2013 Seat Leon LED Headlights set for driving in Europe - Swap for UK

[JIves99]

Hi,
I bought my Mk3 Seat Leon (2013) just under a year ago. The car came with the technology pack installed in it so it has LED headlights in it.
It's just been put through an MOT and one of the things it's failed on is the Projected aim of the headlights.

From speaking with the garage the headlights seem to kick out to the right instead of the left as if they are setup for driving in Europe rather than the UK.
I've taken the car to a different garage to adjust them but they are saying that they can't seem to find a way to adjust them for the UK and said they may have to change both headlight units which would cost over £2000 for genuine parts + labour.

Do you guys know if this sounds plausible?
It seems mad that there's not a way to adjust them so they're aren't in a "tourist" mode (The car is right hand drive fyi and as far as I'm aware has only been in the UK).

Thank you.

 

[Craig.]

Check the part numbers on the headlights to ensure they are RHD and Check your setting in the infotainment as there might be a setting under the lights option

 

[Walone]

A UK spec car with LED headlights needs no adjustment to drive in Europe according to Seat.

 

[JIves99]

Thanks both @ViperSlider & @Walone

Both myself and the garage have had a look on the infotainment system but no joy there.
After speaking with Seat they seem to think that's only available on the newer versions.

I've seen some people say that it needs no adjustment and some people say that it does. I've taken it to two garages now and they've both told me it does need adjustment, both have asked if I have been abroad in the car too.

I've attached some photos of the part numbers I could find. I've googled all of them but nothings showing up from my results to tell me if it's for a LHD or RHD car. I would assume the "MD e9 14066" is the headlight part number?

 

[East Yorkshire Retrofits]

park facing a wall and take a picture of the light output

 

[Pac1man]

Hi, 5F0.941.601 is your headlamp part number. Quite common thing with them is crack of one of mounting points due to bumper/accident or repleced and not bean installed correctly in this case it may look like headlamp is for wrong traffic on beam tester .MOT tester can tell you if your beam patter is wrong, or as someone suggested ,set them on low/dip beam drive in front of flat wall at night and post picure here . IF only its too high or too low there is chance your level sensor on lower arm is broken . Headlamps in LEON have Symetric pattern beam on earlier models whenever they are LED or not . And in early models driver Couldn't change to travel mode vie IPC or Infortaiment. To lower kick

 

[JIves99]

Thanks, @East Yorkshire Retrofits & @Pac1man
I've just taken some photos, my headlights are definitely not symmetrical when you look at the photos so they seem quite a bit off if they should be.
I took a couple from the drivers seat and then a couple from outside the car.

 

[Craig.]

Hi, 5F0.941.601 is your headlamp part number. Quite common thing with them is crack of one of mounting points due to bumper/accident or repleced and not bean installed correctly in this case it may look like headlamp is for wrong traffic on beam tester .MOT tester can tell you if your beam patter is wrong, or as someone suggested ,set them on low/dip beam drive in front of flat wall at night and post picure here . IF only its too high or too low there is chance your level sensor on lower arm is broken . Headlamps in LEON have Symetric pattern beam on earlier models whenever they are LED or not . And in early models driver Couldn't change to travel mode vie IPC or Infortaiment. To lower kick

The part number in the pic is 5F0 941 607 and it's just the cap.

The part number will be on a sticker on the side of the light next to the cap you photgraphed.

The flick is quite noticeable in the pics, Your headlights "should" be part numbers 5F2 941 007 * for left and 5F2 941 008 * for right. * will be either A, C or D depending on if they have been replaced since the car was made.

It's worth checking you have the correct lights fitted first before trying to diag it beyond incorrect parts fitted.

If yours start with 5F1 then you have LHD lights fitted

 

[Craig.]

Forgive the bad quality pic but, this is the sticker you're looking for:

You can see my flicks are clearly to the left, which is correct for a UK car

 

[DEAN0]

I've seen some people say that it needs no adjustment and some people say that it does.

