Visiting Audi to switch my headlights for foreign driving?!!

[iluvmercs]

I'm taking my Audi to Switzerland on Friday, so I needed to change my headlights' dipped beam direction for the opposite side of the road.
I consulted my handbook, which said I must contact my dealer - slightly odd I thought.

Anyway I contact the dealer, who say I need to bring the car into the dealer! Apparently they needed to plug the car into VAGCOM to switch the adaptive xenons!
It was done free of charge, so I've got no complaints regarding Audi trying to make money out of this. It also took half an hour.

What on earth is going on with this design?!
The service lady told me it is becoming more common on Audis, but she agreed it's rather daft. I had to use the car last night (after the switch was made) and I'll be driving home in the dark.
Rather incovenient, and I'm sure it wouldn't have taken too much for Audi to engineer a simple switch!

Darren

[klimakool]

i think genedan automotive do a program for this but it will cost you for the lead from the lap top.

a long way from putting deflection stickers on the headlights when coming off the ferry and off again when home

[mrmr96]

iluvmercs said:

I'm sure it wouldn't have taken too much for Audi to engineer a simple switch!

Audi's would have a switch, but Mercedes would be linked to the SatNav GPS reciever to work out what country the car was in and do it automatically.

[worsy]

The latest MMI allows you to do this so at least Audi have learnt.

[hilly10]

You change them over in the lighting menu in my A5 which as Xenons not adaptive though mind

[Raven Flyer]

mrmr96 said:

iluvmercs said:

I'm sure it wouldn't have taken too much for Audi to engineer a simple switch!

Mercedes would be linked to the SatNav GPS reciever to work out what country the car was in and do it automatically.

Which would then break, flashing up 'Illumination Comms Bus Failure', as it left you deserted at the side of the Autobahn, at 02h55.

Nice idea though

Edited by Raven Flyer on Tuesday 6th October 17:26

[plg101]

I just spent 4 weeks driving around France Italy and Switzerland, some at night. I used some reasonable quality translucent stickers, spent some time lining them up and was fine. Plenty of brightness on the right bits of the road, never got flashed once.

Don't forget your triangle, tabards and all your papers

Oh, and don't speed in Switzerland. Unmarked cameras, and no sense of +/-% tolerances, but they do have minimums in some areas (yay)...

Lovely country and people, though!

[T89 Callan]

Just used a couple of the stickers from Halfords when I went in my S4, never had any problems while over there for two weeks and took about 5 mins to fit.

[Raven Flyer]

Talking of things to remember, on GB plates you are likely to get stopped in France and asked to produce your hi viz jackets. They must be easily reachable too, so not in the spare wheel well under the luggage for 5 people on a 3 week skiing trip.

[krallicious]

Don't worry. iluvmercs has been given all the information he needs for his first solo continental adventure.

Swissland does have a tolerance to speeding, but it's up to 5kmph over the limit on the motorway (120kph). I've not had any problems though and have been here for over a year now.

[plg101]

krallicious said:

Don't worry. iluvmercs has been given all the information he needs for his first solo continental adventure.

Swissland does have a tolerance to speeding, but it's up to 5kmph over the limit on the motorway (120kph). I've not had any problems though and have been here for over a year now.

I meant tolerance in terms of fines (tend to be high) and that they do pursue foreigners with vigour.

[krallicious]

plg101 said:

krallicious said:

Don't worry. iluvmercs has been given all the information he needs for his first solo continental adventure.

Swissland does have a tolerance to speeding, but it's up to 5kmph over the limit on the motorway (120kph). I've not had any problems though and have been here for over a year now.

I meant tolerance in terms of fines (tend to be high) and that they do pursue foreigners with vigour.

Very true. The fines are quite terrifying. They don't seem to track you down if you are only caught by a blitzer, although they have apparently started using ANPR around the Basel (A5) crossing, to stop people who have been photographed.

I have only heard of German cars beening caught so far though.