# Matrix Headlights



## stumardy (Oct 25, 2009)

Hi Guys,

Ok so picked up my new TTS on Saturday. Ex demo from Audi Bath. Great car and fully loaded as ex demo cars seem to have loads of the toys. Anyway it has the matrix headlights, but my question is I guess I just leave it in auto mode all the time, so on a dark country road will it put on full beam on it's own or do I still need to do it? Do the LED's all activate on itself? I know it also has HBA which I had in my last TT, so I guess I can just use this right.

I've watched online the audi matrix video where the lights turn on and off when cars approach, just wondered was all.


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## Pugliese (Aug 4, 2010)

This has been my experience of matrix.

If you are on a dark road with very little traffic then just leave on, it handles oncoming traffic very well, cutting out an unlit tunnel so that they are not dazzled. It also lights up the road in front brilliantly (pun intended)

On busy roads where you are in a queue of traffic, I tend to turn it off as it can be selective on what it 'lights up' in front of you. I have found a particular problem with white cars(probably reflection), but you come up behind and full beam comes on - seems particularly bad with white X5's! Also where someone has a light out, it thinks the car is a bike and again lights up.

I also turn off on motorways as you find the oncoming traffic particularly trucks from afar think you are running on high beam so you are constantly flashed.

I think it is a great system with some flaws but you need to learn how to use it otherwise you do upset other road users


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## Toshiba (Jul 8, 2004)

You can leave in auto mode, but it's just not that smart. It's all too common that you see them coming on and off on the motorway and other normal roads. It's one option i think is a complete waste of money and would never pay for again. The lights are no better than the LED offering which is std, but that said both options are better than xenons.


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## delta16 (Nov 29, 2012)

So you wouldn't have matrix led Headlights again? One or my musts whilst I am looking for a TT is matrix lights so be good to here people opinions on if they are worth it or not. I live in the country side so my journey is always on very dark unlit roads.

Sent from my HTC 10 using Tapatalk


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## EvilTed (Feb 5, 2016)

I also live in the country and do a fair bit of driving on country roads in the dark.

I do use the Matrix system, just leave it on auto and let it go for it but it isn't as clever as it makes out on the Audi website. There are many occasions where, following a vehicle round a corner, the matrix will shift to another LED (keeping the vehicle in front in the dark) and then when we straighten out it takes a little time (about 1 second) for the matrix dark spot to return to the centre meaning the car infront gets a brief blinding.
There are also many occasions where a car will go past and the matrix will light up again, just in time to notice the next car coming down the road so it then dips. For the approaching car this probably feels like I'm flashing them.

Would I pay for matrix again? Dunno, not for the high beam assistant part of it no, for bragging rights, the look of the unit when not on and the warm glow of the top technology? Perhaps.
It certainly isn't something I'd tick instantly and wouldn't be anywhere on my list of essential options if money was tight.


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## pcbbc (Sep 4, 2009)

You need to switch the matrix on each time, as the car defaults to off from a cold start.

There is a coding mod in the Byte and Bit thread to set them ON automatically, however it doesn't always work correctly (see italics):


> -Disable automatic reset for the auto high beam assist
> Unit 9
> Access 31347
> Adaption
> ...


Seems to work most of the time for me (otherwise I turn off and back on again to enable).

Agree with Donovan2123 that it probably depends a lot on where you live and what roads you drive on. On country/unlit dark roads the matrix are great and react very well to oncoming traffic. In more lit areas or on motorways, less so - although I usually find when I do occasionally get flashed this causes the system to then "see" the vehicle and adjust! Not ideal for oncoming traffic though, so tend to turn off in conditions I know will cause a problem.


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## stumardy (Oct 25, 2009)

pcbbc said:


> You need to switch the matrix on each time, as the car defaults to off from a cold start.
> 
> There is a coding mod in the Byte and Bit thread to set them ON automatically, however it doesn't always work correctly (see italics):
> 
> ...


How do you turn the matrix on from a cold start? don't you just leave the lighting switch in auto? sorry I didn't know you had to turn them on?


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## Dino_Donis (Apr 19, 2004)

As other have said the Matrix light are great but do have a few flaws as stated. One thing that I have noticed if I put the light lever forward say when approaching a dark lane from a street lit road, the high beams don't always come on immediately but do eventually. I think this may be something to do with having the nav/tech pack? I think it uses your gps position do decide when to activate/deactivate the high beam. You can bypass this by pushing the level again but this seems to turn on the high beam and leaves it on!

