.. really appreciate that. so i'm be hunting ebay and the likes for 3v1.941.015 and 3v1.941.016's then :-) this is great.

The only other bit of tech is there is radar at the front, don't have lane assist-- just the distance alert that kicks in when on cruise control. 

 

Many thanks Varooom

20 minutes ago, JR RS said:

If u have the bi-xenon headlights, then yes, it is able to do it.

 

I'm not sure if u need Columbus exclusively for the GPS based "travel mode" which automatically flattens the beam.

 

My headlight part numbers r 3V2.941.015.B and 3V2.941.016.B

 

 

Hey.. nice colour :-) 

 

I think i just have the bog standard halogens so don't think they are capable of being flattened then.. certainly the menus on the car settings didn't have anything close to this option.

1 minute ago, Cmonty said:

 

Nice one.. really appreciate that. so i'm be hunting ebay and the likes for 3v1.941.015 and 3v1.941.016's then 🙂 this is great.

The only other bit of tech is there is radar at the front, don't have lane assist-- just the distance alert that kicks in when on cruise control. 

 

Many thanks Varooom

That radar will need calibrating potentially, I am trying to remember exactly a training course I was on many moons ago, hopefully someone might recall quicker than me.

 

And yes you have it right on the part numbers.

13 minutes ago, Cmonty said:

 

Hey.. nice colour 🙂

 

I think i just have the bog standard halogens so don't think they are capable of being flattened then.. certainly the menus on the car settings didn't have anything close to this option.

 

pic

So you have halogen headlamp units so just replacing with 3V1 will be acceptable.

 

As you dont have lane assist you can ignore that.

 

With front assist/cruise control youll need to change this module and possibly a few more modules from left hand traffic to right. 

Thanks everyone for helping me! Really appreciated. Its only another couple of hundred quid added to the immigration money cannon  

4 minutes ago, Cmonty said:

Thanks everyone for helping me! Really appreciated. Its only another couple of hundred quid added to the immigration money cannon  

You must be leaving a sinking ship, HMS UK 😆

 

I am waiting on a call back from a Master Tech I know with regards to the radar, but AFAIK there is no RHD/LHD part whatsoever, but I am 99% sure that you will need it calibrating to point at a different "target" direction.  You may need a good independant specialist to check all your codings to swap your car from RHD to LHD in a fair few areas.

 

Worth getting a little list drawn of up all the changes needed to get swap done.

Yip, getting out while we still have some sanity left (although my wife would argue that i'd lost that a long time ago).

 

Thanks for going the extra mile mate, really appreciate it. Yup, everything is getting added to a list, with regards other things (i'm quite naive here - so apologies). but outside the lighting(front & fog) and radar calibration.. what else could there be that would need changing?

 

 

 

47 minutes ago, Cmonty said:

Thanks for going the extra mile mate, really appreciate it. Yup, everything is getting added to a list, with regards other things (i'm quite naive here - so apologies). but outside the lighting(front & fog) and radar calibration.. what else could there be that would need changing?

 

Not a problem, just trying to help people to the best of my abilities.

 

• Swap headlights to 3V1 xxx xxx
• Front fog lights (bulb change/physical new part needed/adjustment of angles as needed)
• Code rear fog lamp(s) (I am not sure of what French law/adjustment is needed) or change if needed the physical units
• Radar (potentially a coding change and/or calibration for RHD/LHD angles) See Edit:
• Check with the help of forum members if the list needs adding or any other coding changes they can think of

 

Edit: Regards to radar, my friend said you should be fine to go to France, just to pay attention if the car does silly buggers with ACC to get a calibration done then, he goes over to Europe also and no issues.

Edited 9 August, 20223 yr by varooom
Added information

You may be able to recoup a little of the cost of replacing your headlights by selling your RHD units on Briskoda or eBay.

 

I went on a trip to Croatia in June and I'm currently in Lithuania, both trips being in my RHD Superb.  I haven't had a problem with the radar and its worked fine when I've needed it, so maybe you don't need to do anything with it?  I've used it for both cruise control and traffic jam assist without noticing any difference to using them in the UK.

2 minutes ago, Penpusher said:

You may be able to recoup a little of the cost of replacing your headlights by selling your RHD units on Briskoda or eBay.

