Adaptive functionality on LED headlights not working

[mondie]

Evening forummers,

This function hasn't worked since we got the car a few months ago. The high beam assist works fine but the adaptive feature doesn't seem to - well not as I expect it would when compared to our F10 5 series where the headlights are constantly focussing the beam to avoid cars ahead or oncoming.

There are no faults showing on the dash. Is there an easy check on where the fault may lie as I would really value having this feature again?

Cheers,
Simon

[paulrstaylor]

I haven't spent much time in a LED headlight equipped car of your vintage, however I own a similar aged D4 with adaptive xenon's and have spent several months in a 2015 with matrix LED, both of which adapt in slightly different ways.

Looking at the SSP459 document in this post it seems that the first generation LED's may have less variance of beam pattern than the 'Xenon plus with adaptive headlights and "infinitely variable beam"' my car is fitted with, which sound very similar to your BMW experience?

Have a read of the document, it may help you to understand if they are actually working as designed or not?

The second generation of LED headlights, with matrix beam technology had pro's and cons. The big positive is it's ability to dim sections of the headlight in the centre of a beam spread (which can't be achieved with the Xenon's), the down side is that the light had a jagged or fresnel effect where the beams meet, I found that a little distracting at times and it was more pronounced with full beam on.

One final thing, in both cars you have to activate the adaptive functions - single push on the full beam leaver (away from steering wheel) activates the "adaptive headlight range control" and a second and subsequent push toggles full beam on and off?

[mondie]

Hi Paul,

Thanks for the great post. I read the manuals you linked to and re-checked my settings and still no go The MMI has two options - one is for the high beam assist and the other adaptive lights. Both are set to on. The high beam assist works flawlessly but the adaptive does nothing.

I find the lights on low beam a bit short a lot of the time, the LED's control the light so tightly that there is no scatter at all. Thats the main reason I am missing the adaptive feature.

Cheers,
Simon

[paulrstaylor]

Hi Simon,

I had a play today, with VCDS I could move and focus the xenon lights on my car, I wonder if there is a similar output test for the LEDs in yours?

Paul

[mondie]

Not sure Paul, I dont have a cable but a mate does. We just haven't got around to plugging it in yet.

Should me lights do some auto level thing on start up as I haven't noticed that if so?

Cheers

[nath]

xenon ones definitely do when you first start car
not sure about l.e.d versions