Generally I think the system is very good and have really appreciated them this winter. There is also the added bonus of having the seeping front indicators with the Matrix lights 8)


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## KevC (Jul 12, 2016)

Dino_Donis said:


> There is also the added bonus of having the sweeping front indicators with the Matrix lights 8)


And the knightrider start up sequence where the headlights sweep on 

I like them. As said there are some flaws. I don't use them when following someone and they can dazzle lorry drivers if they are coming up a hill towards you so you can see the cab but not the headlights yet but I just flick them off when I see the lights on top of the cab coming. On the whole I think they're pretty good though.


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## pcbbc (Sep 4, 2009)

stumardy said:


> How do you turn the matrix on from a cold start? don't you just leave the lighting switch in auto? sorry I didn't know you had to turn them on?


You don't have to turn the LED lights on - that is indeed automatic (if you have the switch set to AUTO). You *DO* have to turn the high beam matrix system on each time. It defaults to OFF from a cold start.

You operate the matrix high beam similarly to full beam on a standard car - push down stalk to enable, pull up to cancel. However it's not a "physical" stalk position (the switch returns to the centre position each time). So therefore, by default, the car it does not "remember" the setting once you leave the car. That's what the VCDS tweak is for.


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## keithS (Jun 20, 2016)

Dino_Donis said:


> I think it uses your gps position do decide when to activate/deactivate the high beam.


True they do use the GPS to disable high beam assist when in (what the GPS thinks is) a 30mph zone. You'll see the auto light go from blue to white, and then back to blue again on leaving the 30mph zone.

I find them great down the dark country roads here. I guess not much point if you're a townie or use mainly lit roads though.


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## csi_basel (May 11, 2006)

I really like my matrix lights!! Takes all the stress away from having to flick between dipped and main beam. 
Best options are reverse camera, B&O and matrix.


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## Number86 (Oct 20, 2017)

Don't forget the standard leds have high beam assist (auto dipping high beams) as standard as well. If the leds are of the same lumens, and I have no reasons to think they aren't, the matrix option doesn't really have much of benefit, other than the start up sequence and dynamic front indicator. The cool factor as it were...

Now, that may or may not be important to you, that's for you to decide. Just don't tick the box under the impression it's going to provide any useful improvements on road illumination.


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## tt3600 (Apr 8, 2006)

Expensive option but for me a great option if you regularly travel on dark A roads.


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## debonair (Jun 5, 2014)

I had the matrix lights on my TTS and was very disappointed. There is a thread on here somewhere that I started about them as I was getting flashed every day from other users when using the matrix lights. It got to the point where I just stopped using them as I was getting tired of being constantly flashed at and also I didn't want to cause an accident by dazzling other people.

They are meant not to blind other drivers but they clearly do. Audi have some work to do on this feature. I personally think they are a huge waste of money. For me they didn't bring any benefit, quite the opposite in fact


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## ChadW (May 2, 2003)

Never use High beam assist as the matrix lights on dipped are good enough for me on my regular commute all via street lighted roads. Notice however on some darker spots and over a one way bridge by home that they extend vision much more due to less light so looks like they are always dynamically changing despite the HBA being off. Much better than regular side lights too imho.


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## Sticks (Sep 3, 2008)

Thread revival 

Since I've had the car, when I have the matrix lights on main beam there's a black line across where the light shines between the main and dipped areas as if there's an unlit section. I'm talking about where the light shines, not on the lamp itself. The dealer says it's normal, which seems odd to me.

Anyone else had this?

Thanks


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## kevin#34 (Jan 8, 2019)

did'nt notice any black line on mine, I would say


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## Barmybob (Nov 4, 2015)

Only used them through the summer months but they have worked well for me.

On country lanes I like the way the lamps illuminate arround a corner before I even turn the steering wheel. A fabulous feature when making progress. Also really neat that they just switch over when driving on the continent.

The Auto function also appears to offer a wider light spread when it dips for urban areas. It seems to be similar to having the fog lamps on but certainly seems better than the normal dipped headlamp mode.

It does sometimes seem a little slow to react but only once or twice. For me the only real negative has been the cars reluctance to spot and react to reflective road signs.


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## pcbbc (Sep 4, 2009)

Barmybob said:


> It does sometimes seem a little slow to react but only once or twice. For me the only real negative has been the cars reluctance to spot and react to reflective road signs.


Is it meant to? Are you expecting them illuminated or not?
Mine seem to illuminated them perfectly fine. That is as long as there aren't any vehicles immediately ahead of me being actively "matrix-ed out".


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## Sticks (Sep 3, 2008)

Here's what I'm talking about. With main beam on, there's separation, particularly on the right. Normal, apparently. Thoughts?


