Headlight adjustment or not for Europe on a 6.1

GP · Mar 3, 2024

Hi I’m going to Spain in our t6.1 California. I can’t see a definitive thread about whether I need to adjust my LED lights. Any advice would be very welcomed.

Viktorgeorge · Mar 3, 2024

GP said:
Hi I’m going to Spain in our t6.1 California. I can’t see a definitive thread about whether I need to adjust my LED lights. Any advice would be very welcomed.

We don't adjust and we are not flashed. The LED's are almost entirely level when dipped with no LH slope up.

Corradobrit · Mar 3, 2024

GP said:
Hi I’m going to Spain in our t6.1 California. I can’t see a definitive thread about whether I need to adjust my LED lights. Any advice would be very welcomed.

LED lights have a flat beam pattern. No adjustments necessary.

Hawthorn37 · Mar 3, 2024

Agree with @Corradobrit the LED headlights don’t kick up at the near side as with conventional headlamps. So no adjustment is needed or possible. Saying all that, we occasionally get flashed when driving in France (and the UK!) as the lights are so bright - others assume you’ve got them on full beam.

kernnowkarmann · Mar 4, 2024

I have LED headlights on my LHD Ocean, in the settings on the computer it has Travel Mode, is this not to do with headlights or is it for the radar on the ACC? So it knows which way cars are placed when it slows you down?

andyinluton · Mar 4, 2024

kernnowkarmann said:
I have LED headlights on my LHD Ocean, in the settings on the computer it has Travel Mode, is this not to do with headlights or is it for the radar on the ACC? So it knows which way cars are placed when it slows you down?

That is for adjusting your headlights when going abroad - you have a T6, the T6.1 has different lights & no travel adjustment.

Hawthorn37 · Mar 4, 2024

Yes, 6.1 Ocean with LED lights have no adjustment. They give a totally flat beam. We tried them out on a wall. I do recall the diffuser strips we needed to apply on halogen headlights on an Audi A6 about 10 years ago. After 2 weeks in France they were really fried on !

andyinluton · Mar 4, 2024

Hawthorn37 said:
They give a totally flat beam.

They are not quite totally flat & the lenses are different for LHD vans as someone found out when trying to import or export a van, I cant remember which way round it was.

Viktorgeorge · Mar 4, 2024

andyinluton said:
They are not quite totally flat & the lenses are different for LHD vans as someone found out when trying to import or export a van, I cant remember which way round it was.

I agree nearly flat but not quite.

yossarian · Mar 5, 2024

andyinluton said:
They are not quite totally flat & the lenses are different for LHD vans as someone found out when trying to import or export a van, I cant remember which way round it was.

I recall it being a UK van exported to Switzerland.

John Rowson · Mar 8, 2024

Viktorgeorge said:
We don't adjust and we are not flashed. The LED's are almost entirely level when dipped with no LH slope up.

I asked this question when we first went to France in our Ocean 6.1. I'm told that the vehicle knows where it is via the sat nav and the led headlights adapt to the other side of the road. I have never been flashed.

andyinluton · Mar 8, 2024

John Rowson said:
I asked this question when we first went to France in our Ocean 6.1. I'm told that the vehicle knows where it is via the sat nav and the led headlights adapt to the other side of the road. I have never been flashed.

Other than the basic levelling motors there are no moving parts within the headlights, so I can’t see that happening.

Our lights when in the South of Spain have exactly the same small kick up to the left on the Spanish garage doors as I does on our uk ones.

As mentioned before the RHD and LHD headlights have different dipped headlight modules within them that give a slightly different beam pattern.

Celia Vanchez · Mar 8, 2024

GP said:
Hi I’m going to Spain in our t6.1 California. I can’t see a definitive thread about whether I need to adjust my LED lights. Any advice would be very welcomed.

We were told by our VW dealer that there is no need to adjust the LED lights. To date when we’ve traveled on the continent we haven’t had an issue

KevH · Mar 13, 2024

Accepting that there appears to be no physical need to apply those nasty stick-on adapters to 6.1 headlights, how would the discussion go if / when I am stopped by a gun toting traffic cop in say Germany? Is there anything documented to support our theory that they are not required?

AJQ · Mar 13, 2024

We have a 2019 Ocean with led lights and I found this on the forum before we went to France and then Spain, I have it on my phone in case we ever need it, though I've not tested it so far: ( and many thanks to whoever posted it on here in the first place)

1. English: This vehicle has LED lights which have been adjusted in the computer software to deflect them so that they are lawful in France.

2. French: Ce véhicule a des lumières LED qui ont été ajustés dans le logiciel informatique pour les détourner afin qu'ils soient licites en France.

3. Spanish: Este vehículo dispone de luces LED que han sido ajustadas en el software informático para desviarlas de forma que sean legales en España.

vbk1975 · Mar 13, 2024

KevH said:
Accepting that there appears to be no physical need to apply those nasty stick-on adapters to 6.1 headlights, how would the discussion go if / when I am stopped by a gun toting traffic cop in say Germany? Is there anything documented to support our theory that they are not required?

The lamps have certification markings on them that dictate if they have been designed and certified for use on both road sides. Generally it is the offside lamp that will be the one that is marked for both sides of road. The lamps that are certified for use on both sides, still have a prominent side and are still optimised for hand of drive. So they are meant for occasional use but won’t be accepted for permanent export.

Explained in this article https://wiki.unece.org/download/attachments/51972480/SLR-20-08e.pdf?api=v2

This is an example sticker on T6.1 lamp - you will see left arrow and right arrow associated to the low beam pocket. A subset of these markings are normally moulded into the front of the lamp.