Matrix Headlights Fully Enabled

[grimbeaver]

Another happy camper with Sam! Such a pleasure to communicate with, and a completely hassle free process including cable rental.

The matrix lights themselves are amazing... feels like something is missing whenever I switch back to the wifey's car now.

[TorontoGamblers]

Aren’t the matrix lights supposed to be available to all after Jan? I thought I read an update is coming early Jan either for NA or Canada.

[FBAnder]

Someone mentioned January 4th. I have to see it to believe it though.

[PassionForAudi]

Someone mentioned January 4th. I have to see it to believe it though.

I did, I stated that up above a few comments ago based on what I’ve heard. Mine’s been done by someone else and to be quite honest I should’ve just waited a few weeks more (until the 4th) to see if Audi goes through with the enabling for everyone that’s purchased the operable equipment to have this feature. Can I guarantee this 100% into fruition?! No, I cannot but one thing that could assure you is that the source is quite knowledgeable and I trust his word.


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[JohnEnglish]

The current matrix lights on cars most likely won’t be enabled by the manufacturers. When the NHTSA allowed for adaptive headlights, they set their own standards that are different then the ones that the EU and the ROW use. The standards that the NHTSA adopted require hardware changes from the from the EU designs. It’s possible that the facelifted cars may incorporate the design changes into their headlights in order to meet the NHTSA standards but it’s very unlikely that the current headlights will meet the standards.

[PassionForAudi]

The current matrix lights on cars most likely won’t be enabled by the manufacturers. When the NHTSA allowed for adaptive headlights, they set their own standards that are different then the ones that the EU and the ROW use. The standards that the NHTSA adopted require hardware changes from the from the EU designs. It’s possible that the facelifted cars may incorporate the design changes into their headlights in order to meet the NHTSA standards but it’s very unlikely that the current headlights will meet the standards.

Perfectly stated and completely understood. One could only hope. I mean to me personally it would’ve been worth the wait (until Jan’ 4th as word has it) in order to save myself the $700.00+ (hey, it isn’t about being “cheap” as some on here might’ve stated up above, it’s about the fact that I could do other things with funds that I shouldn’t have had to spend on such a feature to begin with, especially NOT at that price tag) and just go from there. I’m sure that some that have held back on doing this due to the tag that comes with “Sam” taking care of things for ‘em are on here lurking and just hoping that this Jan’ 4th thing is true. Personally, I’ve seen the lighting in action and it’s a hell of a feature, the NHTSA needs to get with the “modern” way of things and just go with it as it’s a much safer option than having people out here blinding the out of people on these backroads with their high beams on. My guy handled it for me and when he’s back from his vacay’ he’ll post on here in order to take care of the other locals on this and for a much nicer price tag. I supposed that he’ll go off of the volume of people getting it done through him which will offset his pricing. Higher volume will compensate for the amount that he’ll charge. We’ll see how this goes.


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[FBAnder]

Ironic the NHTSA is worried about glare with adaptive headlights which lead to them not adopting the ROW spec but we have giant pickups with low beam HIDs at eye level doing this regularly. That's cool, I guess.

[PassionForAudi]

Ironic the NHTSA is worried about glare with adaptive headlights which lead to them not adopting the ROW spec but we have giant pickups with low beam HIDs at eye level doing this regularly. That's cool, I guess.

If I have to be as honest as possible, I’m one of those as well. Ever since I leveled out my RAM 3500 dually up front (yes, Audi guy to the core but trust me, we ALL need a truck! ) up front due to my Hellwig sway bar and AirLift kit lifting things up even more toward the rear (not sure how in the hell it is that that happened) I noticed that cars would flash their beams at me pretty much all the time and it got to the point in which I’d come up to a red light and kill my headlights off and just leave my fogs and DRLs running in order to not be seen like the typical, truck douche. But yes, makes complete sense and it’s something that they need to get with the program on, man. #HappyNewYearToYouAll #May2024BeTheBestYearOfOurLives #CantWaitUntilNovember2024 #NeedsToChangeTONS


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[CT-audi-S4]

I feel like my lights were brighter tonight for the first time. 2024 and the high beam symbol has a ----* symbol coming out of it.

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[KRracer]

I feel like my lights were brighter tonight for the first time. 2024 and the high beam symbol has a ----* symbol coming out of it.

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Sounds like you finally had a situation where your laser lights activated? They don’t always come on with the high beams, surroundings have to be just right.

