Continental driving with bi-xenon active lights

[wimorrison]

Originally Posted by tem

Thanks for the update and apologies.

I have had my XC60, since 18th December 2008 and the headlights have operated as descriped, from day one.

tem.

aren't you the lucky one then

[DadTo2]

Originally Posted by UKDave

I've just come back from France and agree with the earlier posts. If you have the active bending headlight then you set them to RH drive by holding the on/off button on the console down for 5 seconds. A message appears saying 'Set for RH drive'. This message will appear everytime you start the car, but the headlights remain on the setting until you set them back again using the same method.

Bizarrely, I have no button on the console. Active Bending Lights turn on/off via the options menu only. As does RH drive lights.

I have been turning the engine on/off setting lights on etc etc and it seems that there could be a software fault.

If I don't set RH lights, the engine starts keylessly with one press of START with the clutch depressed.

If I do set RH lights, the first press of START does nothing (except that sometimes I get a RH lights set message) The second press of START does start the engine, but when the lights auto level, they revert to LH lights position.

Does this happen to anyone else on a MY2010 XC60 D5 SE Lux Manual Diesel with bi-xenon ABL?

I fear a long series of dealer visits.

[tem]

Originally Posted by DadTo2

Bizarrely, I have no button on the console. Active Bending Lights turn on/off via the options menu only. As does RH drive lights.

I have been turning the engine on/off setting lights on etc etc and it seems that there could be a software fault.

If I don't set RH lights, the engine starts keylessly with one press of START with the clutch depressed.

If I do set RH lights, the first press of START does nothing (except that sometimes I get a RH lights set message) The second press of START does start the engine, but when the lights auto level, they revert to LH lights position.

Does this happen to anyone else on a MY2010 XC60 D5 SE Lux Manual Diesel with bi-xenon ABL?

I fear a long series of dealer visits.

A strange one, this.
Have you looked through the "Owners Handbook"?

Never heard of "Active Bendy Headlights", not having a button.
The button is there, to change from LH or RH, or to switch the "Bendy Option", off.

tem.

[wimorrison]

Originally Posted by DadTo2

Bizarrely, I have no button on the console. Active Bending Lights turn on/off via the options menu only. As does RH drive lights.

I have been turning the engine on/off setting lights on etc etc and it seems that there could be a software fault.

If I don't set RH lights, the engine starts keylessly with one press of START with the clutch depressed.

If I do set RH lights, the first press of START does nothing (except that sometimes I get a RH lights set message) The second press of START does start the engine, but when the lights auto level, they revert to LH lights position.

Does this happen to anyone else on a MY2010 XC60 D5 SE Lux Manual Diesel with bi-xenon ABL?

I fear a long series of dealer visits.

You are not going mad, but I could be.

I took the words of others on the forum as gospel, and apologised for misleading people - yet I was not misleading anyone therefore I need not have apologised

I too, do not have a button on my console and my lights act the same as yours, which is also the way I described in my original reply.

In summary, the lights do revert to LH Drive when you restart, therefore those who have had them remaining as RH Drive will have an issue when they drive the new XC60.

I therefore, having checked the operation on my MY10 d5 AWD Geartronic SE Premium rescind my apology and regain my sanity You can maintain your sanity and do not need to worry about trips and arguments with the dealer - your lights are working correctly.

[DadTo2]

Originally Posted by tem

A strange one, this.
Have you looked through the "Owners Handbook"?

Never heard of "Active Bendy Headlights", not having a button.
The button is there, to change from LH or RH, or to switch the "Bendy Option", off.

tem.

Looking at the car and then the manual, there is no button :-(
The manual says:

Adjusting headlamp position
Active Xenon headlamps - ABL
(snipped description of the function)
The function can be activated/deactivated under Car Settings -> Light Settings -> Active bending lights....
For headlamp pattern adjustment see page 87.

page 87 continues onto page 88 which says:
Active Xenon headlamps
The car must be stationary with the engine running when the headlamp pattern is shifted between right and left-handed traffic.

1. Access the menu system under Car Settings -> Light settings
2. Select between Temporary RH lights and Temporary LH lights.

