Dynamic Light Assist (DLA) Retrofit

[Nuje]

Quick background: Our NAR cars with the bi-xenon "Lighting package" headlights (either in SE/Comfortline or SEL/Highline trim) have the capacity for "High Beam Assist" (HBA) - dip the high beams when encountering either oncoming traffic or approaching a car from behind. The headlights also have the ability to "peek around the corner" a little bit to light up the direction in which the road is curving (in addition to the halogen "cornering" lights that illuminate when you're going like 20kph and making a turn in town).

Dynamic Light Assist takes that a step or three further and allows you the ability to flip the high beams on as you would with HBA, but instead of putting up the shutter to effectively "dip" the headlight beam, it uses a series of shutters and motors to simply put the approaching vehicle into a shadow. So, an oncoming car doesn't get blinded by your high beam because it's in the shadow, but as the driver, you still get light shining up and around everywhere except that oncoming vehicle.

So, what you need:
If coming from Lighting Package car (i.e., already have bi-xenon headlights): DLA headlights, 2 x modules, some coding/adaptation changes, Lane Assist (Module A5).

On that last one, our NAR cars did not come with Lane Assist as an option, so you'll have to retrofit that if you've not already done so. This is a great time to add adaptive cruise control as well.
(If you're looking for parts, for both of those, give me a shout - I've got both the ACC radar module and a matching Lane Assist camera looking for a home. Worth noting, too, that best I can tell, these steps will work with both the older 5Q0 Lane Assist as well as the newer 3Q0 Lane Assist windshield-mounted camera.

If coming from stock halogen headlights car: all of the above, PLUS Headlight Range Module 55, probably a lot more coding / adaptation changes, and some wiring to get your new headlights to talk to your new Module 55; @Cuzoe will fill you in on the details there once he gets this done.

Part numbers:
Headlights:
I'll just mention here, that big thanks are due to user Kushdaiin over at Golfmk7.com for this post that got me started on chasing down the headlights.
Using his info there, here's what I was further able to discern from ETKA:

• 5G1941033 / 5G1941034
• or 5G1941043 / 5G1941044
  • The latter being a supersession of the former.
  • Lights for RHD (e.g., for use in UK) are same but begin with 5G2
  • One of my headlights (RH) seems to be an aftermarket replacement sold by Valeo (who makes the OE headlight) - it's identical but doesn't have the VW part number; instead the only part number on it is 044934 (with corresponding LH light being Valeo part 044933)
  • Took a bunch of searching, but found them for ~€300ea shipped from EU to me in Canada.
  • ebay and proxyparts.com are where I found mine
• If mounting tabs are broken, there is a bespoke repair kit available from VW (as well as cheaper alternatives)
  • 5G0998225 / 5G0998226 for Left and Right, respectively; and just found out that there is a 3D printable version that can be had at Thinkiverse for $6

There are letter suffixes that align with the cars on which they were spec’d.
This is the best I could ascertain:

• No suffix (what I have): just your regular Golf/Variant with silver stripe
• “A” - GTI (red stripe)
• “B” - GTE (plug-in hybrid - blue stripe)
• “C” and “D” - ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
• "E” - Golf R (also has fourth module on the bottom of the headlight; guessing that it’s for the second “U” LED daytime running light)
• All of the A, B, E suffixed headlights I found online tended to be significantly more than the base level chrome-strip versions I bought

Control module:
If coming from Lighting Package headlight, you can move over all of the bulbs and modules from your current headlights, but you'll have to replace the main headlight controller; the part you need is 3D0941329D (gotta be the "D" suffix). $500 from VW Canada; $40 from AliX.
(One of my headlights - LH, shown below on right - was obviously used and already came with the proper modules (and bulbs) installed. The RH light was new-new, no modules; you can see the new module I installed there already, before I transferred over the other drivers from my stock bi-xenon headlights).

Lighting package cars should also already have the AFS (German for "adaptive front lighting" or something like that) module 7P6907357D (shows as Module 55 - Headlight Range in VCDS). It's located in a near-impossible-to-reach spot under the dash, behind the steering wheel column - but again, you don't need to go there if you already have Module 55 with that part number already showing up in your VCDS scan.

Coding:
This is all a straight copy/paste from Kushdaiin's post at golfmk7.com; my car already had a number of these changes made - not sure if was by me in the past messing around, or if they came like that from the factory. Either way, do this, be sure to do the two BASIC SETTINGS operations mentioned at the end. And then you should get your headlights doing this dance when you fire them up.

