# Headlight Range Adjustment Instructions [TOC done]



## coolsig (Jan 4, 2011)

Hi All, 
I just replaced both left and right ballasts. After starting the car to check the connections I got "Headlight range adjustment" message on the display. After VCDS scan I got the following message : 


Address 39: Right Light Labels: 3D0-909-158.lbl 
Control Module Part Number: 3D0 909 158 
Component and/or Version: EVG GDL+AutoLWR(r) X012 
Software Coding: 0000001 
Work Shop Code: WSC 31414 000 00000 
 VCID: E7D93FAFAFFD 
1 Fault Found: 

01539 - Headlights Not Adjusted 
005 - No or Incorrect Basic Setting / Adaptation - MIL ON 



Address 29: Left Light Labels: 3D0-909-157.lbl 
Control Module Part Number: 3D0 909 157 
Component and/or Version: EVG GDL+AutoLWR(l) X012 
Software Coding: 0000001 
Work Shop Code: WSC 00000 000 00000 
VCID: E6C732ABA8F7 
1 Fault Found: 

01539 - Headlights Not Adjusted 
005 - No or Incorrect Basic Setting / Adaptation - MIL ON 


Is it possible to headlight range adjustment at home or is it a dealer only thing. 

Thanks in advance. 

Noel


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## WillemBal (Nov 20, 2010)

Hi Noel, 

Coincidentally, I just finished a write up on how to do the adaptation of the headlight controllers. Wouter, a fellow member with the same problem, hopefully now can do what his dealer apparently wasn't capable of doing. Below is the complete procedure for adaptation AND (mechanical) adjustment. When you need to do the mechanical adjustment only, i.e. for periodic inspection, you don't need VAS nor VCDS. 

So what I write below is valid for the “from scratch” case, which will be the situation when you replaced your controllers. 
* 
Adjustment procedure Single & Dual Xenon on Phaetons.* 

First, make sure that you meet all conditions for this procedure. The most important ones first: 



Car must be perfectly horizontal 

The parking brake must be released. 

No persons in the car 

Steering wheel must be in the straight-ahead position 

 

Once you are on your way with this procedure, make sure that you do not do anything that can change the position of the car, including sitting in the car, open/close doors etc. And of course, your front lights should be in perfect condition. 

Your Phaeton, equipped with Xenon’s, either single or dual, has two *separate* controllers for the headlight. One for the left head light (Controller* #39*) and one for the right head light (Controller *#29*). The latter is the master controller and therefore we start with controller #39, the slave. 

*STEP 1* 



Switch on your VCDS 

Switch ignition on 
NOTE: Either switch on the engine or use a battery maintainer/charger to supply sufficient 
charge for the battery throughout the process 

Enter controller #39. 
This is the right head light controller, which has been configured as slave of the left head light 
controller #29 

Please check that you see the following screen: 

 










In the above picture, you can see that the coding is set to 00001. If you see a different coding: 


Enter Coding – 07 

Press “Go” and check that the new code has been accepted. 

Now leave the coding to return to the controller screen above 

Select Meas.Blocks-08 

Enter channel 003 and press go 

Please check that load is near 50% 

You're done now as far as this controller is concerned. 
Return your way out to the main VCDS 

Screen. 


*STEP 2* 



Now connect to controller #29 (driver side headlight leveling controller). This is the master controller which will be used to adapt the auto-leveling system. 

You should see just about the same screen controller #39. 

Select Coding-07 

Enter code 00001 and press GO! 

Return your way out of this screen and return to the main VCDS page 

Switch off the headlights (if they were on) and switch off the engine. 

 


*STEP 3* 



After switching off the engine and the head lights, switch on both of them. 

Connect to controller 29 

Now select Basic settings 04 

Select channel 001 *(***)* and press Go! 

 
You will see the following screen: 










_*(***)* An alternative method for this step is to press on the wide drop list button and select “Headlight Adjustment position)._ 

Please note that it may take some time before the above text appears. First, the screen will show “Wait” in which case the system is returning the motors for the height adjustment to its initial positions. 
When you see the text “Adjust Headlights”, you can do the mechanical adjustment. This procedure is in fact very simple and any Indy type of garage with a beamsetter device (and your VCDS) can do this. 
In short, you need to open up the headlight washers via the maintenance screen in the car. 

