Terrible headlights

[REGS12]

Have a new GTD and I am delighted with it except for one thing-----Headlights are s--t.
Drove through the hills at night last week and was quite nervous, cos I could not see properly. When on high beam, there is an unlit area between the low and high projection.
I will be complaining to the dealer and asking for it to be fixed, but fear it's the breed of the beast. Do others share my grief?

[craig_the_german]

I don't know about the GTD but on my TSI, the up and down adjustment makes a big difference to how the lights project.

[Idle]

Can't say I've noticed it.

There's an adjustment on the dash for the low beam (at least there is on mine) — maybe it's set too low?

[Bizi]

If slightly better halogen bulbs don't do it for you, then extreme measures are possible.

At least a couple of MK6 owners have broken open their lights and installed projectors and xenons.

adding HID projector retrofit on mk6 Golf - VW TDI forum and Audi TDI forum - myturbodiesel.com

[Brian]

Have a new GTD and I am delighted with it except for one thing-----Headlights are s--t.
Drove through the hills at night last week and was quite nervous, cos I could not see properly. When on high beam, there is an unlit area between the low and high projection.
I will be complaining to the dealer and asking for it to be fixed, but fear it's the breed of the beast. Do others share my grief?

Can't speak for the GTD but the 118TSI headlights are very good after you use the headlight trim dial to align them. Very happy
Brian

[nat225]

also, for the halogen headlights, you can't go wrong with either of these:

Philips X-Treme (Extreme) Power
Car Bulbs, Headlight Bulbs, Xenon Bulbs from Philips and Osram, Philips Xtreme Power, Osram NightBreaker globes - Powerbulbs.

OSRAM Night Breaker PLUS
Car Bulbs, Headlight Bulbs, Xenon Bulbs from Philips and Osram, Philips Xtreme Power, Osram NightBreaker globes - Powerbulbs.

one of the cheapest upgrades to improve visibility at nights for Mk6 Golf

[Corey_R]

Yep, three things (all mentioned above)
1) Make sure YOU have adjusted the headlight distance (to the right of the steering wheel).
2) Ask the dealer to ensure they are aligned properly if still unhappy
3) Change to one of the aftermarket bulbs mentioned by nat225.

But do not put in aftermarket HID conversions... they're illegal in this country.

[ozgti]

But do not put in aftermarket HID conversions... they're illegal in this country.

not if you have a headlight wash system installed. Don't think it would be too difficult to do that.

[Corey_R]

You also then need to install the sensors for the auto leveling, and the motors for that etc.
All the required parts end up costing more than it did to option them from the factory....

[REGS12]

Thanks for all of the replies, but I need to bring the beams together so that I eliminate the black area. I think it's a reflector issue, so I doubt wether changing globes would make a difference Niether the adjuster near the steering wheel or the white screw do this. There must be a trick, but I can't find it.

[Corey_R]

The headlights are great (for non-Xenon), so I would assume that your car has an adjustment issue that could be resolved by your dealer.

[pologti18t]

Thanks for all of the replies, but I need to bring the beams together so that I eliminate the black area. I think it's a reflector issue, so I doubt wether changing globes would make a difference Niether the adjuster near the steering wheel or the white screw do this. There must be a trick, but I can't find it.

There should be a dial near the master headlight switch. usually has 0 (or -) ,1,2,3 on it. Set it to 0.

If I am not mistaken... the height adjustment affects both the main beam and high beam to the same degree.

[rory]

On my Jetta TDI I can "play" with the light adjuster to the right of my steering wheel to make the "black " area as you describe, appear or disappear. Maybe your lights might be out of "standard alignment".

[ethosguy]

headlight aim can be adjusted with a screwdriver at the light. There are rules about where they point, especially height.