Good shout ☝️

 

2 minutes ago, Penpusher said:

I went on a trip to Croatia in June and I'm currently in Lithuania, both trips being in my RHD Superb.  I haven't had a problem with the radar and its worked fine when I've needed it, so maybe you don't need to do anything with it?  I've used it for both cruise control and traffic jam assist without noticing any difference to using them in the UK.

There is a little beam difference from LHD to RHD, but minimal deflection, the most you will notice in real driving is something will activate a tiny bit earlier/later (if you can notice it)  This should help the OP no end your real-life account, thanks 🤝

1 minute ago, varooom said:

There is a little beam difference from LHD to RHD, but minimal deflection, the most you will notice in real driving is something will activate a tiny bit earlier/later (if you can notice it)  This should help the OP no end your real-life account, thanks 🤝

So far I've covered about 4,500 miles driving on the right hand side of the road since June and haven't noticed any difference, though my 70 year old OAP brain may not be as receptive to any small changes as a younger driver may be.

6 minutes ago, Penpusher said:

So far I've covered about 4,500 miles driving on the right hand side of the road since June and haven't noticed any difference, though my 70 year old OAP brain may not be as receptive to any small changes as a younger driver may be.

Damn, another good post as you made me think again.  The difference will be slight really, a few metres here and there.

 

But you did make me think by writing 4,500 miles, as I was to joke "surely you mean 7,240.5 km" 😆

So @Cmonty it maybe useful for you to change display from MPH to KMH, unless you are fine converting "on the fly" so to speak, not that I think you would be doing 80mph in an 80kmh zone.

Edited 9 August, 20223 yr by varooom
Spellink

I've changed the display from MPH to KPH for the speed, but I've retained miles for distances.  I can better understand, for example, a distance to our destination on the navigation in miles than kilometres.  

 

I can work out quickly miles to kilometres and vice-versa in my head as I was an accountant for 46 years until I retired in 2017, so I was used to mental arithmetic all my working life!  I started taking my car to France and beyond in 1971 and we didn't have kilometres on the speedos back then.

25 minutes ago, varooom said:

Damn, another good post as you made me think again.  The difference will be slight really, a few metres here and there.

 

But you did make me think by writing 4,500 miles, as I was to joke "surely you mean 7,240.5 km" 😆

So @Cmonty it maybe useful for you to change display from MPH to KMH, unless you are fine converting "on the fly" so to speak, not that I think you would be doing 80mph in an 80kmh zone.

 

You guys continue to astound with your knowledge and willingness to share. Its amazing.. after work i'll go and have a check to see what the MaxiDot can do with regards displaying the KPH. I think I am lucky that the dial already shows both MPH and KPH.. 

 

 

 

 

2 minutes ago, Cmonty said:

 

You guys continue to astound with your knowledge and willingness to share. Its amazing.. after work i'll go and have a check to see what the MaxiDot can do with regards displaying the KPH. I think I am lucky that the dial already shows both MPH and KPH.. 

 

 

 

 

I believe this can be adjusted in the infotainment system under Vehicle/Car - Settings - Units or something similar to that. 

1 minute ago, Cmonty said:

You guys continue to astound with your knowledge and willingness to share. Its amazing.. after work i'll go and have a check to see what the MaxiDot can do with regards displaying the KPH. I think I am lucky that the dial already shows both MPH and KPH..

That's usually a quick change on most cars in the dash menu, so that's one down X to go.

 

3 minutes ago, Penpusher said:

I've changed the display from MPH to KPH for the speed, but I've retained miles for distances.  I can better understand, for example, a distance to our destination on the navigation in miles than kilometres.  

 

I can work out quickly miles to kilometres and vice-versa in my head as I was an accountant for 46 years until I retired in 2017, so I was used to mental arithmetic all my working life!  I started taking my car to France and beyond in 1971 and we didn't have kilometres on the speedos back then.

Same, I can change mph to kmh nice and easily too, and good to have it set on the display for every day driving.

5 minutes ago, Penpusher said:

I've changed the display from MPH to KPH for the speed, but I've retained miles for distances.  I can better understand, for example, a distance to our destination on the navigation in miles than kilometres.  

 

I can work out quickly miles to kilometres and vice-versa in my head as I was an accountant for 46 years until I retired in 2017, so I was used to mental arithmetic all my working life!  I started taking my car to France and beyond in 1971 and we didn't have kilometres on the speedos back then.

 

My wife is French so she only thinks in KM.. whereas i'm still stuck in miles. I'll be able to do the conversion easily enough too, but the kids just want to know how long it will take