If a UK car is used in mainland Europe - it does not need adjustment.
The lights are designed with "tourist mode" built in.
Tourist mode just means that the amount of light kicked up to the left is low enough in intensity that it doesnt need stick on beam deflectors.

However - if you decided to go live in say France with a UK car - it would fail their version of the MOT

 

[DEAN0]

Forgive the bad quality pic but, this is the sticker you're looking for:

View attachment 45031

You can see my flicks are clearly to the left, which is correct for a UK car

View attachment 45032

And just to show the opposite sticker to ViperSlider

Here is a LHD headlight sticker

 

[Craig.]

And just to show the opposite sticker to ViperSlider

Here is a LHD headlight sticker
View attachment 45036

That's just showing off

 

[Seriously?]

And just to show the opposite sticker to ViperSlider

Here is a LHD headlight sticker
View attachment 45036

What's even more helpful is that SEAT include on the label the letters "LHD" of "RHD", complete with a pointy arrow

 

[JIves99]

Thanks all.
My ones doesn't seem to have the stickers on at all which makes me a bit suspicious of the dealership that I bought it from.
I don't have any service history with the car so I don't know if the headlights have been replaced at all. With that said they stuck it through an MOT when I bought it and I haven't had any work done on the headlights since then.

I've got it booked in with another garage today just to get a second pair of eyes on it. At the very least I can ask them if they can find any part numbers for the headlights and can compare with what you guys gave me.

 

[DEAN0]

Have just had a quick look under my bonnet.
Both headlight stickers are very easy to see on the back of the headlights.

 

[JIves99]

Thanks @DEAN0
I've had a look at my ones all around best I could and even taken the caps off to look but I've not found any sticker.
Not sure where else it would be unless it's on the underside of the lights that I can't get to or they've been removed.

The garage I had it booked into today said their headlight alignment kit is broken so I've had to book it in at a different garage for tomorrow.
Fingers crossed they'll be able to get to the bottom of it.

 

[DEAN0]

Thanks @DEAN0
I've had a look at my ones all around best I could and even taken the caps off to look but I've not found any sticker.
Not sure where else it would be unless it's on the underside of the lights that I can't get to or they've been removed.

The garage I had it booked into today said their headlight alignment kit is broken so I've had to book it in at a different garage for tomorrow.
Fingers crossed they'll be able to get to the bottom of it.

Here is a pic of driver side headlight with bonnet up.
Nothing hidden - sticker very easy to spot

 

[Leon_FR_Owner]

Hi @JIves99
How did you get on with this issue? I have a similar problem and would love to know if you had the headlights changed or not. I have a LHD Spanish Leon with full LED, and want to get it registered for UK. The IVA assessment failed because of kick-up to the right. The main dealer has quoted a lot of money for changing the lights to RHD and say they cannot guarantee it will work, because they've never done it before.
Has anyone else done this- changed LED Mk3 lights from LHD to RHD?
Thanks
Steve

 

[JIves99]

Hi @JIves99
How did you get on with this issue? I have a similar problem and would love to know if you had the headlights changed or not. I have a LHD Spanish Leon with full LED, and want to get it registered for UK. The IVA assessment failed because of kick-up to the right. The main dealer has quoted a lot of money for changing the lights to RHD and say they cannot guarantee it will work, because they've never done it before.
Has anyone else done this- changed LED Mk3 lights from LHD to RHD?
Thanks
Steve

Hi @Leon_FR_Owner,
They did indeed end up swapping the LHD headlights that were installed in my car to RHD headlights. They went with used headlights to keep the cost down, otherwise they are around £1000 in parts alone for each side.
My car is RHD so I'm not sure why LHD headlights were put in my car in the first place unless it was previously driven in Europe.

It took them a good 3 - 4 hours to do and I'm not sure if they had to do any other programming when installing them but they auto adjust when turning the engine on and now point in the correct direction.