But they’re not the same as Matrix.

Pretty sure if this is able to be activated as of today, it will require a dealer visit, it won’t be an over the air update.


Cheers,

KR

[Nolzie]

Laser lights come on over 25mph I think.


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[TorontoGamblers]

I’m at the dealership and asked. They don’t seem to know anything about an update. One of the guys quietly said he coded it himself on his Audi and it’s night and day with how much better they function. He did imply that the service managers have the ability to approve them being turned on but that the default answer is “not yet available”.

[TorontoGamblers]

I tried the WhatsApp link and it didn’t work. Does someone have current contact info for Sam?
For those that got some of the “extras”, are you appreciating them? Find that you aren’t using some?

[gopherblue]

Laser lights come on over 25mph I think.


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45 mph for the Laser High Beams.

[tempus_x]

I tried the WhatsApp link and it didn’t work. Does someone have current contact info for Sam?
For those that got some of the “extras”, are you appreciating them? Find that you aren’t using some?

+1 (647) 521-4279 for Sam

[c20091929]

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100088124241081

[TorontoGamblers]

Thanks!

[KRracer]

Sooo, Jan 4 has come and gone. I guess we should assume that getting Matrix enabled by a dealer was wishful thinking?


Cheers,

KR

[STALKER]

Sooo, Jan 4 has come and gone. I guess we should assume that getting Matrix enabled by a dealer was wishful thinking?


Cheers,

KR

Yup. Not going to happen on current gen cars. Possibly next gen.

[cscokid]

What's the indicator that matrix is on - the star that appears/disappears next to the high beam indicator?

[tempus_x]

What's the indicator that matrix is on - the star that appears/disappears next to the high beam indicator?

This is the tricky part, the indicator on the dash doesn’t change. The high beam icon will turn blue but it’s no different to what it does when matrix is disabled and it’s the regular high beam automatically coming on and off.

I queried this with Sam and shot footage and he was able to show me it working on the footage I shared. The challenge is unless you are driving on a road with stuff around it (e.g. trees, it can be quite hard to pick up when driving as the lights have nothing to reflect back on.

For me the lights looked great but I felt the need to double-check!

[JohnEnglish]

What's the indicator that matrix is on - the star that appears/disappears next to the high beam indicator?

The the laser light indicator. I believe the high beams need to be kept in "Auto" mode in order for the matrix functionality to work.

[[email protected]]

What's the indicator that matrix is on - the star that appears/disappears next to the high beam indicator?

Frickin' Laser Beams

Laser light is activated when you see that icon on the instrument cluster.

Cheers,

[Yahdatshim]

Old post but I’m interested - can you send me your contacts?

[Yahdatshim]

Hey - came across this- are you still doing this? I’m 30 mins north of Boston

[spyderbret1]

Another satisfied customer of Sam here too. The matrix lights are really cool! Highly recommended!!

[[email protected]]

Old post but I’m interested - can you send me your contacts?

Always available here:

Website Link: Matrix LED Headlight Activation <-Click Link for More Information

If you or anyone else isn't sure what can be activated or not (all RS6/7 C8 can activated matrix, laser and maneuvering lighting) you can always email over your VIN: [email protected]

Cheers,

[Jg79]

I have a 24my and it does have the laser light. Is the matrix a separate element to the operation of the high beams which still isnÂ’t activated in the US?

[JohnEnglish]

Is the matrix a separate element to the operation of the high beams which still isn't activated in the US?

Correct. You won't see matrix functionality in the US until the facelift model or the next generation of cars. The reason being the US developed it's own standards for adaptive headlights which are different from everyone elses. Manufacturers but recertify their headlights using the US's standards in order to enable them here. The catch is, to meet the standards, hardware changes are required in the lights. Manufacturers are not going to spend money to redesign the headlights mid-production, they'll wait until they're designing new headlights.

[tempus_x]

What's the indicator that matrix is on - the star that appears/disappears next to the high beam indicator?

This is the challenge, there's no visible difference on the dash once you have matrix enabled. The star and line is the laser high beam which is separate to matrix and is enabled on NA cars at factory. Matrix is active when the high beam indicator goes blue and is set to auto, but that is exactly the same indicator as when the non-matrix high beam is active pre-coding.

I had to film a night drive and send it to Sam to be sure and he could tell right away that it was active but it was hard for me to tell whilst driving (open road, no obstructions either side of the highway for the light to reflect off). I think it's most obvious to tell the difference when driving at night with trees ether side of the road so the lights have something to bounce back off.

