Seat Leon Mk2 Bi-Xenon Headlight Beam Deflection for European Driving

[Speed-FReek]

We're planning on hopping over the channel to the continent for the bank holiday in a couple of weekends time but it has just struck me that I probably need to do something about my headlights.

With halogen headlights this would be fairly easy but typically my situation has been complicated by having Bi-Xenon headlamps and I can only find conflicting information as to whether or not I need to visit the dealer to have the adaptive function temporarily disabled and the lights adjusted, or if beam deflectors would work sufficiently with adaptive Bi-Xenon lights. There are no markings on the lens stating where any masking or deflectors would go and the handbook seems to suggest that a trip to the dealer is in order so I'm confused.

Other people on here with the Bi-Xenons must have been abroad with their car so what did they do?

I did stumble across the information below elsewhere on the web but it's for a left-hand drive car with headlamp conversion from driving on the right to driving on the left and I obviously need it to be the other way round. There is no mention of adaptive lights though so maybe this only applies to non-adaptive ones (?) I can't find any similar information specifically for a right-hand drive car anywhere.

What are people's thoughts? Do you think the below masking technique would work with adaptive lights?

The masking strips on each light are different shapes so for a right-hand drive car I guess I would simply just put the square mask on the driver side lamp and the rectangular mask on the passenger side lamp (i.e. the reverse of what is shown in the pictures).

Source of the information below: http://www.seatia.com/secon-646.html

Or I could possibly just try something like these: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Eurolites-Headlamp-Adaptors-Driving-Europe/dp/B001P5SPJW

 

[Speed-FReek]

A bit of an update on this...

I've now spoken to two SEAT dealers who have confirmed that no software changes are required and that the adaptive function of the Xenon headlights does not need to be disabled when taking the car abroad where they drive on the right.

Interestingly my local dealer suggested that the lights didn't even need to be masked because the Xenons apparently have a flat beam with no specific pooling to the kerbside. I wasn't entirely convinced by this repsonse so I called the dealer that I actually bought my car from and they advised to use the Eurolite headlamp deflectors which they said work fine and what they actually recommend their customers to use on the Xenon headlights when going abroad.

At least both dealers confirmed that no temporary software changes would be required which would have been a bit of a hassle to get done.

I think I will go with the masking option rather than nothing to be on the safe side. I'll get some of the Eurolites and then either use those or a reversal of the tape masking guide shown in my first post, whichever looks or fits better.

 

[MJ]

Most projector lenses give an almost flat beam pattern so there'd be no need for any masks. You could get the car on a headlight beam tester to verify.

 

[Speed-FReek]

Thought I'd add a quick update to this following my trip to mainland Europe.

I did get myself some Eurolites but just ended up putting them in the glove compartment and didn't actually bother to fit them. I did do some evening driving while I was over there but didn't get any grief from drivers coming the other way so I can only assume that my lights weren't actually dazzling anyone which means they were probably fine without the beam deflectors on as previously suggested on here.

I also noticed on the ferry over that there were hardly any cars with beam deflectors fitted and some of those cars didn't even have projection type headlamps so it seems that not many people actually bother anyway.

 

[mike0105]

It is a legal requirement in France and those which halogen headlights who didn't bother could have upset local plod quite quickly....

Glad to hear that you had no bother!

 

[TllEWL]

If you don't get stopped when it's dark, you don't need them.

We didn't bother for a massive euro road-trip cos according to the schedule we were s'posed to be in the pub by the time it was getting dark ...there weren't many people in the mountains at that time of night anyway

 

[Dan FR]

I'm driving across the continent at the end of July and have standard Haolgens... Not looked at beam deflectors as yet... Is it easy to identify were to place them on the headlight? my last car had etchings in the glass that made it easy

 

[Speed-FReek]

I'm driving across the continent at the end of July and have standard Haolgens... Not looked at beam deflectors as yet... Is it easy to identify were to place them on the headlight? my last car had etchings in the glass that made it easy

The Eurolites come with a comprehensive instruction leaflet containing a whole load of diagrams showing you exactly where to place the deflectors for every car they're compatible with. None of the diagrams seem to be on their website but they're all included in the enclosed instruction leaflet.

You can find the general fitting information here: http://www.motoring-into-europe.co.uk/fitting.html

And you can find the cars they are compatible with here: http://www.motoring-into-europe.co.uk/download/travel-spot-latest-vehicle-listing.pdf

 

[Dan FR]

Tidy, cheers!

