Converting UK Lights To EU

[TheMysticle]

Hello!

I have an issue with my Model 3 and I thought that somebody here might know the answer.

I am trying to re-register my Model 3 (2022) from Ireland in Poland. To register the car here I need to pass an exam. The car passes all the tests except for the front lights. They shine onto the wrong side of the road since it is a RHD car and I am now in a LHD country. I know that there are headlight adjustment settings in the service menu of the car, however, this isn't enough and it does not actually change the pattern of the lights.

I called Tesla service and after they did a bit of research themselves they told me that this is something they can change, however, it needs to be done physically in a service centre and it is not something I can do myself in the settings. So I scheduled an appointment, and drove the 4 hours to Warszawa, only to be told that they are actually not allowed to change anything about the software of the lights.

They did however confirm a few things. Apparently replacing the lights themselves will not do anything since the actual lights are identical to the ones in Europe. They also confirmed that it is all software and that the light region needs to be changed in the config, which they're not allowed to do. They told me if I replace the lights the car will just reprogram them to be Irish again. I have called many places and asked many questions and nobody I've called has actually done anything like this before. I don't think many people make the questionable decision of trying to re-register a RHD Tesla in a LHD country They do however do US conversions to the EU.

So I guess my question is. Would anyone here know if what the service has told me is correct? Are the lights really identical and this is all software? If this is the case, does anyone know where I can go to change this? Has anyone done anything like this before?

Thanks in advance,
Oliwier

 

[freekie]

Although my car has also been a UK car, occasionally the lights have switched to a EU setting! It has been corrected through the software but has always had to go to a service centre to get the correction. They have not done it OTA at home. Therefore I would expect the service centre in Poland should be able to correct it.

 

[init6]

There appear to be 3 different types of headlights: EMEA, NA and Global.
There's mention in the Service manual for Global headlights that the lights are adjusted automatically:

Under normal driving conditions (i.e. when the vehicle is not in adjustment mode), the headlights automatically level to a region specific vertical (downward) and horizontal (left/right depending on the vehicle being RHD/LHD) angle.

Being able to do something and being allowed to do something are often quite different things. As many have found with Tesla, it's worth escalating or trying a different tech or even Service centre.

 

[TheMysticle]

Although my car has also been a UK car, occasionally the lights have switched to a EU setting! It has been corrected through the software but has always had to go to a service centre to get the correction. They have not done it OTA at home. Therefore I would expect the service centre in Poland should be able to correct it.

I wish this was the case, it would be fantastic, but unfortunately there's only one service center in Poland and they have told me they are not allowed to touch the lights Not sure why, but that's what they told me and we had a pretty extensive conversation about it.

 

[TheMysticle]

There appear to be 3 different types of headlights: EMEA, NA and Global.
There's mention in the Service manual for Global headlights that the lights are adjusted automatically:


Being able to do something and being allowed to do something are often quite different things. As many have found with Tesla, it's worth escalating or trying a different tech or even Service centre.

I actually know that I have the GLOBAL headlights as I have connected the car through Toolbox 3 before and read my config. I have also tried changing the headlights by reading service manuals and going through the service menu. This unfortunately doesn't seem to satisfy European road rules. The lights also don't actually seem to adjust themselves depending on the region, they still have a very strong bias towards the left-hand side and nothing I do seems to change that. This is confirmed by the fact that I keep getting flashed by annoyed drivers who think I have my high beams on all the time.

I will continue trying with Tesla but there is only one service centre in Poland and from what they have told me, they won't be able to do it and I should probably find someone that will do it unofficially. I have no issue with having it done unofficially, (unless it will stop updates or something stupid like that) and I also have no issue with doing it myself. However, I cannot find anything in Toolbox that would allow me to change the light region and truth be told I don't know which line I should be looking for.

 

[init6]

Any Service centres in nearby countries?

Edit : Just had another thought, perhaps there is a 'global'* region setting rather than one specific to the headlights. I've not used TB3 so no idea what you can/cannot see.

*I mean a global variable rather than global headlights.

