R230 Headlight Aim?

Aitch55

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The xenon headlight aim on my car seems too low for both dipped and main beam. The dipped beam pattern, on the road, has a sharp cut-off so it only illuminates the area immediately in front and to the left. Main beam is also low but are so good, throw sufficient light to illuminate enough of the road ahead.

Problems arise when on unlit roads and another vehicle appears coming the other way, I dip the lights and suddenly driving on memory, so have to slow accordingly.

Is there an adjuster on the headlights to raise them? I've searched this forum and googled but can't find anything.

TIA
 

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you can't adjust xenons (well, ok, a dealer with Star can move them a bit) but if yours are as bad as this, you need to check the link (I believe it's on the rear suspension) that tells the automatic leveling adjustment how the car is sitting.

If this has come adrift, the lights will probably default to the lowest setting possible.

One way to tell is to park in front of a wall, put on the dipped beam, then open the boot and bounce the car up and down (sit on the boot opening would work) - the headlights should stay level and not bounce up & down with the car
 
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Aitch55

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you can't adjust xenons (well, ok, a dealer with Star can move them a bit) but if yours are as bad as this, you need to check the link (I believe it's on the rear suspension) that tells the automatic leveling adjustment how the car is sitting.

If this has come adrift, the lights will probably default to the lowest setting possible.

One way to tell is to park in front of a wall, put on the dipped beam, then open the boot and bounce the car up and down (sit on the boot opening would work) - the headlights should stay level and not bounce up & down with the car

Well, how stupid am I? :rolleyes:

There I was under the bonnet, looking around the headlights for an adjuster when I should have been underneath at the other end. :shock::)

Thanks for your help. I'll try your test method and see what happens.
 

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Get down on your knees, in front of the rear offside wheel and look underneath. If you see a bar hanging loose...that's your problem.
 

brandwooddixon

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Do have a look at the top of the headlights.
My car has Xenons and a level adjuster on the top of the headlamp unit.
I find myself raising the headlamp aim typically after a MOT as they insist on testing the headlamp aim with the engine off (in which case the lamps are in a park position rather than the position that they would switch to when the suspension position is taken into account).
 
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Aitch55

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Get down on your knees, in front of the rear offside wheel and look underneath. If you see a bar hanging loose...that's your problem.

Just did as you suggest and can't see anything loose or hanging. Even laid on my back to peer under but nothing untoward looking.
 

Naraic

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There's one on the front also...worth checking.
 
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Aitch55

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There's one on the front also...worth checking.

Whereabouts on the front? There's not much room underneath for inspection purposes.

Just about to upload some pix of what may be the adjuster that brandwooddixon refers to.
 

television

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You are all wrong on this,,, on the 230 the lamps share the B27 /28 etc ABC level sensors

It will have to go no STAR to what has failed as both lamps are pointing down
 

Naraic

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You are all wrong on this,,, on the 230 the lamps share the B27 /28 etc ABC level sensors

It will have to go no STAR to what has failed as both lamps are pointing down

What about the links above?
 

television

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What about the links above?

There is one level sensor on each corner attached to the upper wishbone, that is for both the lamps and suspension. These are the ones that people use to lower the car
 
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Aitch55

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There's now three schools of thought on this one so I'll take the easy option first. :)

Pic of top of headlight with the only thing that looks to have any adjustment.
adjuster.jpg


The 'adjuster' looks to have a threaded shaft with hexagon and a lock nut. Looking a little closer, I'm guessing the shaft has a cam so rotating the shaft via the top hex will rotate the shaft in an eccentric fashion. Then hold and lock off with the nut? The plastic 'fingers' will flex so any resistance will bend these rather than force the housing.

IMAG0140.jpg


Interestingly the n/s nut is at the bottom of the thread and presumably tight. Whereas the o/s nut is mid thread and loose.

IMAG0142.jpg


IMAG0141.jpg
 
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Aitch55

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There is one level sensor on each corner attached to the upper wishbone, that is for both the lamps and suspension. These are the ones that people use to lower the car

From what I can tell, the suspension doesn't have a problem and each corner is equal height. Surely, if it were a sensor that's common to both suspension and headlight, it would show on both?
 

television

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They are not the adjusters, there are 2 holes for a large screwdriver on the plastic coves near the red label, one is side adjust, and the other up and down



If you go to Lamps in WIS it tells you the B22/7 & 8 are the front level sensors and B22/8 & 19 are the rear, if you go to the ABC it is the same sensors to level the car, I would have thought that a CAN break down somewhere could cause the loss of both lamps to level or the rotten fault that I had with a bad connection on the ABC ECU under the dash by the steering wheel, those connectors have more than 100 pins

If you can raise the lamps enough on those to screws (phillps head) then I would not worry
 

television

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From what I can tell, the suspension doesn't have a problem and each corner is equal height. Surely, if it were a sensor that's common to both suspension and headlight, it would show on both?

This why it is not a B22 sensor at fault,,if it was the car would be low on that corner, it is a communication problem
 

television

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By the way do not move those big nuts you have shown in your diagram, the screws that I am referring to are quite a way down and a long driver needed, shine torch down and you will see the large headed screws
 
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Aitch55

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By the way do not move those big nuts you have shown in your diagram, the screws that I am referring to are quite a way down and a long driver needed, shine torch down and you will see the large headed screws

Do you know what those large nuts are? My instinct is to tighten the one that's midway on the thread and possibly loose.
 

television

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They are the securing nuts, just nip them up, just lock them where they are
 
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Aitch55

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They are the securing nuts, just nip them up, just lock them where they are

Thank you.

I'll try your adjusters after dark and see what happens.

Thank you all for your input and suggestions.
 
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