T6 options - Led lights.

[Sp0_0k]

Looking into options and trying to decided which are really must have.
Big question mark at the moment with LED lights. They are very expensive, around 1,1k pounds.
Really love xenon lights on my current honda, but see only led option for the T6.
Is it halogen lights by default? Are they that bad? Is it hard to instal non-original front led lights at a better price?

 

[DM]

The T6 has a Xenons option - but it's expensive at £1,410 (Inc headlamp washers). Where did you see the LED option? I think that may have come from a translation of the German brochure. I don't think they are available in the UK - unless anyone knows different.

The Xenon option does include LED running lights and (I think) LED tail lights. I have Xenons on my car and they are fantastic so I have swallowed hard and included them on my order.

 

[Sp0_0k]

In Germany and countries around. Nothing about xenon just LED lights option listed.

 

[Ajspicer]

Retro fitting any decent xenon headlights costs a fortune, check out the Hazzydayz website, big money.

 

[larrylamb]

The T6 has a Xenons option - but it's expensive at £1,410 (Inc headlamp washers). Where did you see the LED option? I think that may have come from a translation of the German brochure. I don't think they are available in the UK - unless anyone knows different.

The Xenon option does include LED running lights and (I think) LED tail lights. I have Xenons on my car and they are fantastic so I have swallowed hard and included them on my order.

Agree, Expensive but they do look great, very hard to upgrade afterwards.

 

[Sp0_0k]

very hard to upgrade afterwards.

I think this is the most important argument for me.

 

[WelshGas]

Well if you see a California coming towards you at night, who puts his headlights on full beam then that will be me. They might be bright for the driver of the vehicle with Zenons but I think they are dangerous for oncoming traffic. Why? Because the majority are set for a flat beam to avoid having to adjust them for continental travel and this produces a lot of light onto the oncoming roadway, and 4x4's are the worse as they are higher.
So, dazzle me, full beam by return.

 

[Blackwell]

Well if you see a California coming towards you at night, who puts his headlights on full beam then that will be me. They might be bright for the driver of the vehicle with Zenons but I think they are dangerous for oncoming traffic. Why? Because the majority are set for a flat beam to avoid having to adjust them for continental travel and this produces a lot of light onto the oncoming roadway, and 4x4's are the worse as they are higher.
So, dazzle me, full beam by return.

I agree massively. Xenon lights are a menace, especially to anyone with photo sensitivity.
Totally unnecessary, they are just another tool for the elitists. If you think you need better lights you might be driving too fast in the dark!

 

[Sp0_0k]

Well I have xenons over 5 years on a CRV and pretty love them at night. Yes they are brighter and oncoming traffic usually blinks thinking these I'm driving with high beams. Which I never do against oncoming traffic.
I don't drive a lot at night but xenon of course shows the road way better and most importantly the cold-blue light keeps you awake and alert a lot better.
As for 4x4 lights I don't agree.
The higher the lights are positioned, the less problems they cause for oncoming traffic. Simply because you can tilt them down more with same lighting range as low mounted light. Having the lights very close to the road surface leaves you with almost parallel to the ground beams, which of course hit more into the eyes of an oncoming driver.

 

[Tommy Gun]

Well if you see a California coming towards you at night, who puts his headlights on full beam then that will be me. They might be bright for the driver of the vehicle with Zenons but I think they are dangerous for oncoming traffic. Why? Because the majority are set for a flat beam to avoid having to adjust them for continental travel and this produces a lot of light onto the oncoming roadway, and 4x4's are the worse as they are higher.
So, dazzle me, full beam by return.

WG, having noted so many of your helpful posts I am really surprised that you would advocate such a response. Do you put your full beam to any & everyone with dipped xenons, as your comment suggests?? Hardly a safe thing to do. The xenon driver is not responsible for the direction & luminosity of their lights. Also, the car may have been bought second hand & the lights not specced by the driver. When the xenon driver realises what you are doing & returns your favour - you've lost & will be the first one hovering their foot above the brake / turning the air blue.

I have ordered xenons for my T6 & my 36 year old eyes can deal with on-coming xenon drivers without any issues.
With respect - technology moves on but eyes can deteriorate. Perhaps this is something that you are overlooking.
When my eyes deteriorate over time then I might have the same grumbles, but I will not 'retaliate' by sticking my full beams in their face.

