looking@audi

What am I missing - every xenon equipped car I have owned has had self leveling lights?

snagitseven

As has been discussed previously, both Xenon and LCD headlights have self-leveling for load adjustment only. You can see (and hear) the lights move when you start the car as they compensate for the fore/aft angle of the car. Neither design offers dynamic leveling for hills and such, at least in US cars. I believe, the high beams will slightly raise up to extend the range above 68 mph (LCD; not certain about Xenon but suspect they will as well).

Further, Xenons have dynamic swiveling as the car corners. LCD headlights do not swivel but are designed for a wider horizontal angle and also have employ side aimed cornering lights, each of which come on at slower speeds as the steering wheel is turned (they also double as "all weather lights" with a push of a button on the dash where a front "fog" lamp button is typically located).

Finally, European versions (possibly other markets but not not North America) offer GPS linked headlights that automatically adjust to three range, angle and spread settings for different road types and intersections based on the current location.

looking@audi

Not true. Every xenon equipped car I have had (including my 2013 A7) has been able to adjust the lights for elevation changes. You can easily see this while driving on hilly roads. For example, when you are going uphill the lights will tilt down to avoid blinding oncoming traffic.


Only adaptive xenon lights have the ability to swivel right and left to aid around corners. On the current A6/A7 cars only the Prestige models have adaptive xenons.

mikem33

European cars with Xenons are, as far as I know, required to have auto-leveling headlights; the same is not true for the US, although most European cars that make it here have it as well. But not all cars with Xenons auto level. Most Infinitis, for instance, do not auto level at all; the older FX even had a **** in the car so the driver could manually adjust the height if the trunk was loaded. I have not noticed my A6 adjusting vertically as I drive (although it may well be doing it; I just have not seen it). I have LEDs.

s5blitzer

I agree. My '08 FX35 has the dial which I use at the highest setting to blind oncoming traffic.

looking@audi

The Audi A6/A7 LEDs do not self level.

You are correct, in that self leveling for xenons is not a US requirement, however, most European cars that make it here have it as well. They are included on the A6/A7's. I also had this on several of the Mercedes and BMW's I have owned.

A lot of the Japanese cars in the US with xenons do not self level.

DeerHunter

Are you sure about this? The LED headlight information brochure shows a "Headlight range control servomotor", which is used for the motorway light (raises light at speeds greater than 110 km/h) or the All-weather light (fog light function). I can't see why this servomotor wouldn't self level the lights, just as is done on the HID variants.

Of course, on the S6/7, it's a moot point since the suspension will self-level instead.

60614allroad

Hmmmm............My LED lights absolutely self-level........

looking@audi

There is a difference between calibrating for load versus self leveling for hills and elevation changes.

I have read from some users that LEDs do not self level for elevation. If you have LEDs let us know.

DeerHunter

Fair enough. I took self-levelling to mean what you term as "calibrating for load". Auto-levelling for terrain will be harder to verify visually.