ID.3 LED headlight adjustment for driving on the right (NOT Matrix LED)

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Felix-ID
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Joined: Thu Oct 28, 2021 8:40 am

Post by Felix-ID »

Driving over to France at the weekend but can't get any information about how to adjust headlights so they don't dazzle drivers when driving on French roads. I'm talking about the basic LED highlights fitted in this case to my ID.3 Life Pro model. NOT the Matrix LED highlights. There's nothing in the menus about adjustment for driving on the right. Nothing in the manual either. Looking at the pattern of the headlights there appears to be some kick-up of the light pattern which illuminates more to the left which is fine in the UK but not great if this remains unchanged when driving on right in France. Have talked to both local VW garage who seemed stumped but claim it's a 'level profile' so doesn't need adjustment and even VW UK help claim no adjustment but I can clearly see a non-level profile. Can anyone help me please?

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Splitty
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Post by Splitty »

SHould be automatic via GPS, when you get to France they will change on their own. It's in the manual.

"If you have to drive a right-hand drive vehicle in a left-hand drive country, or vice versa, the dipped beam of vehicles with advanced main-beam control or dynamic cornering light may dazzle oncoming traffic Main-beam control (dynamic), Exterior drive lighting. For this reason, the headlight alignment of vehicles with this equipment can be adjusted in the Infotainment system in the Vehicle settings menu (travel mode) Vehicle settings menu. Adjustment of the headlights is not necessary on vehicles without advanced main-beam control and without dynamic cornering light."

LED headlights = non advanced beam control
LongMynd
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Post by LongMynd »

Mine adjusted automatically when we went to France.
They adjusted automatically when we came back to the UK.
BUT
Inexplicably they have now changed themselves back to adjusted for driving on the Right (i.e. wrong for the UK).

There is in theory an option to change the setting via the dreaded infotainment system: Vehicle screen: vehicle.
Unfortunately mine will not let me switch it back to driving on the Left.
I have eMailed VW.
Charles.
ID.3 Tour with heat-pump
LongMynd
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Post by LongMynd »

VW digital support said that they couldn't help; they only support the digital systems in the car We-Charge and We-connect ID. I thought the Infotainment system was a digital system but hey if they don't know anything about it they don't know anything about it!
Meantime the headlight control switched itself back to the correct setting for the UK (driving on the left).
Charles.
ID.3 Tour with heat-pump
G43FAN

Post by G43FAN »

LongMynd wrote: Mon Nov 01, 2021 9:43 am VW digital support said that they couldn't help; they only support the digital systems in the car We-Charge and We-connect ID. I thought the Infotainment system was a digital system but hey if they don't know anything about it they don't know anything about it!
Meantime the headlight control switched itself back to the correct setting for the UK (driving on the left).
Doesn't the Tour have the LED Matrix lights though?
LongMynd
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Post by LongMynd »

Yes, so in theory it shouldn't make much difference. I had noticed that I got flashed a couple of times though.
Charles.
ID.3 Tour with heat-pump
LongMynd
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Post by LongMynd »

It seems that there are three settings on the headlight dip switch.
When you first switch on the headlights are in dip.
Push the stick away from you and they go to main beam with an 'A' superimposed on the blue headlight symbol.
Push it away again and the blue headlight symbol loses the 'A'.
Does that mean that it is not going to react to on-coming headlights?
If so, and if we inadvertently drive like this no wonder people flash.
Charles.
ID.3 Tour with heat-pump
G43FAN

Post by G43FAN »

LongMynd wrote: Tue Nov 23, 2021 8:59 am It seems that there are three settings on the headlight dip switch.
When you first switch on the headlights are in dip.
Push the stick away from you and they go to main beam with an 'A' superimposed on the blue headlight symbol.
Push it away again and the blue headlight symbol loses the 'A'.
Does that mean that it is not going to react to on-coming headlights?
If so, and if we inadvertently drive like this no wonder people flash.

Yes, pushing the stick away once should show a White or Blue symbol with the A. There is no need to touch it again, if you push away again you are engaging manual full beam and it will not react to oncoming vehicles.
Tabletop
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Joined: Sat Nov 06, 2021 2:57 pm

Post by Tabletop »

My matrix headlights do not auto dip for oncoming vehicles. They dip if I come up behind a car, or enter street lit area.

My setting for driving left or right keeps flipping back to right, I have to set it to left - am in UK - but it will flip back to right a day or so later.
Bromsgroveuser
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Post by Bromsgroveuser »

My matrix headlights work perfectly once i have flicked the light stalk , they are set for lhd but flash up rhd on the small screen when i start up so no problems
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monkeyhanger
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Post by monkeyhanger »

Tabletop wrote: Tue Nov 23, 2021 10:49 am My matrix headlights do not auto dip for oncoming vehicles. They dip if I come up behind a car, or enter street lit area.

My setting for driving left or right keeps flipping back to right, I have to set it to left - am in UK - but it will flip back to right a day or so later.
Matrix shouldn't dip for oncoming vehicles, instead they should selectively clip the beam so everything around the car in front is illuminated, but not the car itself, in effect putting a car sized/shaped hole in the beam for the car in front.
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Tabletop
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Post by Tabletop »

monkeyhanger wrote: Tue Nov 23, 2021 11:33 am
Matrix shouldn't dip for oncoming vehicles, instead they should selectively clip the beam so everything around the car in front is illuminated, but not the car itself, in effect putting a car sized/shaped hole in the beam for the car in front.
I’m using the term dip to cover what you describe. If I come up behind a car they do as you describe, make a hole around the car by shutting off selected LEDs. If I am driving on an unlit road and using full beams (in auto mode), and enter a street lit area, the lights auto go to dip - or disable a load of LEDs. If I’m driving on unlit road with full beams on, matrix doing it’s steering round corners thing, in auto mode, and a car comes towards me, nothing happens on my lights, they remain full on, no dip or steering around. It’s a pain because I love the auto mode, but I have to manually dip and return to full for oncoming traffic.
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Utumno
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Post by Utumno »

LongMynd wrote: Tue Nov 23, 2021 8:59 am It seems that there are three settings on the headlight dip switch.
When you first switch on the headlights are in dip.
Push the stick away from you and they go to main beam with an 'A' superimposed on the blue headlight symbol.
Push it away again and the blue headlight symbol loses the 'A'.
Does that mean that it is not going to react to on-coming headlights?
If so, and if we inadvertently drive like this no wonder people flash.

IIRC this is what used to happen to SWMBO in the Tiguan quite regularly:

*SWMBO sets "A" mode by pushing the stalk back once as soon as she starts the car. Drive.
*An oncoming forkwit flashes SWMBO because she has brighter headlights than them, and this somehow offends them.
*SWMBO flicks the stalk back to disengage A mode, but what this does in fact is set the full beam on.
*Oncoming forkwit puts their full beam on too, because the already "too bright" headlights are even brighter now.
*SWMBO flicks the stalk back again to dipped beam mode, and believes that the matrix lights aren't working correctly, because if they were why would the forkwit have flashed you ?
*SWMBO then forgets she isn't on matrix mode for the headlights, and again thinks the matrix lights aren't working correctly
*Arrives at destination, cursing long-suffering hubby by text about the matrix lights not working in the car, then rinse/repeat on the journey home

I am expecting similar beratement when SWMBO ever manages to drive the Tour in the dark.
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Tabletop
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Post by Tabletop »

This is why the auto on our car is a pain, nothing causes it to alter from full on beam for approaching traffic, have to intervene manually which sends you round the loop described above.
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