Headlight Question

1854sailor

Resident Curmudgeon
Joined
Aug 10, 2004
Location
Westerly, RI
TDI
2015 Golf SE SportWagen, 2015 Golf SE Hatch Back.
The GSW has the "Adaptive" headlight system and something seems to have stopped working. When I turn the headlights on, they no longer cycle up-down and left-right as they always have. Once on, they do respond to the steering angle, but they seem aimed lower than usual. Thoughts?
 

1854sailor

Resident Curmudgeon
Joined
Aug 10, 2004
Location
Westerly, RI
TDI
2015 Golf SE SportWagen, 2015 Golf SE Hatch Back.
Ran an Auto Scan as well as checking out the headlight controller (#55) and there were no fault codes...
 

Nuje

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Feb 11, 2005
Location
Island near Vancouver
TDI
2015 Sportwagen; Golf GLS 2002 (swap from 2L gas); 2016 A3 e-tron
So weird: I just noticed the same thing on my headlights. Haven't used them in a long while due to the nice long, sunny days, but coming off the ferry last weekend late evening, flipped on the headlights and no little headlight dance. (?!)
And same thing - nothing in VCDS.

Another oddity: for a few days, I wasn't getting the little "beep" when locking the doors. Checked VCDS and settings to ensure "auditory confirmation" was enabled (or whatever the language / setting is).
Turned the setting off. Logged out. Restarted car, logged back in, changed back to "on" - still no little alarm beep/chirp. Even had battery disconnected for running some wires. No change.

Then two days ago - suddenly it beeped again upon locking and has stayed that way since (at least a couple weeks). 🤷‍♂️
 

1854sailor

Resident Curmudgeon
Joined
Aug 10, 2004
Location
Westerly, RI
TDI
2015 Golf SE SportWagen, 2015 Golf SE Hatch Back.
I have the horn beep turned off as I think it's annoying. Just one of my quirks, I guess, as I can hear the lock click when I press the button on the fob.

Do the headlights work now as the beep has returned? Wondering if they were related...

So weird: I just noticed the same thing on my headlights. Haven't used them in a long while due to the nice long, sunny days, but coming off the ferry last weekend late evening, flipped on the headlights and no little headlight dance. (?!)
And same thing - nothing in VCDS.

Another oddity: for a few days, I wasn't getting the little "beep" when locking the doors. Checked VCDS and settings to ensure "auditory confirmation" was enabled (or whatever the language / setting is).
Turned the setting off. Logged out. Restarted car, logged back in, changed back to "on" - still no little alarm beep/chirp. Even had battery disconnected for running some wires. No change.

Then two days ago - suddenly it beeped again upon locking and has stayed that way since (at least a couple weeks). 🤷‍♂️
 

Nuje

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Feb 11, 2005
Location
Island near Vancouver
TDI
2015 Sportwagen; Golf GLS 2002 (swap from 2L gas); 2016 A3 e-tron
Been buried in retrofits of a number of components, and managed to create a "AFS Error", which turned out to be a "Missing Basic Settings".

VCDS - Module 55 (Xenon Range) - Basic Settings. There were two options in there (can't remember the exact wording, but like "Set Basic Settings" and "Confirm Basic Settings" - I did both (edit: added screenshot). Heard the little headlight motors do their thing. And now they do the dance again upon light-up.

 
Last edited:

bendles

Member
Joined
Sep 18, 2012
Location
Rhode Island
TDI
2015 GSW TDI
Curious since it would appear you have or have dealt with this model headlight. My DRL went out Christmas last year and I need to figure out if it's the board that runs it or the actual lights. I'm tempted to take everything off to get to it myself, but I want to have the board handy when I do it so I don't have to take it off, get the P/N, put it back together, order, take it apart again. Has anyone had this DRL go out?
 