 

[kelvin 660]

From what @TheMysticle is saying, Tesla are wrong, in stating that LHD drive cars driven in Europe have lights that do not need to be adjusted are compliant (at least in Poland). I think this problem needs to be escalated within Tesla. I'm thinking the best way to do that is for @TheMysticle to ask the service centre in Poland to escalate this problem to Tesla Europe or/and the US in order to get resolution. Or maybe a X (tweet) to Elon Musk wouldn't go a miss...

 

[TheMysticle]

From what @TheMysticle is saying, Tesla are wrong, in stating that LHD drive cars driven in Europe have lights that do not need to be adjusted are compliant (at least in Poland). I think this problem needs to be escalated within Tesla. I'm thinking the best way to do that is for @TheMysticle to ask the service centre in Poland to escalate this problem to Tesla Europe or/and the US in order to get resolution.

I'm not sure about LHD cars as I have never driven one into a different country. I can however confirm that my car, which is RHD, driving into a LHD country, did not adjust its lights to be compliment with EU standards (Or at least Polish standards). I actually spoke with the service center in Warszawa for quite some time and from what I understand if I had a car from a LHD country, they would adjust to another LHD country.

However, because I have a RHD car, even though the lights themselves are identical, they will not change to a LHD country. Even though, it can be done by changing the software. It's all incredibly confusing and weird because originally over the phone I was told they can do it.

I visited the service center 2 days in a row while I was in Warszawa and they told me they can't touch lights....

I will be calling Tesla again tomorrow to see if there's something I'm missing. But these lights are clearly not adjusting themselves.

 

[TheMysticle]

Any Service centres in nearby countries?

Edit : Just had another thought, perhaps there is a 'global'* region setting rather than one specific to the headlights. I've not used TB3 so no idea what you can/cannot see.

*I mean a global variable rather than global headlights.

I'd say the closest one for me might be in Germany, if I have to, I'll go, but I would seriously prefer not to, it's a few day trip and I'm afraid it'll end with them telling me they can't do it (again).

Toolbox 3 does have some interesting settings, but actually doesn't seem to have a fully blown region setting. It has a map region, which is set to EU and it also has a Right Hand Drive setting, which for me is turned on. I wonder if turning it off would flip the lights. I'm worried about changing it though as my car is actually RHD and I don't want it to think it's LHD all of a sudden as I can imagine that would cause a long list of issues. I just want the lights to switch to LHD, nothing else

 

[djtaylor]

I guess this is also why we can't have something sensible where when the vehicle changes from RHD to LHD as we pop out of the tunnel at Calais.

 

[init6]

There's a danger it'll also flip the screen, but worth a shot

 

[ACarneiro]

Well, a bit naughty here but if disabling the RHD setting causes problems….. Flip it to LHD Mode, get it approved and then flip it back to RHD mode?

 

[M1tch]

Long shot, but try putting the lights in service mode and moving the focus point from the left to the right. Will that work? (Just remember how many clicks you did so you can revert if it’s not correct.

 

[WV72]

I just want the lights to switch to LHD, nothing else

Did you solve the problem with the lights? I am interested if this is possible.

 

[lukearlo]

Hello, were you able to adjust the lights and get the car through the registration?

 

[Overworked]

Hello, were you able to adjust the lights and get the car through the registration?

The OP joined in September and was last seen on October 19th, so may no longer be a regular user of this site.

 

[lukearlo]

Ahhhh right, might be correct, thanks

 

[Cardo]

It may be of use to people to be aware there appears to have been an undocumented change in behaviour in a recent update. When driving in Europe, the car apparently now recognises it’s in a LHD country and flips the lights over so the uptick is on the right. A brief notification pops up on the screen to confirm this. A couple of people have confirmed this behaviour on the .44 / Christmas update threads.

 

[WV72]

It may be of use to people to be aware there appears to have been an undocumented change in behaviour in a recent update. When driving in Europe, the car apparently now recognises it’s in a LHD country and flips the lights over so the uptick is on the right. A brief notification pops up on the screen to confirm this. A couple of people have confirmed this behaviour on the .44 / Christmas update threads.

Oh. First time I hear it. For me it would be very useful.

 

[Cardo]

Oh. First time I hear it. For me it would be very useful.

I only heard about this, today. Completely undocumented, which seems odd. I look forward to it on my next trip to the continent.