No mention of a button or holding it down or whether it should revert or not.

I'm really grateful for all help and suggestions, but it sounds like I've got a 3 week headache coming up!

[DadTo2]

Originally Posted by wimorrison

You are not going mad, but I could be.

I took the words of others on the forum as gospel, and apologised for misleading people - yet I was not misleading anyone therefore I need not have apologised

I too, do not have a button on my console and my lights act the same as yours, which is also the way I described in my original reply.

In summary, the lights do revert to LH Drive when you restart, therefore those who have had them remaining as RH Drive will have an issue when they drive the new XC60.

I therefore, having checked the operation on my MY10 d5 AWD Geartronic SE Premium rescind my apology and regain my sanity You can maintain your sanity and do not need to worry about trips and arguments with the dealer - your lights are working correctly.

Ok, so I can stop tearing out my hair because my car works the way it is intended, but I have to keep setting the lights to RH to avoid a zealous french policeman's fine? That sounds hair-tearingly insane!

A sticky light feature, with a notification, sounds sensible to me. I would manage to set the lights back to LH position on return to Blighty, I am sure!

Perhaps though, Volvo could link the feature to the satnav and do it for me when I emerge, blinking, from the Channel Tunnel ;-)

[tem]

Originally Posted by DadTo2

Looking at the car and then the manual, there is no button :-(
The manual says:

Adjusting headlamp position
Active Xenon headlamps - ABL
(snipped description of the function)
The function can be activated/deactivated under Car Settings -> Light Settings -> Active bending lights....
For headlamp pattern adjustment see page 87.

page 87 continues onto page 88 which says:
Active Xenon headlamps
The car must be stationary with the engine running when the headlamp pattern is shifted between right and left-handed traffic.

1. Access the menu system under Car Settings -> Light settings
2. Select between Temporary RH lights and Temporary LH lights.

No mention of a button or holding it down or whether it should revert or not.

I'm really grateful for all help and suggestions, but it sounds like I've got a 3 week headache coming up!

There must be a change between the MY 2009 and the MY 2010 models.
You will note, that several replies, to this post, have the same set up, as my XC60.

Should be in the dealership, within, the next two weeks and I will look at the Demo Model.

tem.

[tem]

Originally Posted by tem

There must be a change between the MY 2009 and the MY 2010 models.
You will note, that several replies, to this post, have the same set up, as my XC60.

Should be in the dealership, within, the next two weeks and I will look at the Demo Model.

tem.

Will take some photographs of the button and message tomorrow.

Not sure how to post photographs, any help would be most appreciated.

Thank you.

tem.

[tem]

Below are extracts taken from XC60 MY2009 Owners Handbook.

Active Xenon headlamps* The button in the centre
console illuminates when the function is
activated, it flashes in the event of a malfunction.
The function is only active in twilight or
darkness and only when the car is moving.
The function can be deactivated/activated with
the button.
For headlamp pattern adjustment, see
page 83.

Hold the button in the centre console
depressed for at least 5 seconds. The car must
be stationary when the headlamp pattern is
adjusted. The message HEADLIGHTS SET
FOR RH TRAFFIC or HEADLIGHTS SET
FOR LH TRAFFIC is shown in the display.

Once selected to LH or RH, they stay in that position until the button is pressed again, for 5 seconds.

If I understand correctly, from previous posts, one now has to enter the menu every time one starts the car and select RH, as by default, the headlights return to LH.
Surely, this cannot be correct? It would mean doing this numerous times each day and xxx number of times, over a 14 day trip.

One of the main reasons that I opted for the ABL, I visit Europe, 4 to 5 times, each year and found, fitting masking tape, a right pain.

tem.

[wimorrison]

There is NO button on an MY10, AFAIK you need to set the lights each time, exactly as has been stated.

Certainly that is the way it works on my car, and it worked on the MY10 that I drove before I purchased my vehicle.

As Dad2to also has the same layout and operation it suggests to me that the MY10, and probably later, will all work in the same manner. I cannot see 3 cars having a fault in operation and build that is exactly the same