Nuje

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Feb 11, 2005
Location
Island near Vancouver
TDI
2015 Sportwagen; Golf GLS 2002 (swap from 2L gas); 2016 A3 e-tron
There's a LED driver (looks similar to an HID ballast) mounted to the bottom of the light, IIRC. Not sure if anything to do with the LED itself is serviceable.
Looks like part number for LED driver is 4G0907697F.
 

bendles

Member
Joined
Sep 18, 2012
Location
Rhode Island
TDI
2015 GSW TDI
@Nuje Awesome, thanks for that. I'm hoping that it's that and not the LED itself. Dealership told me $1600 to replace the whole assembly, which is absurd.
 

Cuzoe

Veteran Member
Joined
May 24, 2017
Location
Los Angeles
TDI
MK7 Golf S
Been buried in retrofits of a number of components, and managed to create a "AFS Error", which turned out to be a "Missing Basic Settings".

VCDS - Module 55 (Xenon Range) - Basic Settings. There were two options in there (can't remember the exact wording, but like "Set Basic Settings" and "Confirm Basic Settings" - I did both (edit: added screenshot). Heard the little headlight motors do their thing. And now they do the dance again upon light-up.
Module 55... I don't have one of those, do I need one?
 

Nuje

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Feb 11, 2005
Location
Island near Vancouver
TDI
2015 Sportwagen; Golf GLS 2002 (swap from 2L gas); 2016 A3 e-tron
My take is that Module 55 (Xenon Range) is the controller/motor that keeps the headlights level and "peeks" around curves as you're turning (separate / different from the cornering lights, which light up when you have hit the turn signal stalk and start turning the wheel...and going less than ~30km/h or so).

You'd "need" it only if you're retrofitting OEM bi-xenon headlights, which would mean tossing those awesome-looking Osrams that you're running now. :D
 

Cuzoe

Veteran Member
Joined
May 24, 2017
Location
Los Angeles
TDI
MK7 Golf S
If I get rid of the Osrams I'm going full DLA headlights... I may have started sourcing parts 🤦🏿‍♂️. But look at the startup dance 🤩.
 

Nuje

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Feb 11, 2005
Location
Island near Vancouver
TDI
2015 Sportwagen; Golf GLS 2002 (swap from 2L gas); 2016 A3 e-tron
From the main screen of that module, click on SECURITY ACCESS (right below ADAPTATIONS).
It'll tell you what to enter there (31347 or 20103 are the most common).
 

1854sailor

Resident Curmudgeon
Joined
Aug 10, 2004
Location
Westerly, RI
TDI
2015 Golf SE SportWagen, 2015 Golf SE Hatch Back.
From the main screen of that module, click on SECURITY ACCESS (right below ADAPTATIONS).
It'll tell you what to enter there (31347 or 20103 are the most common).
20103 got me in but, after resetting the adaptations, nothing has changed... Also noticed that the right headlamp is aimed lower than the left and, when I run the function test, they move horizontally but not vertically.
 

Nuje

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Feb 11, 2005
Location
Island near Vancouver
TDI
2015 Sportwagen; Golf GLS 2002 (swap from 2L gas); 2016 A3 e-tron
When I did the adaptation, I could actually hear the little headlight "motors" (servos, I assume) doing their thing - do you get that?
 

1854sailor

Resident Curmudgeon
Joined
Aug 10, 2004
Location
Westerly, RI
TDI
2015 Golf SE SportWagen, 2015 Golf SE Hatch Back.
When I did the adaptation, I could actually hear the little headlight "motors" (servos, I assume) doing their thing - do you get that?
No. I'm going to jack the car up and check the leveling sensor.
 

1854sailor

Resident Curmudgeon
Joined
Aug 10, 2004
Location
Westerly, RI
TDI
2015 Golf SE SportWagen, 2015 Golf SE Hatch Back.
Well, nothing was broken and the electrical contacts were clean in the connector. I removed it, sprayed it with PB Blaster, exercised it through its full extension and reinstalled it. When it was reinstalled and plugged in, there was no change. I'll try the VCDS adaptation again tomorrow...
 

