Headlight level adjustment - help and advice required

[A993LAD]

It's very rarely I find myself having to repair anything mechanical on my 993 but there always seems to be a list of things that need fixing on the electrics.

The latest one is I've noticed on the odd occasion I venture out after dark that other drivers keep flashing me with their beam even though my headlights are definitely dipped so last night when it was dark I parked the car opposite the wall and tried using the headlight level adjuster knob on the dashboard.

I've tried using this before whilst driving, but could never really tell if it was making any difference. Also, it is numbered 1 0 -1 and I assumed that 1 would be the highest and -1 the lowest. I got that completely wrong because on mine it seems that 1 is the lowest so I have now set it to 1.

But the problem I have is that only the nearside headlight is going up and down - although I have to say even that doesn't vary by very much, but it is definitely moving.

The offside one on the other hand doesn't move at all.

I turned the engine off and got somebody else to move the adjuster and I can definitely hear a motor turning in the nearside one when the adjuster knob is used, but the offside light is silent so the motor is definitely not doing anything.

I've tried cleaning the contacts in the plug on the back of the light unit with contact cleaner and also sprayed it into the socket that the headlight plugs into.

Is the motor the black 2 in.³ box that seems to be attached to the white plastic fitting inside the headlight unit? Looking inside the headlight I can't for the life of me see how the motor works or what it adjusts.

Just to add that the previous owner installed some kind of HID headlight conversion so each light unit is jampacked with a load of wires and transformer box type things (a large, thin silver box and a smaller rectangular black plastic box).

The dipped beam lights are very bright and I'm pleased with them, but obviously I could do without oncoming drivers blinding me with their beam because they are pissed off with the alignment of my lights.

I think the car has always been like this in the three years I've owned it, but I don't very often use it at night so it has not been a huge issue, but I really should get it sorted.

Interestingly, the car has passed three MOT's for me so I don't know what sort of alignment check they do at the MOT test centre, but it's obviously not very good one if my offside light is blinding everybody coming the other way.

So, a bit of a rambling thread to give you some background, but I'd like to know how to get the motor working if possible. And if that is going to be difficult can I just manually adjust the dipped beam in some way?

Cheers guys

Any help gratefully received

 

[RobIpswichUK]

You'll probably find all the HiD gibbons is stopping the light moving. You could try repacking to see if I it makes a difference. Most of the HID units are huge. The only ones I've seen that go in comfortably is ToreB's t-light kit, very small and the main box screws to the back of the light (removable flap piece)

 

[madalaa]

.......... to be a list of things that need fixing on the electrics. .........


........ sharp intake of breath ........

p.s. sorry I know that is not of much help ........ good luck ..........

 

[A993LAD]

You'll probably find all the HiD gibbons is stopping the light moving. You could try repacking to see if I it makes a difference. Most of the HID units are huge. The only ones I've seen that go in comfortably is ToreB's t-light kit, very small and the main box screws to the back of the light (removable flap piece)

Cheers, Rob

I thought it might be that, but all of the HID gubbins seems to sit behind the motor and I don't think will affect anything that it might be driving.

Also, there is definitely no noise from the motor on that side so I think it is not working.

Do the headlight level motors have separate fuses and/or relays?

Alternatively, if this motor itself has failed. Can I simply manually adjust the dipped beam headlight downwards in the nearside light?

 

[kerb scraper]

Do you have the workshop manual as a .pdf?

Under 'Maintenance' Section 03 page 20 there are instructions and diagrams.

Basically, just open the bullet shaped 'door' inside the frunk near the headlight unit release handle. Beneath the door are two hex head bolts - adjust using the ball end of a 5mm hex key.

 

[dapper]

I may be wrong but I thought if the vehicle is fitted with assisted headlight aim equipment, then it had to be serviceable/functional to pass mot? If not uk other rules may apply.

One of mine is not moving electrically, I'm sure due to previous hid equipment that used to be rammed inside the housing, so jamming the range of assisted movement. I've now got smaller later generation hid boxes that are much smaller and don't get in the way, but the motor damage was already done.

 

[A993LAD]

Do you have the workshop manual as a .pdf?

Under 'Maintenance' Section 03 page 20 there are instructions and diagrams.

Basically, just open the bullet shaped 'door' inside the frunk near the headlight unit release handle. Beneath the door are two hex head bolts - adjust using the ball end of a 5mm hex key.

Okay thanks I think I need to find these instructions.

I had a bit of a play last night and seem to have adjusted both of the lights downwards. But when I went out for test drive I've obviously gone too far with my adjustments because I'm not blinding anybody coming the other way, but I can't see very far ahead.

I just read on rennlist that you need to use both adjusters on each light at the same time in small increments, but I was making pretty large adjustments and seeing not much change to the light pattern on my barn wall.

Then when I drove the car on the road the change had been very significant, so I need to better understand what each of the adjusters does to get the lights back to an appropriate position.

 

[kerb scraper]

Okay thanks I think I need to find these instructions.

Sounds as if you have more or less cracked it.

Unfortunately (using this device) I can't find a quick way of converting the pdf to a file format compatible with the site; but the text is very short.

To summarise; full fuel tank and someone in the driver's seat. Headlight control on the dash set to the '0' position.

Upper headlight adjuster - Lateral and vertical adjustment
Lower headlight adjuster - Vertical adjustment

Hope that helps a bit.