 

[WelshGas]

You only have to look at the light spread of Zenons, frequently across both carriageways rather than biased to the Near Side. On Motorways and Dual Carriageways, no problem. On twisty, up and down Country A & B roads a menace. Also, a lot of drivers of vehicles equipped with such lights don't even know what that little control on the Dashboard that alters the angle of the lights depending on the vehicle loading actually does. This control should be completely automatic and linked to the suspension. Then these lights might be safer for other road users. Just my opinion.

 

[2into1]

I'm just amazed that folks would spend £1400 to upgrade the perfectly acceptable lights already supplied.
And I don't buy the argument you'll get a chunk of it back at resale.
I'm not knocking those who choose to do it, just probably wishing I had that type of 'free' cash lying around.

 

[Tommy Gun]

You only have to look at the light spread of Zenons, frequently across both carriageways rather than biased to the Near Side. On Motorways and Dual Carriageways, no problem. On twisty, up and down Country A & B roads a menace. Also, a lot of drivers of vehicles equipped with such lights don't even know what that little control on the Dashboard that alters the angle of the lights depending on the vehicle loading actually does. This control should be completely automatic and linked to the suspension. Then these lights might be safer for other road users. Just my opinion.

Also, a lot of drivers of vehicles equipped with such lights don't even know what that little control on the Dashboard that alters the angle of the lights depending on the vehicle loading actually does. This control should be completely automatic and linked to the suspension.

WG, a fair comment about the level control. I'm a VAG driver, so all xenon equipped cars that I've had do indeed have their lights linked to suspension + steering. Wasn't aware that there was an alternative to this.

T4WFA
Hi. Lights for me are a safety aspect. I regularly drive in deer infested parts.
I feel that the xenons give me a real advantage over the halogens & help me better to see the little (or not so little) bu99ers eyes before they get a chance to jump out.
Agree - £1400 is a lot, but the damage done by a deer can easily exceed that. Insurance would cover it but, resale-wise, it could be quite harmful. Personaly, I would avoid buying the Cali that had been subject to an insurance job for fear of future cosmetic paint bubbling or structural weakness, should a 2nd accident happen. Cheers

 

[WelshGas]

Hi. Lights for me are a safety aspect. I regularly drive in deer infested parts.
I feel that the xenons give me a real advantage over the halogens & help me better to see the little (or not so little) bu99ers eyes before they get a chance to jump out.
Agree - £1400 is a lot, but the damage done by a deer can easily exceed that. Insurance would cover it but, resale-wise, it could be quite harmful. Personaly, I would avoid buying the Cali that had been subject to an insurance job for fear of future cosmetic paint bubbling or structural weakness, should a 2nd accident happen. Cheers

Exactly my point. If you believe that Zenons give you an advantage it must be because they have a larger spread both sideways and distance. Good for spotting deer but maybe not helpful for oncoming drivers.

Those with Old School Halogen just slow down, or fit additional driving lights to be used when required.

 

[Tommy Gun]

Exactly my point. If you believe that Zenons give you an advantage it must be because they have a larger spread both sideways and distance. Good for spotting deer but maybe not helpful for oncoming drivers.

Those with Old School Halogen just slow down, or fit additional driving lights to be used when required.

In such conditions I believe that slowing down is always the right thing to do. The xenons should never be used as an excuse to drive faster at night.

For the record - I wasn't disagreeing with your comments about projection breadth & distance. You are right.
Also, I am fortunate that my eyes can deal with it no problem.
It was the part about blinding another driver with your beams that I felt was wrong.

I've been without xenons for a while now. Our VW Sharan does not have them & neither did our recently departed Touareg. Looking forward to having them again. Perhaps with time, design improvements will reduce peoples concerns.
In 10-20 years time, might be hard to buy a new car without them !!

Cheers

 

[T6 CFO]

Exactly my point. If you believe that Zenons give you an advantage it must be because they have a larger spread both sideways and distance. Good for spotting deer but maybe not helpful for oncoming drivers.

Those with Old School Halogen just slow down, or fit additional driving lights to be used when required.

Interesting debate and as I have not yet placed my order and have decided to go for the Xenons, one I aught to join.
On cost I can see the argument but I am fortunate enough to have the choice. I would rather pay less for my Cali but as it is already an obscene amount to hell with it.
On vision, well everyone tells me they are far better, I can see the argument on misuse but if they are better overall then we need to move on, owners of such vehicles and manufacturers need to be educated as to their fitting and use.
Finally they look good.

 

[larrylamb]

You can't really adjust them, Xenon lights have to have automatic self levelling as standard, fine for adjusting for loads etc but no use on undulating B/C roads as they can't adjust quick enough, great on some roads but flawed design in these circumstances as they do dazzle.