*STEP 4* 



While ignition is still on, press the *SETTINGS* button on the control panel below the LCD screen. 

Press the *EXTRA* button in the settings menu 

Press the *Service & Maintenance* button in the EXTRA menu 

From the 2 given choices (of which one is about the windshield wiper blade service position) select the second choice, which will open the headlight nozzle doors under the headlights. 

The nozzle doors will now be about 85% of the way open. You can then take hold of the nozzle door and move it forward about another 1 cm and it will mechanically 'latch' in the fully open position. It rides over a small cam when it does this. 

Now, adjust your headlights. You will a beamsetter device, such as the Hella Beamsetter, to check the correct beam pattern. And you will need the appropriate wrench of course. 

Once you are done with your mechanical adjustment, bring the doors back into their 85% open service position by lifting it over the latch which previously kept it fully open. 

Press “Done, Go Back”. 

Via the same "Maintenance" menu (of the P's control panel), deselect the electrical opening of the nozzle doors, in order to close them. 

 

NOTE: When you do _not_ have a beamsetter, just go through all previous steps, skip the actual mechanical adjustment and proceed with the remaining steps to clear any errors (or to practice the procedure) 

*STEP 5* 



Being still in the "Adjust Headlights" mode, press "Done, Go Back". (very important!) 

Now, press Basic Settings again. 

Either entering *002 *or pressing the wide button, you will activate the learning stage. 

You will see a screen like the one below. 

You should see the message : Learned 

Press Done, Go Back. 

 










In case you see errors, just clear them and start all over again, starting with step 3. 
One thing to remember is that you should “Go back” after performing the first stage (Step 3, Headlight adjustment position) before you enter the same menu page again to start the second and last stage (In step 5, first instruction). When you don’t do that, you will get error messages. 

_Edit_ 
For the actual height adjustment, you have two choices. 
You may want to leave the job entirely to a VW & Phaeton authorised dealer, who has both the necessary beam setter and the VAS tool. 

When you have VCDS but no beam setter, then you might find any other dealer or even an Indy garage technician willing to do the job. With his beam setting device AND (your) VCDS, he might be willing and able to do the adjustment with the aid of steps 3 through 5. 

Have fun! :thumbup::thumbup: 

Willem


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## coolsig (Jan 4, 2011)

*Thank you very very much*

Hi WillemBal, 

Thank you very much for the writeup. Cant wait to try this out. 

Regards, 
Noel.


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## jkuisma (Nov 23, 2009)

> NOTE: When you do not have a beamsetter, just go through all previous steps, skip the actual mechanical adjustment and proceed with the remaining steps. After finishing the procedure, all you need to do is to drive to a dealer or shop with a beamsetter and explain where the adjustment screw is hidden and how to open the jet cavities. There is no need to use VCDS when the controllers are functioning all right.


 Willem! May I (politely) disagree on this?  

You are right in that it is perfectly OK to use VCDS to adapt/learn the adjustment positions without performing any mechanical adjustment at the same time. You will get rid of any fault codes but the headlight range setting will remain unchanged. (Note! The "default" range setting is determined by the control unit - not by the position of the adjustment screw on headlight!) 

I do not agree with the advice on performing the mechanical adjustment without entering the controllers into adaptation mode first. This is - in my opinion and understanding - not possible. I have in fact taken two headlights apart and it supports my theory. As does the factory service manual (which says always to do all mechanical adjustments in adaptation/learning more). 

The mechanical adjustment screw for the headlight range does not have any "position memory". The screw merely moves the range stepper motor axle. When in adaptation/learning mode, the control unit will observe the position signal of the stepper motor and "learn" the position where you move the stepper motor onto by turning the mechanical adjustment screw. Now, if you do that without the controller in learning mode, the adjustment position will not be "learned" - the stepper motor will be moved to its "previously learned position" by the ECU after the next engine start. 

