T6 Ocean lights - Europe

[DaveB]

What is the best way to adjust light beams for travelling in France? We have a new Ocean and I had hoped it was a drive setting. But I can't find aything do am guessing it is the dreaded stickers?

 

[DM]

Depends what sort of headlights you have - halogen, xenon or LED?

 

[DaveB]

Halogens

 

[WelshGas]

Either get the " Dreaded Stickers" then or the VW , there are other providers, headlight protectors which come with the blackout strips and are clipped on or off as required.

 

[Aidy P]

I was wondering the same thing. I have LED's though. I've noticed a travelling mode in the settings and need to check if this adjusts the beams.

 

[DaveB]

Any idea where you can get clip on protectors for the T6? My dealer said that VW do not do them.

 

[steve crowe]

Either get the " Dreaded Stickers" then or the VW , there are other providers, headlight protectors which come with the blackout strips and are clipped on or off as required.

We stuck the "dreaded stickers" on to the headlight protectors in place of the blackout strips then just use the headlight protector/dreaded sticker combo in europe.

 

[DM]

I was wondering the same thing. I have LED's though. I've noticed a travelling mode in the settings and need to check if this adjusts the beams.

Aidy - I've also got the LEDs - but I haven't found the travelling mode (yet). Whereabouts in the settings is it?

 

[Aidy P]

Aidy - I've also got the LEDs - but I haven't found the travelling mode (yet). Whereabouts in the settings is it?

On the steering mounted controls for the dash computer. Select Lights & Vision in settings. Then there is a Travel mode.

 

[DM]

On the steering mounted controls for the dash computer. Select Lights & Vision in settings. Then there is a Travel mode.

View attachment 12850

View attachment 12851

Thanks - found it now. No mention of it in the manual though as far as I can find. Certainly not in the index or the LED headlights section. I'll have a play with the van facing my garage door tonight to see if it affects the beam spread.

 

[Aidy P]

Thanks - found it now. No mention of it in the manual though as far as I can find. Certainly not in the index or the LED headlights section. I'll have a play with the van facing my garage door tonight to see if it affects the beam spread.

Take some photos of Travel mode on & off please DM and post them so we can see the difference

 

[DM]

Take some photos of Travel mode on & off please DM and post them so we can see the difference

I've had a play with 'Travel Mode' with the lights played on the wall of the house. I can confirm that travel mode changes the light spread to the left of the vehicle (looking forwards). The effect is not noticable enough to show up on photos but I can visibly see the height of the beam reduce when travel mode is selected. It is not significant. With the vehicle parked about a metre from the wall the beam lowered by about an inch just to the left of the vehicle. But that is the light that would potentially dazzle on-coming drivers and I guess the effect would be much greater further away. I'm sure it is intended to reduce dazzle when driving on the 'wong' side of the road. The beam directly in front of the vehicle is unaffected. it is only the beam thrown to the left which lowers.

The question is will the friendly French Gendermerie understand that when you try to explain LED headlights and travel mode to them !!!

 

[mccp]

The question is will the friendly French Gendermerie understand that when you try to explain LED headlights and travel mode to them !!!

I've been driving a RHD car in France for three months of the year since 2002 without beam adjusters and never had an issue with the Gendarmerie about the lack them. Or the lack of a GB sticker before I had euro plates.

 

[jhgf]

Hi

I have asked in a previous post about adjusting the headlights of our new T6 Ocean (with standard Halogen bulbs and not upgraded to Xenon or LEDs) for driving abroad and got a variety of answers which left me somewhat confused. However I spent 30 mins at the local VW dealer yesterday whilst people in the Commercial Department and the Parts department went looking through their paper and on-line information documents. The final answer I have been given by the dealership is that, even with Halogen bulbs, you do not need any stick-on thingies. The headlight lenses and the configuration of the bulbs/reflectors is such that the beam is now very flat..."just like the Golf Mk VII, Sir"... I was told. I am interested to hear about the "Travel mode" and will have a play around with this myself but at least it does look as though we no longer need to stick anything onto the headlights unlike previous versions of the California.