Nuje

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Feb 11, 2005
Location
Island near Vancouver
TDI
2015 Sportwagen; Golf GLS 2002 (swap from 2L gas); 2016 A3 e-tron
I'm assuming no Fault Codes in that module (?). Weird that the lights would work fine but no errors and no function from the motors.
Maybe your unplugging of them will be something of a CTRL-ALT-DEL and with a reset of Basic Settings, they'll go back to proper operation.
 

oilhammer

Certified Volkswagen Nut & Vendor
Joined
Dec 11, 2001
Location
outside St Louis, MO
TDI
There are just too many to list....
I had an Eos where the motor arm broke off the fulcrum inside the assembly. These excessively complex exterior lights are ridiculous. They are needlessly complex, and stuff breaks, and parts are not replaceable so you have to buy the whole eye-watering expensive assembly. The NCS Jetta rear LED tail assemblies (which despite being assembled in Mexico have parts inside from China) fail left and right, and they are nearly $300 for one little section.

The best is the newer fancy F150s... you know, the ones that blind you with the bright white headlights and have the fancy looking soft glow tail lights? Yeah, there are, collectively, SEVEN THOUSAND DOLLARS worth of lights on those trucks if you combine the two headlight and tail light assemblies. On a flippin' pickup truck. I remember when you could buy a WHOLE NEW pickup truck for less than that.
 

740GLE

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 19, 2009
Location
NH
TDI
2015 Passat SEL, 2017 Alltrack SE; BB 2010 Sedan Man; 2012 Passat,
Don't get me started for the DOT laws that allow trucks to leave the factory with projectors without levelers, everyone seems to be driving their mall crawlers with 500lbs in the bed and their lights sky high.
 

oilhammer

Certified Volkswagen Nut & Vendor
Joined
Dec 11, 2001
Location
outside St Louis, MO
TDI
There are just too many to list....
They don't have anything in the bed. The "lift" kits seem to only raise the rear of these teeny-peeny machines about 85% of what they raise the front. No idea why. In addition to it looking completely stupid, and clearly broadcasting the driver's "short"comings in other arenas, they make the truck's bed completely useless to actually use as a truck (let alone most of them have the tiny or even tinier beds on them).

It's like the 4-wheeled version of a Harley with straight pipes. And both seem to be found in numbers along the side of the road. The trucks because the U-joints that have been placed at ridiculous angles have decided to ghost themselves in the middle of the highway, and the driver was never alerted to any clues because the noise from the scrotum numbing giant unround Chinapops wrapped around the hideous Chinaspokes that cost them half a year's rent on their trailer hid the quiet cry of the driveshaft becoming unbalanced, not to mention if it is a diesel the roar of the straight pipe stack directly behind the cab taking up half of that worthless little bed.

Dead Harleys... no idea why. But they are as common in summer months as dead armadillos. Only difference is, the leather-wrapped bonehead has to stand guard until the rescue truck arrives, lest someone steal the two wheeled conveyance they payed tens of thousands of dollars for. You have to hand it to HD, though. They get people to part ways with new Accord levels of money for something with less HP than an '83 Civic and no roof. LMAO.... and they use more fuel than our TDIs! :D
 

Nuje

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Feb 11, 2005
Location
Island near Vancouver
TDI
2015 Sportwagen; Golf GLS 2002 (swap from 2L gas); 2016 A3 e-tron
They don't have anything in the bed. The "lift" kits seem to only raise the rear of these teeny-peeny machines about 85% of what they raise the front. No idea why. In addition to it looking completely stupid, and clearly broadcasting the driver's "short"comings in other arenas, they make the truck's bed completely useless to actually use as a truck (let alone most of them have the tiny or even tinier beds on them).
Top marks for being able to work in not one, not two, but THREE!! comments on the physical inadequacies of most men who buy those clown-car-ish trucks.

