I have discovered that the xenons don't calibrate when they are switched on. They calibrate when the engine is switched on whether the lights are switched on or not so obvoiusly they are levelling even when the lights are off. I have confirmed it on a VW Jetta also.... strange:confused:

Strange mine don't, just tried it to verify. Engine running turn lights on, lights go up and down and find level.

ive noticed this too.

Strange mine don't, just tried it to verify. Engine running turn lights on, lights go up and down and find level.

If you switch them on straight away after you start the engine it might appear that way. Start the engine but wait about 10 seconds and then turn the lights on you will notice they won't go up and down.

have noticed too the calibration only takes place when the engine is running.

Mine come on the whole time so hadn't noticed it How do you find the difference between dips & fulls? I dropped my fulls down a bit as they were a little high

Mine come on the whole time so hadn't noticed it How do you find the difference between dips & fulls? I dropped my fulls down a bit as they were a little high

They look very dim compared to the xenons. But overall conbined light isn't too bad.

They need to be calibrated, self levelled and ready to go at all times so there is no chance of dazzling when they are switched on.

I dropped my main beams down by a considerable amount as I found a gap between the xenon cut off and the main beam throw

I've had mine checked for alignment but I still get loads of people flashing me - Anyone else noticed that.

Didn't used to be like that with the other car.

I always thought that they only 'self levelled' (down-up-down) when the sensors on the car detect a change in attitude/load to the car. i.e. after refuelling or with a different passenger load.

I believe, after some adjustments, that I have mine set absolutely properly and with the smallest of gaps between the dip beam cut-off and main beam light, to give a good spread.

I don't get flashed by oncoming motorists, but I do find other cars move over well and let me overtake (I use my lights pretty much all the time as 'daylight running' lights).

Mine do this - turn the engine on with the car outside in daylight and although the auto lights don't kick in (obviously!) you can still hear the light motors do their der-der noise as they self level. Turn the engine on in the dark and the lights come on automatically (well they may already be on with the leaving home function) and they do the down/up levelling thing.

I've had mine checked for alignment but I still get loads of people flashing me - Anyone else noticed that.

Did they do the proper SKODA HID full calibration reset ? I've read reports from several people who were getting flashed a lot (aimed too high on dip), and once they were properly calibrated no more flashing. Apparently lots of dealers "forget" to actually do it at PDI (maybe because all Octys have projector style low beams, so the HID ones look the same as all the rest).

Did they do the proper SKODA HID full calibration reset ? I've read reports from several people who were getting flashed a lot (aimed too high on dip), and once they were properly calibrated no more flashing. Apparently lots of dealers "forget" to actually do it at PDI (maybe because all Octys have projector style low beams, so the HID ones look the same as all the rest).

Very valid point; I had to get my dealer to reset mine, having had the car for a few weeks, as my xenons had clearly not been set properly at the Factory or on PDI; one beam was higher than the other and they were both too high!

Did they do the proper SKODA HID full calibration reset ? I've read reports from several people who were getting flashed a lot (aimed too high on dip), and once they were properly calibrated no more flashing. Apparently lots of dealers "forget" to actually do it at PDI (maybe because all Octys have projector style low beams, so the HID ones look the same as all the rest).

This happened to me.

Since re-cal, no issues. If you notice little difference between dipped and full, this is another clue. Full was also dipped too high.

you should see a slight curve to the bottom of the left light range. Will look bit like (from drivers seat)

______

/

__/|___

I've had mine checked for alignment but I still get loads of people flashing me - Anyone else noticed that.

Didn't used to be like that with the other car.

exactly what ive been getting since i got my car stu, thus why i hate the xenons.

exactly what ive been getting since i got my car stu, thus why i hate the xenons.

How can you hate xenons?

The point is world class light, and on the issue of lighting up the road in front of you, nothing beats xenons. What other people think is irrelevant as lond as you see them and don't crash into them

but when you get people putting their full beams on at you either after you go past them or if they coming towards you then you kinda get cheesed off with them.

