Headlights always on dipped beam - can I change this?

Theo Cupier

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My W203 220CDI coupe's headlights are always on dipped beam, no matter where I set the headlight dial - between dipped, sidelights, auto or off. I think a previous owner must have been Swedish.

I'd like to change this so that they obey the dial.

Does anyone know if this is something which I can do myself, or something that needs a garage to do, via the EMC?

If it is something I can do, please can someone tell me how.

Many thanks in advance.
 

Cole@MBS

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There is a setting in the menu for changing from manual to constant!

Use the steering wheel buttons to find this setting!
 
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Theo Cupier

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Thanks for that. Can I be really tedious and ask if you can be a bit more specific? I'm always getting lost in the menus!
 

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It is in the convenience menu, use the buttons on the lower LHS of the steering wheel to navigate to the menu. It is also listed out in the owners manual
 
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Theo Cupier

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My owners' manual is also in Swedish, so I'm a bit stuck there (and hence the request here!)
 

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I think yours is 52 plate?

If so, not sure how different it will be to my later car, but using the page up and down buttons on the steering wheel, find the convenience menu, and then scroll though that to the page that sets the light to constant, and set them to off.

If the car was originally for a country where the lights are mandatory then it probably isn't an option to turn them off.
 
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Theo Cupier

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I'm the 02 plate, but definitely pre-facelift. Thanks for the tips, I'll see what I can do and come back on bended knee if I need more.
 

television

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Just find the light circuit headlamp mode, and highlight the manual +
 
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Theo Cupier

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Right, I don't seem to have a "convenience" menu.

On the settings menu I have:
- instrument clusters, which is all about changing dashboard settings
- lighting, which only controls locator lights & how long the lights stay on after the engine goes off
- vehicle, which is about auto door locks and cold weather speed limits
- heating

No control to set the headlamp mode (other than how long it stays on after I switch off and whether locator is activated):?
 

Axcontrols

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If the manual is in Swedish then I'm guessing the car was originally supplied to Sweden (I'd guess it's an LHD ?) then light on is probably mandatory and the option might not appear in any menu options available to the driver.

My brother lives in Denmark and they also have lights permanently on with no option to switch off.
 

lulu

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You may need to find someone with a Star machine to change the country setting of the car to one that should allow it to de-activate the lights.
 
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Theo Cupier

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Nope, it's RHD, first registered in England, just owned by a Swedish bloke who preferred it that way.

I don't.

Mystified by the absence of a whole menu option.
 

television

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When you are in the lighting menu,,you use the up and down arrows to find the headlamp mode
 

Rory

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Nope, it's RHD, first registered in England, just owned by a Swedish bloke who preferred it that way.

I don't.

Mystified by the absence of a whole menu option.

If he's gone to the trouble of getting a Swedish manual then perhaps he has had the country setting changed.

He may not have realised this option was available in the menu and has had it coded in with StarDiagnose. If it continues to bother you then you're going to have to get a dealer or an indie who knows what he's doing with Star to have a look at it.
 
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Theo Cupier

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When you are in the lighting menu,,you use the up and down arrows to find the headlamp mode


In my lighting menu, within settings I have:
Internal illumination (how long the cabin light stays on)
Delayed switch-off (how long the headlights stay on after the doors lock)
Locator lighting (whether the lights come on when you unlock the car)

No other options. :(

rory - that's what I'm starting to guess. I did speak to my local indie on the phone who said it was something I could change myself and they could show me in about 5 minutes. Maybe I need to take it into them for a verdict...
 

television

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I can check on WIS later in the night,,but I am sure that all 203 cars are the same,,we shall see
 

Alex Crow

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better throw this in. a few weeks back we had a w203 in with the same problem, told the guy just 5 mins to change it. 10 mins later it was clear the instrument settings were not causing it. a quick check with star showed the country setting was correct. long story short, it was sam-unit's fault (not you colin!!), new unit and programing and all was well. hopefully the o/p just needs to change the settings in the cluster, or possibly the country, but if it gets more complicated...
 

Cole@MBS

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better throw this in. a few weeks back we had a w203 in with the same problem, told the guy just 5 mins to change it. 10 mins later it was clear the instrument settings were not causing it. a quick check with star showed the country setting was correct. long story short, it was sam-unit's fault (not you colin!!), new unit and programing and all was well. hopefully the o/p just needs to change the settings in the cluster, or possibly the country, but if it gets more complicated...

Had me worried there for a second A/P:eek:
 

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