As for the matter at hand, I'd think that if the levers inside the lights had broken, one would still be able to hear the servo motors "motoring" when doing the Basic Setting adaptations.
Even with the lights themselves turned off, I still heard the motors whirring - so maybe try the adaptation stuff with the headlight switch in OFF position, AUTO, and ON if it doesn't do anything at first (just throwing ideas out there - don't know if it'll make any kind of difference).
 

Humanaquarian

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 18, 2013
Location
Missouri
TDI
2014 Beetle TDI
They don't have anything in the bed. The "lift" kits seem to only raise the rear of these teeny-peeny machines about 85% of what they raise the front. No idea why. In addition to it looking completely stupid, and clearly broadcasting the driver's "short"comings in other arenas, they make the truck's bed completely useless to actually use as a truck (let alone most of them have the tiny or even tinier beds on them).

It's like the 4-wheeled version of a Harley with straight pipes. And both seem to be found in numbers along the side of the road. The trucks because the U-joints that have been placed at ridiculous angles have decided to ghost themselves in the middle of the highway, and the driver was never alerted to any clues because the noise from the scrotum numbing giant unround Chinapops wrapped around the hideous Chinaspokes that cost them half a year's rent on their trailer hid the quiet cry of the driveshaft becoming unbalanced, not to mention if it is a diesel the roar of the straight pipe stack directly behind the cab taking up half of that worthless little bed.

Dead Harleys... no idea why. But they are as common in summer months as dead armadillos. Only difference is, the leather-wrapped bonehead has to stand guard until the rescue truck arrives, lest someone steal the two wheeled conveyance they payed tens of thousands of dollars for. You have to hand it to HD, though. They get people to part ways with new Accord levels of money for something with less HP than an '83 Civic and no roof. LMAO.... and they use more fuel than our TDIs! :D
You’re on fire with this tirade! Hilarious!
 

oilhammer

Certified Volkswagen Nut & Vendor
Joined
Dec 11, 2001
Location
outside St Louis, MO
TDI
There are just too many to list....
Yet plenty of first gen Sprinters were sold here with the little scroll wheel next to the headlight switch on the dash. Of course, all those motors/linkages broke within a year it seems.
 

1854sailor

Resident Curmudgeon
Joined
Aug 10, 2004
Location
Westerly, RI
TDI
2015 Golf SE SportWagen, 2015 Golf SE Hatch Back.
Update for today. Downloaded and installed the latest version of VCDS and ran an Auto Scan. Module 55 showed no faults. I ran the adaptation reset with the light switch in all three positions and there is no change. Running the Output Tests and everything works and I can see the lights move and hear the servo motors running in all cases EXCEPT the right headlight vertical test. While I was running the tests, I got an error code on the MFD, but no fault on VCDS. Is a puzzlement. Thinking about removing the headlight assembly and having a look. Does anyone have a pinout for the headlight connector? I'd like to see if I can isolate the wires for that motor...
 

1854sailor

Resident Curmudgeon
Joined
Aug 10, 2004
Location
Westerly, RI
TDI
2015 Golf SE SportWagen, 2015 Golf SE Hatch Back.
Update: We've been in Baltimore for a few weeks dealing with a real estate sale. We drove the HB down and left the GSW in Westerly. The Mrs. took the train back up last week and I drove a U-Haul up on Sunday. We went out to dinner tonight and when I turned the headlights on, the dance was back to normal. Go figure...
 

Nuje

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Feb 11, 2005
Location
Island near Vancouver
TDI
2015 Sportwagen; Golf GLS 2002 (swap from 2L gas); 2016 A3 e-tron
Love the problems that fix themselves!
Just like my car - suddenly didn't get the confirmation beep when locking doors. Tried a few things in VCDS and MIB - nothing seemed to help.
And then it started working again. 🤷‍♂️
 
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