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HOW TO - Change your Xenon's for European driving

23K views 24 replies 16 participants last post by  Jwa1 
#1 ·
I have had a little play this morning and figured out how to change Xenon headlamps for European driving using the VCDS software and cable.

Procedure as follows;

Plug in your laptop to the car using VCDS cable, make sure you have VCDS version 10.6.3 or later installed, with ignition switched on;

1. Select 55 - Xenon Range from the menu
2. Select Adaption - 10 from the menu
3. Select Channel and choose 'Activate left/right hand drive switch over'
4. Select Stored Value and choose enable
5. Press Do it! at this point you will receive a message about workshop codes select yes
6. Press Do it! again
7. Switch off ignition then switch back on and you'll receive a warning on DIS that your headlamp range has been adjusted.

To switch back follow steps 1 to 3, then at step 4 change to disable and then follow steps 5 - 6 to complete. Once you switch back you will need to again turn off ignition and turn back on and you'll see that not message will appear on DIS.

Basically the beam pattern is lowered so it doesn't dazzle other drivers while you are driving on European roads.
 
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#2 ·
I don't have the A1 yet but on my A5 I can set it through the MMI menu under Car Setup -> Exterior Lighting.

Is it not the same with the A1?
 
#4 ·
Must be a hidden Menu for this, as the Q5 has an item on the MMI to swap the lights over for Xenon...

Need to order the VCDS...
 
#6 ·
I tried the hidden menu procedure which someone posted on a forum, and it didnt seem to work on the A1.

As for the cable in the UK the best place to buy a genuine cable from is Genden Automotive, http://www.gendan.co.uk/product_VCHU.html

Then you just need to go onto www.ross-tech.com to download the software which automatically activates with a genuine cable for full features.

I have sent off a load of data to Ross-Tech today to see if they can advise on more stuff as the long coding helper only works on certain modules as the moment.
 
#7 ·
Update.

To enable hidden menu on MMI you need VCDS;

1. Select 5F from VCDS menu
2. Select Adaption 10
3. Select Channel 6
4. Enter new Value 1
5. Select Do it!

No on the MMI press CAR + MENU together for about 10 seconds and you will see the screen go black and a green message in the top left corner you'll then see a long list of menus.



Naturally if you dont know what you are doing then please do not do this procedure, A1 forum and myself can accept no responsibility for any damage caused by changing settings.

Only thing I need to figure out is what the button procedure is to restarting the MMI.

Also to report back Gauge Needle Sweep is not available on A1 :(
 
#10 ·
hm1975 said:
Tried the battery indicator tweak but didnt work, currently i am in the car downloading the labels so that Ross-Tech can update VCDS with all the relevant long coding commands
Sorry what is the battery indicator tweak?

You should have a medal for the work you are putting in!
 
#13 ·
Ok this is an impressive bit of information shared. Thanks
 
#15 ·
Thanks for this info

I will need this done regularly as I am about to move to Germany. My dealer will make the adjustment to LHD lighting at the PDI stage but I'm guessing there will be a charge for further switches.

At least it doesnt involve fiddling around with the actual lamp assembly and trying to locate invisible small plastic lugs as with former VAG xenon light sets.

Thinking that whilst I don't need all the functionality of VCDS £260 will soon go on labour costs both here and in Germany.
 
#16 ·
For those of you have done this either via VCDS or by a dealer, can you provide me with the following information.

I asked my dealer to make the change the beam pattern for driving on the right but noticed on day one that
1) The beam pattern still is higher on the left than on the right
2) I dont get a DIS warning that the beam pattern has been changed on starting up.

Before I go back to the dealer and complain they didn't do this, please confirm if after the change:
1) The beam pattern is perfectly flat or still has a raised profile to the left. I am not seeing the usual "ten to three" demarkation that you get with halogen lights, but maybe the Xenons are a flatter pattern. This is my first car with them fitted. What I expected is a perfectly flat profile that you would get with correctly fitted beam deflectors on halogens (or even a completely shifted pattern to the right)
2) The original posting by HM seems to suggest you get a DIS warning every time on start up (which I dont) when the beams have been changed. Is this so or is it just the first time after the mod has been made.

Thanks for your help. Hopefully there's a few of you out there with enough experience of driving on the "wrong" side of the road to work out what I'm talking about.

I'm writing this from Germany so want to get it sorted ASAP if its not right.
 
#17 ·
I have VCDS and have managed to get into the Hidden menu. If look alot different to your posting.

I don't have a "car" section so I can't enble tpms and others. There lot of sections for GPS showing my location etc just a shame I don't have the sd card enabled :?

WOnder if 2012 cars have different software then?

Also can't seem to find the correct way to enable hill hold assist either in the modules ....the process on the how to dont seem to show the same options with v11.11
 
#18 ·
Sorry for resurrecting an old thread, but I wondered if there had been any developments in this area from a OE software point of view?

I'm planning a trip to the south of France later in the year, and indeed will go many more times whilst I have this car. I usually travel overnight (it's a 12 hour journey) so I can maximize the time I have once I get there.

Am I to assume that I have 2 options - be OK for UK driving and dazzle everyone in France, or the other way round? Either way, my car wouldn't be road legal in one of the countries and I can't stop on the way to change it at a dealer.

If its a simple software issue, can't they patch the MMI to unlock the option for European driving?
 
#19 ·
I believe you are allowed to drive in the UK with the continental setting. After all, it simply reduces the range rather than change the extended range beam over to the other side. However, with the range being shorter, it is obviously not recommended to do that more than necessary.

As I take the car to Europe at least twice a year, I decided to get the cable. With some dealers happily charging over £100 to do the changeover, it was quick payback - and there is plenty of time to do the switchover while waiting to board the train/ferry or on board so I avoid driving on eiher side with the wrong settings.
 
#20 ·
Note; If using VCDS for the first time to enable left hand side light pattern then you have to select disable and ok it even though this is the default setting otherwise you will get an error and it will not accept any change. Once done for the first and only time you can then flip between enable and disable without any issues! :cool:
 
#21 ·
Hi,

Sorry to resurrect an old thread, but though it better than to start a new one.

Does anyone know when you change the headlights from RHD to LHD, if the pattern completely mirrors?

Right hand drive ones should look like this....
---------\_______

And left hand drives one...
_______/---------

Or does it just make the beam completely flat?

I ask as I wish to retrofit xenons to my car, and LHD units from Germany are much cheaper than UK ones. So basically I'm asking if changing LHD headlights to RHD setting will pass an MOT? If it is as simple as using VCDS to change them over, sounds like a plan to me!

Thanks in advance!
Chris.
 
#22 ·
Hi
No, it doesn't mirror the pattern.
I haven't tried it on my A1 but I did activate it on my Q5, and all it does is just lowers the aim slightly.
So unless you plan on using your car abroad a lot, it doesn't make sense, even if they are cheaper, as the beam pattern on LHD units would be optimised towards the right - not what you want over here. They'd have to be adjusted so low as to defeat the purpose of upgrading.
Have you considered changing to xenon bulbs and ballasts, ie HID kit?
 
#25 ·
Ok I found the solution which will probably be useful for lots of others. Dealer tried to adjust them for me for £55 but I declined as I would then be driving illegally in the UK.

Facelift models with xenons (all s lines) have a flat beam pattern and don't need adjusting. It's confirmed on page 41 of my manual dated 05/2017. Going to put the dealer straight tomorrow.
 
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