[snohman]

Interesting article on CNN about the status of ADB headlights - which is essentially our matrix headlights

https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/15/cars/...ars/index.html

Short story is US regulations suck at clearing this for use even though some cars already come with the technology embedded, was supposed to be resolved in 2022 but required even more stringent regulations. So adaptive headlights as they are today would not qualify and need to be rejiggered by manufacturers before they can come enabled. That is ridiculous.

[FBAnder]

That's rich. No problem with pickups getting taller and wider with HIDs and LEDs at eye level for oncoming cars, though. This tech shoulda been here a decade ago.

[JohnEnglish]

Interesting article on CNN about the status of ADB headlights - which is essentially our matrix headlights

https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/15/cars/...ars/index.html

Short story is US regulations suck at clearing this for use even though some cars already come with the technology embedded, was supposed to be resolved in 2022 but required even more stringent regulations. So adaptive headlights as they are today would not qualify and need to be rejiggered by manufacturers before they can come enabled. That is ridiculous.

This has been known since the US standards were first proposed in 2022. The problem is that the US developed its own standards instead of adopting the SAE or EU standards like the rest of the world has. This means that manufacturers would have to recertify their adaptive headlights. Additionally, the standards that the US has adopted require hardware changes so the manufacturers can't just use the existing headlight design. During the consultation phase of the regulation adoption process, several manufacturers said that the hardware changes required may make it too expensive to design adaptive headlights for the US market and they may just keep them for overseas markets.

That's rich. No problem with pickups getting taller and wider with HIDs and LEDs at eye level for oncoming cars, though. This tech shoulda been here a decade ago.

A lot of those are illegal aftermarket kits. The problem is enforcement and lack of meaningful punishment to make sure that people have properly aligned headlights. Yearly inspections that have headlight alignment as one of the requirements would be a easy solution.

[Arslàán]

Correct me if I am wrong, matrix headlights and HD matrix headlights are two different things.

I have got C8 A6 with matrix headlights and I tried to activate the RS animation on them but it says module not installed.

I contacted someone from another forum, and I was told it can't be done on mine as they are not HD matrix headlights.

[[email protected]]

Correct me if I am wrong, matrix headlights and HD matrix headlights are two different things.

I have got C8 A6 with matrix headlights and I tried to activate the RS animation on them but it says module not installed.

I contacted someone from another forum, and I was told it can't be done on mine as they are not HD matrix headlights.

Yes, there are several types of matrix capable headlights.

Matrix
HD Matrix
HD Matrix w/ Laser Light

All of them can have the full matrix high beam functionality enabled. The non HD matrix will not have animations however as it physically does not have the components to product them.

Cheers,

[rarsop15]

I confirmed with my local dealer that they are still not able to enable full matrix.... So Sam it is!

[[email protected]]

Matrix lights that are already sold in cars in the US (likely Canada too) will never be activated by an Audi dealership, unless the NHTSA backs away from the rules they have proposed for matrix lighting technology. Article below outlines the issue:

https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/15/cars/...ars/index.html

The NHTSA decided not to adopt the regulations that are being used in all other developed countries/regions regarding matrix and matrix type lighting. Instead the NHTSA decided to come up with far more restrictive guidelines on behavior of the adaptive lighting technology and almost none of the matrix lighting being sold by Audi or that have been sold can meet the guidelines. Maybe the digital matrix can, but it requires the Audi also go through the certification process to enable technology on cars already sold, my guess is they won't bother due to cost.

Also my guess is that we won't see matrix enabled lights in the US (and possibly Canada) until the next generation of each Audi model comes out and possibly not even then.

So for current cars with matrix you have to get them activated third party. For future models with matrix you still might have to get them activated third party. Only time will tell.

Cheers,

[Kczach]

Alex,

When matrix lights are activated what happens to the laser light? Is the laser deactivated or does it work in conjunction with the matrix system?

[mike cip]

laser still works. I love the matrix. well worth it with Sam

[Average_guy]

I really, really want this enabled on my '22. But like someone above, it irks me to shell out $700 to enable something already present on the car. Friggin' NHTSA.

I wonder what the odds are that the car gets flashed back to "Nope not enabled" when a dealer does an update for something. That's one of the reasons I keep coming back to this thread.

If anyone in the Denver area gets it done, I'd appreciate a chance to see it in action (from outside the car).