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## spidey3 (Aug 13, 2019)

Sticks said:


> Here's what I'm talking about. With main beam on, there's separation, particularly on the right. Normal, apparently. Thoughts?


Do you notice this on the highway, or just when testing against a close wall?

High beams are meant to illuminate the road, other vehicles and obstacles over 200 feet (60 meters) ahead. With the beam spread, by the time you are at the intended distance for their use, you shouldn't see any gaps in illumination.


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## Barmybob (Nov 4, 2015)

pcbbc said:


> Barmybob said:
> 
> 
> > It does sometimes seem a little slow to react but only once or twice. For me the only real negative has been the cars reluctance to spot and react to reflective road signs.
> ...


The Audi blurb suggests that the lamps "Detect" reflective signs and cut our light to stop them being dazzling. The matrix lamps on my TT don't seem to do this, different story in my friends S8. That car also has the infra red detection which is really cool at spotting pedestrians, cyclists and animals at night and alerts you to them too.


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## Sticks (Sep 3, 2008)

spidey3 said:


> Sticks said:
> 
> 
> > Here's what I'm talking about. With main beam on, there's separation, particularly on the right. Normal, apparently. Thoughts?
> ...


Yes, noticeable when driving. Agreed, I didn't think it should be like that.


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## Blade Runner (Feb 16, 2018)

debonair said:


> I had the matrix lights on my TTS and was very disappointed. There is a thread on here somewhere that I started about them as I was getting flashed every day from other users when using the matrix lights. It got to the point where I just stopped using them as I was getting tired of being constantly flashed at and also I didn't want to cause an accident by dazzling other people.
> 
> They are meant not to blind other drivers but they clearly do. Audi have some work to do on this feature. I personally think they are a huge waste of money. For me they didn't bring any benefit, quite the opposite in fact


Useful thread, which I have just read for the first time. I had incorrectly assumed that high beam assist (btw, Audi calls it 'main beam assist' in my 2018 user manual) was linked to matrix headlights, but not so. As already pointed out, if you have regular LED headlights you can also spec the HBA option, in which case I think it just automatically switches between main beam and dipped, for example when a car is coming in the other direction? If so, I think I would prefer to stick to manual operation.

If you have matrix headlights, the HBA function is clearly very much more complicated, with segments (or even individual LEDs) being switched on or off depending on what the cars sees in front of it. This all sounds very clever, but the comments on other Audi forums seem to mirror those on here: a 50:50 split between "I keep getting flashed by oncoming drivers" and "I never get flashed". Obviously, there are lots of things that can affect what the car 'sees' and how it reacts, but it seems that this technology is in its infancy. Blinding oncoming drivers is obviously potentially dangerous and is something that needs to work properly all of the time. I think I will wait for version 2 before shelling out any extra cash for this option.

If, like me, you were a bit puzzled by Pugliese's comment about "..cutting out an unlit tunnel so that they are not dazzled", have a look at the following video (01:30 - 04:00). The effect is shown best in the BMW part of the comparison (with Audi and MB), but the "tunnel" concept is the same. The Audi bit starts at 08:15.


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## kevin#34 (Jan 8, 2019)

Personally, I found matrix a real plus. 
90% of times, I found them working error-less, just in town sometimes they seem disturbed by other sources of light.
can be considered a stupid suggestion, however if the glass is dirty, camera detection ability will be drastically affected.


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## Blade Runner (Feb 16, 2018)

I had cause to return to this question of *matrix* LED headlights, so went to the current configurator to look at the cost of upgrading when speccing a new car. However, no such option now appears to exists - for any TT, inc the TTRS.

Am I just going nuts/missing something, or has the matrix option been withdrawn?
"LED highlights" (I assume the regular sort) are of course standard across the range, but there are no upgrade options as far as I can see.


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## Toshiba (Jul 8, 2004)

Not exactly, the low powered base models come just with Xenon lights, you need the Vorsprung edition for Matrix lights to be standard and no option to spec.


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## Webarno (Dec 10, 2019)

Toshiba said:


> Not exactly, the low powered base models come just with Xenon lights, you need the Vorsprung edition for Matrix lights to be standard and no option to spec.


Interesting. 
Seems as though they're quite a rare addition now then.

Certainly makes me feel even better about having them, considering you can't spec them on TT's anymore.


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## Toshiba (Jul 8, 2004)

I have Audi's with and without them, they make no real world difference on the same roads.
Unless you like the sweeping indicators on the front.


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## Webarno (Dec 10, 2019)

Toshiba said:


> I have Audi's with and without them, they make no real world difference on the same roads.
> Unless you like the sweeping indicators on the front.


I like the sweeping indicators on the front a lot


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