DLA Headlights
Module	[09]	Central Electronics
Security Access	[16]	31347
Long Coding	[07]
Byte 2	0-2	from	05 Erweiterte_Fernlichtsteurerun, AFS: FLA: Fernlict Ueber AFS
		to	06 Erweiterte_Fernlichtsteurerun, AFS: FLA: Fernlict (FLW:MDF)
Btye 6	5-6	from	20 Abblendlictht_Leuchtentyp, GDL
Already in place		to	00 Abblendlictht_Leuchtentyp, H7
Adaptations	[10]
IDE08786-ENG116637	from	Present
	to	Present	(Should be present)
IDE08786-ENG116641	from	Present
	to	Present
ENG116946-ENG116062-Leuchte10SHUTTER LB23-Lasttyp 10	from	2 - Shutter: Diagnosesensierung fur 'LED low'
	to	Not Active
ENG116947-ENG116081-Leuchte11SHUTTER RB22-Lasttyp 11	from	2 - Shutter: Diagnosesensierung fur 'LED low'
	to	Not Active
Module	[A5]	Front Sensor Driver Assistance
Security Access	[16]	20103
Coding	[07]
Byte 19	bit 0-3	from	00 FLA_Additional_High_Beam,no_Additional_High_Beam
		to	02 FLA_Additional_High_Beam,Xenon
Byte 21	bit 5-7	from	20 AFS_coding_Light_Assist, High_Beam_Assist
		to	40 AFS_coding_Light_Assist, Dynanmic_Light_Assist
Module	[55]	Xenon Range
Security Access	[16]	20103
Long Coding	[07]
Byte 3	Bit 0	from	checked	Market, 0=ECE / 1=NAR
		to	unchecked
Byte 3	Bit 4	from	checked	INFO: headlamp_coding_word
		to	unchecked
Byte 4	bit 0	from	unchecked	lwr_activation, activated
		to	checked
Byte 4	bit 1	from	unchecked	Dynamic AFS light, activated
		to	checked
Byte 4	bit 2	from	unchecked	City light, activated
		to	checked
Byte 4	bit 3	from	unchecked	Highway light, activated
		to	checked
Byte 4	bit 4	from	unchecked	rain_light, activated
		to	checked
Byte 4	bit 5	from	unchecked	all_weather_light, activated
		to	checked
Byte 4	bit 6	from	unchecked	mdf_activation,activated
		to	checked
To Clear AFS Error
Basic Settings
Basic Headlamp Settings
Press	Go
Press	Stop
Acknowledge Basic Settings
Press	Go
Press	Stop
Exit Basic Settings
Module	[17]	Instruments
Security Access	[16]	N/A
Long Coding	[07]
Byte 4	bit 3	from	unchecked	Dynamic AFS light, Yes
		to	checked

 

[oilhammer]

When $1000 apiece headlamp assemblies aren't enough... LOL.

It is neat tech, for sure, but just too expensive for my taste. They (the gov't) are pushing to mandate this crap before long though.

 

[Nuje]

Yeah - most ones that I found were going to push the price well past $2000 for me; that's well outside my "play" budget. At $600, though, for the pair...that doesn't set off too many alarms with the household comptroller.

 

[Cuzoe]

I don't know why I'm being brought up here . At some point this will happen. The wiring isn't too bad for halogen to lighting package. The halogens actually have more wires going to the headlights (each bulb with individual wiring). You will need to add rear level sensor though.

I'll get there myself at some point... but for any non lighting package folks wanting to do this I'm willing to answer questions (where I can). I haven't done it in the car, but I've done it in my head countless times.

 

[Nuje]

Meant to add a "what it looks like installed" photo to the first post, but totally forgot; so here it is.

Looks pretty much like the original standard bi-xenon headlight; although, (and this could just be due to the lens being "fresher"), the chrome strip of the headlight seems to tie into the chrome strip of the grill more/better than the old headlight did. Like, I said, could be just my imagination or the cleaner / clearer lens, but the look does look a little better to me.

This was also after I'd installed the clear-bra-type PPF to the headlight.

 

[drewpul]

How is it driving with them? It it helpful and brighter in a practical way? Or more of a cool party trick?

I’ve confused the DLA upgrade but it’s a bit pricey. And I’d also have to upgrade my BCM since mine is lowline.

 

[Nuje]

To be honest, I don't quite know yet. It's dark-dark from maybe 11pm to 4:00am here these days, and in that window, there's hardly any traffic on the roads here on Vancouver Island, so (a) that's bedtime for me; and (b) the one time I was out that late, I passed maybe 4 cars. No one flashed me or seemed otherwise annoyed, and I definitely could see the light cutoff sweeping around, so....yes...?

 

[Nuje]

How is it driving with them? It it helpful and brighter in a practical way? Or more of a cool party trick?

A user over at vwroc.com posted this that shows some looping short videos of what it looks like in action.

Dynamic Light Assist option examples

<This is going to be a gif heavy post> One of the important options I wanted to get on my FL estate was the true Dynamic Light Assist LED headlights. I had the Mercedes equivalent on my C-Class and they were brilliant (ha!). I couldn't find any info out there specifically on the performance...

www.vwroc.com