 

[kazand]

Tidy, cheers!

Make sure you get the genuine Eurolites ones, some on e of the bay are fake, no instructions etc. I got mine from Amarzon , only a few quid. Instructions and pics are pretty good. I know some people say don't bother, but for the sake of a couple of quid do you want to argue with a sweaty Gendarme with a gun? I usually do mine in the car park waiting for the train.

 

[Dan FR]

I'm on the Dover Callais ferry (bit of a break for the little one) on the way to Belgium, so will sort it out while waiting for the ferry. For the cost of all the bits it's not worth the risk/hassle.

 

[Speed-FReek]

I got mine from eBay. They're in "Autocare" packaging but I can confirm that they're the real deal because they have the proper backing paper on the stick-on deflectors (not just brown backing paper as per the counterfeit ones) and they come with the genuine fitting instructions.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/270963485768

This is the relevant part of other side of the fitting instruction leaflet that isn't available on the Eurolites website (probably to stop someone just printing it off and putting it in with the counterfeit versions).

Diagrams 4 and 5 that I've put a red rectangle around show the fitting positions for the Leon Mk2. Diagram 4 is for the Projector/Xenon lights while diagram 5 is for the Halogen lights. You'll need to click on the picture to see a readable full size version.

 

[Jarre]

I found an option on VCDS for changing the xenons for LHD use. I haven't tried it to know if it works or not, though.

 

[Speed-FReek]

I found an option on VCDS for changing the xenons for LHD use. I haven't tried it to know if it works or not, though.

Thanks for that. Just did a bit of digging on the Ross-Tech site and it looks like there is actually a setting that can be altered for the "Xenon with AFS" lights to disable the adaptive function so that they won't dazzle any oncoming traffic. That seems to suggest the "flat beam" theory can't apply to Leons with the adaptive Bi-Xenon headlights fitted.

In VCDS it looks like coding 0000016 covers the right-hand drive Leon Mk2 and channel 002 is used to set the "Tourist Solution" mode for adaption to either on or off. I don't actually have VCDS though (yet) so I'm not sure how to get to that setting because there are no screenshots on the Ross-Tech web page...

http://wiki.ross-tech.com/wiki/index.php/VW_Golf_(1K)_Headlight_Aim_Control_(Xenon_with_AFS)

@Jarre - can you possibly have a look to see if you can find it and maybe post up some screenshots of how to visually get to that option in VCDS I think it would a be very useful reference for anyone else who is looking to correctly set their Xenon headlamps in future and has access to VCDS.

 

[Speed-FReek]

Now that I have VCDS I thought I'd update this thread with confirmation that switching on the Travel Mode / Tourist Mode setting using VCDS does actually work and is the proper way to set your Mk2 Leon headlights for driving in a country where they drive on the opposite side of the road. Doing this causes the level / direction of the beams to be changed and disables the AFS function:-

1. Connect a Ross-Tech VCDS cable between your computer and the OBD2 port on your car and run the VCDS software.
   
   
2. Click on the "Select" button under the "Select Control Module" section...
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
3. Click on the "55-Headlight Range" button...
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
4. Click on the "Adaptation - 10" button...
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
5. Select "Travel/Tourist Mode" from the Channel dropdown box...
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
6. Note the popup helper that appears telling you what the valid settings are and what they do...
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
7. Set the "New Value" to 1. When you do this you will hear the motors in the headlights as they move the headlamps into an appropriate position for driving on the right...
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
8. Click the "Test" button to test the new setting...
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
9. Click the "Save" button to save the new value...
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
10. Confirm that you want to make the change persistent by clicking the "Yes" button...
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
11. Close VCDS and cycle the ignition off and back on again.

As mentioned in the popup helper on step 6, with Travel Mode / Tourist Mode setting switched on, whenever the ignition is turned on, the bulb fault indicator lamp will flash briefly to remind you that your headlights are set for driving on the right. Unfortunately switching the Travel/Tourist Mode setting on doesn't put an additional "Travel mode" check box option in the MFD as is present on the Skoda Octavia Mk2 from the factory. That would have been nice but never mind.

Skoda Octivia Mk2 MFD:

So on the Mk2 Leon it seems that you can only switch Travel Mode / Tourist Mode on and off using VCDS. The dealers VAS diagnostic equipment is probably also capable of doing it too but if it can then some of the dealers I spoke to certainly weren't aware of that.