I still think there is a problem with the setup on your lights if you're getting flashed a lot.

I had this problem with my car when I first got it so took it back to the dealers to have the lights checked within the first month. Despite them claiming they didn't change anything the lights were a touch lower and I don't get flashed anymore. Need to adjust the high beam though as they are definitely too high.

I have never been flashed since getting my 07 L&K, SWMBO hasn't been flashed since getting her vRS - both have Xenons.

My 06 Elegance however was a different story:

I was being flashed/hooted at no end of times so I set about re aligning the beams according to a colleagues car headlight set-up (yet ANOTHER Octavia), I found the beams were too high and both needed lowering and setting to the nearside some more. After this I had no problems. They also stopped shaking too.

The problem with software/VAG-COM set-ups/resets is the car has no idea where the beams are physically pointing.

All it can do it adjust the up/down aim according to the data from the level sensors.

I could quite easily go outside and wind the screws out to make the beams shine into the sky and the car will be oblivious to it, it will continue to dynamically adjust them as it did before but of course the beams will now be all over the place.

They need to be manually adjusted with the 2 screws on the light fittings themselves, the car will need to be on a rock solid level platform and needs to be empty, IIRC there is a set procedure for this but I didn't follow it when I did the bames on my '06 Octavia. Must have been lucky

I dropped my main beams down by a considerable amount as I found a gap between the xenon cut off and the main beam throw

Same here, I also upgraded the Main Beam Bulbs

Btw has anyone upgraded the Fog bulbs, they are H8 I believe. They are very yellow compared to Xenon (and before the slagging starts I don't need a lecture about their uses ) Is it a big job to change them (I'd rather not remove the unit)?

I've had mine checked for alignment but I still get loads of people flashing me - Anyone else noticed that.

I very seldom get anyone flashing me, the odd time you get someone who doesn't like the Xenons, but its few and far between (I make sure they get an eye full )

I still think there is a problem with the setup on your lights if you're getting flashed a lot.

I had this problem with my car when I first got it so took it back to the dealers to have the lights checked within the first month. Despite them claiming they didn't change anything the lights were a touch lower and I don't get flashed anymore. Need to adjust the high beam though as they are definitely too high.

Alan you might remember before on the way back from newbury meet where ive complained of not being able to see the road, yet you said my lights were nice and bright, perhaps they pointing up to high.

Alan you might remember before on the way back from newbury meet where ive complained of not being able to see the road, yet you said my lights were nice and bright, perhaps they pointing up to high.

Yeah I remember, you said mine lit the road up better than yours IIRC.

It's certainly a possibility, but also reading some of the above posts, in particular

I found the beams were too high and both needed lowering and setting to the nearside some more. After this I had no problems.

I'm also wondering if they are too far over to the middle of the road.

They are very yellow compared to Xenon

I could be wrong but I've got a memory of a report done where they found that yellow lights were better in fog as they reduced the glare, but I could be tripping :confused:

Yellow is better in fog as it has a longer wavelength than HID's.

My nearside projector lens in particular is 'looking' off quite a way to the left, as a consequence the 'kick' is where it should be - firing the light way off to the kerbside.

I could be wrong but I've got a memory of a report done where they found that yellow lights were better in fog as they reduced the glare, but I could be tripping :confused:

Yea thats kinda why I didn't bother doing it before, .......white light/white fog kinda defeated the purpose of the fogs , but its on my mind to change again .

ive emailed the garage to see if it can be booked in for the re calibration so will see from there, even crappy fiats with xenons light up the road better than mine.

ive emailed the garage to see if it can be booked in for the re calibration so will see from there, even crappy fiats with xenons light up the road better than mine.

I suspect the problem isn't going to be calibration rather initial aim, by the sound of it your lights are pointing too far over to the middle of the road and need to be physically adjusted to the correct position before recalibration.