Jonathan

 

[snowy55]

Hi

I have asked in a previous post about adjusting the headlights of our new T6 Ocean (with standard Halogen bulbs and not upgraded to Xenon or LEDs) for driving abroad and got a variety of answers which left me somewhat confused. However I spent 30 mins at the local VW dealer yesterday whilst people in the Commercial Department and the Parts department went looking through their paper and on-line information documents. The final answer I have been given by the dealership is that, even with Halogen bulbs, you do not need any stick-on thingies. The headlight lenses and the configuration of the bulbs/reflectors is such that the beam is now very flat..."just like the Golf Mk VII, Sir"... I was told. I am interested to hear about the "Travel mode" and will have a play around with this myself but at least it does look as though we no longer need to stick anything onto the headlights unlike previous versions of the California.

Jonathan

You can always check the beam is flat by parking a couple yards away from a garage door or wall and see if there is any flick up on the left hand side of the beam.

 

[DM]

OK - here is a video showing what happens to my LED headlights when I switch from standard to travel mode.

EDIT - that didn't work. It just uploaded a still photo.

However - the effect was that the beam to the left of the slight kick-up lowers in height by about half a brick.

 

[sampsonr]

Just driven down to the French alps in new Ocean 204 4 motion with LED headlights on travel mode. No problems either on autoroutes or back roads with dazzling other drivers and not flashed once. Travel mode works effectively for driving in Europe. First long trip with speeds of up to 125kmh on autoroutes we averaged 33 mpg with DSG 4 motion

 

[T6 CFO]

Great news. Same spec and waiting for mine to arrive. Very glad I went for it with the LED headlights.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Chris Petford]

I drove my california ocean in the dark for the first time last night and got flashed by a about three people, after overtaking another vehicle they put their full beams on once i got passed.
I could also see the oncoming drivers face as clear as day just as they were passing.
Does anyone else have this problem as I'm sure mine are to high ?
Im a little concerned something is not right.

 

[WelshGas]

I drove my california ocean in the dark for the first time last night and got flashed by a about three people, after overtaking another vehicle they put their full beams on once i got passed.
I could also see the oncoming drivers face as clear as day just as they were passing.
Does anyone else have this problem as I'm sure mine are to high ?
Im a little concerned something is not right.

You have used the little control wheel that sets the headlights height depending on the vehicle load, correctly?

 

[Chris Petford]

I didn't say but i have the LED headlights and they are apparantly self levelling so i do not have one of those adjustable wheel things

 

[WelshGas]

I didn't say but i have the LED headlights and they are apparantly self levelling so i do not have one of those adjustable wheel things

Well now I can give you the correct advice .
1. The light setting could be wrong. Unlikely, but possible.
2. More likely, apparently with the self levelling headlights there is a sensor on the front & rear suspension that provide information for the levelling mechanism. The sensors can fail or get damaged.
Either way it is something you should get checked out.

http://www.oemepc.com/vw/part_singl...907/subcategory/907030/part_id/3708972/lang/e

 

[DM]

Well now I can give you the correct advice .
1. The light setting could be wrong. Unlikely, but possible.
2. More likely, apparently with the self levelling headlights there is a sensor on the front & rear suspension that provide information for the levelling mechanism. The sensors can fail or get damaged.
Either way it is something you should get checked out.

http://www.oemepc.com/vw/part_singl...907/subcategory/907030/part_id/3708972/lang/e

Agree. The lights should self level. And also don't need deflectors on the continent.

As per my post in the blog about my recent trip
https://vwcaliforniaclub.com/thread...-gas-life-expectancy.19524/page-2#post-223292
I didn't get flashed once on the continent. I do occasionally get flashed in the UK. I think some drivers are just not used to the whiteness of LED lights and assume that they must be on full beam irrespective of whether they are actually being dazzled.

That being said, it does sound as though yours may be too high so get them checked out at the dealer.

 

[Chris Petford]

Thanks a lot guys and as it happens I've just got it back from the dealers after having the lowering springs fitted, maybe they threw them in the bin

 

[Loz]

Self levelling only keeps the lights level to the settings they are set to, if you have had lowering done (another useful bit of info you neglected to mention ) then they will need adjusting using the adjusters on the lamps, so best run it back to the dealer to finish the job...