 

[WelshGas]

Zenon lights are already " Old Technology " - LED are coming.

 

[Tommy Gun]

Zenon lights are already " Old Technology " - LED are coming.

WG, I look forward to seeing LED lights!

Right it's time for lunch & the grill is nearly up to temp. I can feel a beer coming on...
Cheers for now.

 

[aileron346]

Seems to me bright (xenon, LED etc ) lights need a bit more research. I can totally see that they provide better light driving through remote forested areas at high speed. But I also think that the dazzle risk may be under estimated. It certainly feels like it could be causing danger. I'd go with the scientific consensus on this one - I presume research has been done?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Tommy Gun]

Here's a turn-up for the books...
For anyone who has ordered Bi-Xenon Headlights from the UK T6 options list.
Looks like we're getting LED Headlamps instead.
Mis-print in the 1st place...or the magic of VW?

 

[owen_h]

In high ‘power’ cycle lights LEDs have pretty much completely replaced the HID lamps of 5 to 10 years ago. LED based lights are much cheaper, use less power (=better battery life), are smaller, lighter and more robust. What is more difficult however is to control the beam pattern properly as the LEDs ‘bulbs’ are not a small point source that can be easily focused. The majority of the mega lumen cycle lights are just LEDs mounted facing forward and throwing out a cone of light. For off road cycling this is fine as there are trees, overhanging branches etc that you need to see. For road use however they can be dazzling to other road users as there is no beam cut off. It is possible to design a (cycle) lamp unit that properly controls the beam pattern and has a horizontal cut off, the German StVZO regulation for cycle lights sold there demands it. Very few lights sold in the UK meet it though. To do so involves designing and building proper reflectors which costs development time and money. In cycling lights you can but Chinese lights that claim (probably incorrectly) to put out 5000 lumen for under £50. Compare that to a German compliant 80 lux light for £100. The big numbers sell despite the StVZO compliant unit probably putting more light where you actually need it (on the road).

With automotive lighting having much more regulatory control (than cycle lights) the car manufactures will have to do this reflector design work to be able to use LEDs, it’s not just a case of mounting an LED (or group of LEDs) in the existing reflector unit. Once the design work has been paid for I would expect (hope) that LED driving lights would become standard fit.
If VW are now offering LED driving lights it sounds like they have done this design work . Do we know if this is for main and dipped beam?

 

[Tommy Gun]

In high ‘power’ cycle lights LEDs have pretty much completely replaced the HID lamps of 5 to 10 years ago. LED based lights are much cheaper, use less power (=better battery life), are smaller, lighter and more robust. What is more difficult however is to control the beam pattern properly as the LEDs ‘bulbs’ are not a small point source that can be easily focused. The majority of the mega lumen cycle lights are just LEDs mounted facing forward and throwing out a cone of light. For off road cycling this is fine as there are trees, overhanging branches etc that you need to see. For road use however they can be dazzling to other road users as there is no beam cut off. It is possible to design a (cycle) lamp unit that properly controls the beam pattern and has a horizontal cut off, the German StVZO regulation for cycle lights sold there demands it. Very few lights sold in the UK meet it though. To do so involves designing and building proper reflectors which costs development time and money. In cycling lights you can but Chinese lights that claim (probably incorrectly) to put out 5000 lumen for under £50. Compare that to a German compliant 80 lux light for £100. The big numbers sell despite the StVZO compliant unit probably putting more light where you actually need it (on the road).

With automotive lighting having much more regulatory control (than cycle lights) the car manufactures will have to do this reflector design work to be able to use LEDs, it’s not just a case of mounting an LED (or group of LEDs) in the existing reflector unit. Once the design work has been paid for I would expect (hope) that LED driving lights would become standard fit.
If VW are now offering LED driving lights it sounds like they have done this design work . Do we know if this is for main and dipped beam?

Hi Owen. I have no idea if the LEDs are for dip, beam or both. Just noticed the LED text on the paperwork sent through when I asked for an update from the dealer. What I do know is that I enjoyed reading your contribution. Interesting stuff. Good man!

 

[Sp0_0k]

Here's a turn-up for the books...

Here is what it says in german configurator.
LED headlights with LED daytime running lights
LED taillights, red
Headlight leveling system, automatically controlled

 

[Swissian]

A friend of mine just picked up a brand new top of range Passat last week and it has LEDs fitted. As far as I know, they are for dipped and full beam. They seem even better than the xenons but I haven't driven or seen it at night.