Headlamp aim adjustment

[Jack]

Mavis has failed the MOT! I've sorted everything except the headlamp aim.

The Haynes manual says due to the..balh blah...recommend only a BL dealer adjusts the aim. It doesn't even tell you how to do it if you want to!

I have assumed the aim is adjusted with the two plastic bolts at the corners of the rear of the lamps. Is this true? Any tips on how to adjust them correctly when I don't have a beam checker thingy like the MOT man does?

[SimonR]

Originally posted by Jack
Mavis has failed the MOT! I've sorted everything except the headlamp aim.

Any tips on how to adjust them correctly when I don't have a beam checker thingy like the MOT man does?

Hi Jack,

You'll be pleased to know it's a pretty simple job. Use a 13mm (I think) spanner on those plastic bolts at the back of the lights to adjust.

When I did it I got a correctly adjusted Maestro, parked it about 4 metres away from the garage wall and with the headlights on I marked with chalk the correct position of the beams. Then I reversed it out, drove the other car to exactly the same point and faddled with the adjusters until the beams were in the correct place.

If you can's get a known good car there must be guidelines on the web somewhere about the correct height.

I hope that helps,

Simon R.

PS the only problem you might get is if the adjustment mechanism is broken. On one of my cars' headlights the reflector was screwed all the way to the front which nearly broke it - beware of doing this!

[E_T_V]

It is a VERY simple job. you need a dark place on level ground, and either a wall infront of you, or someone wearing light coloured clothing to stand 25 metres infront of the car.

Pull one headlamp connector off (to disable the lamp) then adjust the remaning lit lamp.

It'll have a pattern similar to this \___ on dipped beam. You need to adjust the lamp so that the lower part of the beam is below the level of the headlamp on the car 25 metres away. (I usually adjust it to around knee level) Where the slope begins must be to the left of the vehicle (this doesn't often need adjusting) To adjust you simple turn the black plastic knobs/nuts. one controls vertical aim, the other horizontal aim. then repeat for the other lamp. Simple job really, but it really needs to be done in the dark so you can see the headlamp aim properly. A supermarket car park where you can face the wall of it about 10-25m away from it is perfect I find.

[E_T_V]

D'oh beaten me to it again!

If you can wait till the weekend I've got the same job to do on the van (as it too failed its MOT on this) and I can post some pics hopefully.

[SimonR]

Originally posted by E_T_V
It is a VERY simple job. you need a dark place on level ground, and either a wall infront of you, or someone wearing light coloured clothing to stand 25 metres infront of the car.

Hah, thanks - that's better than my method! I'll try that in the future.

Certainly not a dealer/specialist only operation anyway.

SR.

[MaestroMatt]

This is actually the sort of thing the MoT man should adjust for you in order to get your car to pass (like tweaking the carb settings for emissions) so it may be that the beam is unadjustable. If you find your twiddling is having no effect then the reflector has probably come off the ball joint on the end of the adjuster. To fix it, take the light cluster off the car (incredibly easy - see Haynes if you can't see how to do it) and take it apart by pulling the little metal clips off with a pair of pliers then you can access the innards. You may just have to push the metal ball into the plastic socket, but in my light the plastic socket had become detached from the back of the reflector and just needed a bit of Araldite to fix it firmly back in place. Hopefully you won't need to do any of this, but my MoT man said it was a common problem.

[E_T_V]

The MOT man shouldn't adjust the headlamp aim as part of the test (although a few friendly ones do!) Same goes with the carb settings as effectively they are performing work for free and it is interrupting the MOT test.

[talkingcars]

The MOT tester is not allowed to adjust or dis assemble anything durring the test!

However if you get to know your tester they might adjust carbs and lights for you using the equipment.

[MaestroMatt]

Must just be lucky then - my MoT tester adjusted my headlights and tweaked my carb settings and put more air in my tyres, without being prompted!

[Jack]

Passed!
I did the point at the wall thing but still didn't know whether I had got it exactly right. In the event they were going to fail but before he could say anything I had the bonnet open and was adjusting them! I adjusted until they were spot on - job done.

[E_T_V]

Unfortunatly I didn't manage to get my photos of my headlamp alignment done either, although I did have a go at tweaking them. I coudn't get photos becasue it was daytime and the car was immobilised at the time. I'll try and post some when I manage to do it properly and my car isn't a foot off of the ground!