Jouko


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## WillemBal (Nov 20, 2010)

jkuisma said:


> Willem! May I (politely) disagree on this?


 Sure Jouko! That is were this forum is for. Btw...I deliberately put in this little "flaw" in the description, to see who would chime in to point me to this error. Just joking. Thanks a lot for your explanation; probably a lot of us (and even dealers) must have thought that it was just a mechanical adaptation and not, as you wrote, an adaptation to learn the controller where the normal position of the headlight is. 
I will edit the procedure and if there is anything not OK, just let me know.  

Willem


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## coolsig (Jan 4, 2011)

Hi Willem, 
I tried the procedure. When I connected to controller #29 I get a Not Recognized. 

 

and here is the other error. 

 

Is there something that I need to enable before I can do this ? 

Thanks 
Noel.


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## WillemBal (Nov 20, 2010)

Hi Noel, 

I assume that you started to have this problem during step 2? 
Every time you see errors, please try to erase them. After having done step 2, all errors I would expect to see are adaptation errors, not more. It will never hurt to try to erase errors. I have modified step 2 below. It is important that you have your headlight on during this step. 

Step 2 (modified) 


Connect to controller #29 (driver side headlight leveling controller). This is the master controller which will be used to adapt the auto-leveling system. 
You should see just about the same screen as with controller #39. 

Select 08 (Measuring Blocks) 

Read channel 002 (press Go!) 

Read channel 003 (in the line below channel 2) and press Go! 

Please let me know what values you are having. These values say something about the sensor voltages and the bulb voltages and wattage. Then I can check with my own P. 

Now, click done, Go back. 

Select Coding-07 

Enter code 00001 and press GO! 

Now, check again whether you have any faults. 

 

Unfortunately, I don't remember having checked any faults after step 2. But I do remember having seen values which made sense in channels 002 and 003. 

One more thing: 
Step 3 starts with switching off the engine AND lights. This is necessary for re-initialisation of the system. 

Willem


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## coolsig (Jan 4, 2011)

HI Willem, 
You were right , i started this with the existing faults. I cleared all the faults and now I see it only on the left headlight. Here is the information you requested 

From car
 

Thanks 
Noel


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## WillemBal (Nov 20, 2010)

Noel,

You probably had the engine off and lights out. When you do, you will see the following screen:










With engine on, you have more voltage, light is on as you can see (terminal 56b) and there is 49.8% load. And the "ADP OK" term looks promising.

When you do your next attempt, please have ignition and the engine running. Then start with step 3 and turn on the lights. Simply ignore the errors you see, this is normal (step 2 does not clear all faults). During step 3, you select 001 in the Basic Setting in the top line. This will cause the stepper motors to go to the initialisation position. Then the text "Adjust Headlights" appears.
After doing step 4, it is very important that you press "Done, Go Back" after adjusting the headlights.
Then you go back into Basic Settings and select Channel 002. (Step 5)
Errors will persist if you first select 001, then 002 without leaving the Basic Settings menu in between these two steps. And the entire procedure must be followed to clear all faults.

Willem


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## blemon01 (Nov 20, 2016)

*Mechanical Headlight Adjustment*

What tool do I need to adjust the headlight mechanical adjust screw behind the windshield washer. Will it hold this adjustment after complete? THANKS


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## dasantas (Mar 18, 2016)

Hello

Following the retrofit bixenon I can not get into the left fire module while I have the vag 17.8 but with the 12.12 I think to be returned.
It is for the setting, in addition it is the master I think?
And module 55 is useless in fact?

Thank you.


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## Phaetonlvr (Feb 26, 2013)

Anyone ever run into the problem that VCDS cannot connect to the LH headlight controller #29? The headlights are working fine including automatic height adjustments and I'm able to access controller #39 (RH headlight) without a problem. However, no response form controller 29 which is the master controller for the headlights. Is it correct to assume the controller is defective or is there anything else I could check?

I also looked through my previous Auto scan of this Phaeton and controller #29 never shows up on any of them.


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