FAO Lowered GTI owners / Xenon lights

JKM_GTI · Post by **JKM_GTI** » Tue Nov 22, 2005 12:54 pm

Hi

Having lowered my Gti (50mm sportline kit) The xenon have a really bad range, I have been told this is because the xenon are self adjusting, and when you lower the car, the rears of the car thinks you are going up hill and therefore adjust the xenonâ€™s lower

Is there any other way of adjusting the lights with out going to VW?

Another Qâ€¦..How come there arenâ€™t many posts about this? As a lot of peeps have lowered there gtiâ€™s!

Thanks in advance.

Si_GTi · Post by **Si_GTi** » Tue Nov 22, 2005 1:01 pm

I think mate that you will have to "bite the bullet" as it were and go to VW to have the lights adjusted. They'll need to plug it into their diagnostics equipment to reset the levels I believe. Maybe try having this done at the same time as another job such as MOT or service and they might not charge for it... maybe

I don't know of any other way of getting it sorted, but would be glad if someone overrules this!

Cheers

JKM_GTI · Post by **JKM_GTI** » Tue Nov 22, 2005 1:08 pm

thanks for the fast reply, i don't mind going to VW (if i have too!)

Reeyad · Post by **Reeyad** » Tue Nov 22, 2005 1:21 pm

JKM_GTI wrote:thanks for the fast reply, i don't mind going to VW (if i have too!)

let us know the damage as am thinking to lower mine (well in a year when the warrentee is up)

JWC · Post by **JWC** » Tue Nov 22, 2005 5:23 pm

The range is controlled in software. It can be done by VAG-COM. I think I could manage that. Where you based?

Grum · Post by **Grum** » Tue Nov 22, 2005 7:59 pm

if u really want to do it for free then raise the back of ur car (passenger side) and just infront of the rear wheel there is a 'j' shaped bracket attached to the axle and to a small unit whith a plug (this is ur headlight level adjuster)

remove the bracket and set the level manually with the small lever still on the uniti used a cable tie to fix the lever in place!

not everyone can be bothered with this but if u want it free then there u go!

live2themaxuk · Post by **live2themaxuk** » Tue Nov 22, 2005 10:05 pm

cool cool

but which way is the correct way. Software or VAG com?? surely one is more 'correct' than the other

cheers

(having the same problem see )

Jamie

JWC · Post by **JWC** » Tue Nov 22, 2005 11:13 pm

If you fire up VAG-COM there is a setting for xenon headlight range control, the correct way would be to tweak that. The question remains however, of if there is sufficient adjustment with that alone.

!!!! Chop the thing off and hold it with tie-wraps?????! Sounds like Arthur Daily.

You mean I spent all my efforts making my GTi xenons (on a non GTi) self level by building custom kit and you guys just chop it off? Cunningly though, the range on mine increases with speed, because I used ultrasonic and it stretches as you speed up. BMW- sod off I thought of it first (or rather I didn't but it just worked out cool anyway!)

JKM_GTI · Post by **JKM_GTI** » Wed Nov 23, 2005 8:03 am

JWC wrote:Cunningly though, the range on mine increases with speed, because I used ultrasonic and it stretches as you speed up. BMW- sod off I thought of it first (or rather I didn't but it just worked out cool anyway!)

Thats pretty cool! How did you manage to do that?

I am based in Farnborough / Camberley, so your a bit far from me, where do you get VAG-COM from? Could maybe have a go myself....

Unless the programme is mega bucks?!

Thanks for all the reply so far!

JWC · Post by **JWC** » Wed Nov 23, 2005 8:54 am

JKM_GTI wrote: Thats pretty cool! How did you manage to do that?

I am based in Farnborough / Camberley, so your a bit far from me, where do you get VAG-COM from? Could maybe have a go myself....

Unless the programme is mega bucks?!

Thanks for all the reply so far!

It uses a range finding device to work out how far away the road is by listening for the echo. What happens as the windspeed under the car increases is that the echo gets stretched and my headlights shine higher. So there you go - saved me the bother of compensating for speed! I do hardware design so such fiddling is something I just can't help !

VAG-COM - there is a shareware version, which should allow you to do what you need to do, if not it can be made the full version with a bit of work. The tricky bit is the interface lead, you can make your own, but even I was too lazy for that, so I got mine from SKPang electronics (google it).

Be careful with the really cheap interface if you have an after market radio as it blows it up. (your interface not the radio).

GMANGTI · Post by **GMANGTI** » Wed Nov 23, 2005 11:16 am

can you not jst get an alan key or philips screwdriver and adjust the height of the light beam, by opening the bonet anf finely tuning the headlights from the white screws on top of them?? or am i bein stupid? it kinda wrked for me, or have i messed things up now??lol!