Member Since: 11 May 2006
Location: Off again! :-)
Posts: 73119
DG wrote:
[Having to explain the joke to Del mode] ON
We all have headlights that point at the road del
[Having to explain the joke to Del mode] OFF
I got the joke!!
Sadly!!
23rd Sep 2015 4:09 pm
Alan B
Member Since: 12 Feb 2013
Location: Fife
Posts: 6528
DG wrote:
[Having to explain the joke to Del mode] ON
We all have headlights that point at the road del
[Having to explain the joke to Del mode] OFF
Noted in the wee black book D3 57 xs Stornaway grey
D2 02 commercial silver gone but a great servant and won't be forgotten
Iid Bluetooth
23rd Sep 2015 5:54 pm
JMack
Member Since: 02 Aug 2014
Location: Edinburgh
Posts: 1517
SpikeUK wrote:
Perhaps I should be a little clearer - I can see further down the road on dipped headlamps than I can on mains. This is because my main beams are pointing down and lighting up the road surface 8 metres infront of the car.
That doesn't make much sense, as others have said the fill in halogens should come on and the Xenon shutters should raise when on hi-beam.
So one question is, do the fill in lights come on?
And do the Xenons stay on?
SpikeUK wrote:
I was asking if this should have been an MOT failure.
The hi-beam isn't to my knowledge tested for direction or aim, just operation.
I guess there is a supposition that if the dip-beam is aligned correctly then the hi-beam will be as well.
23rd Sep 2015 6:01 pm
M3DPO
Member Since: 22 Sep 2010
Location: Notts.
Posts: 8243
Re: Headlamps pointing at road
SpikeUK wrote:
My 2006 Discovery 3 as just passed its MOT - to my surprise. The problem is that when the headlamps are on main beam, they both are pointing directly at the road, about 8 metres ahead, which makes for interesting driving at night.
Did you get them off EBay?- probably Australian spec. It can when others can't,
It will when others won't,
It goes where others don't.
23rd Sep 2015 6:48 pm
DDDad
Member Since: 10 Jan 2015
Location: Angus
Posts: 1201
SpikeUK wrote:
I can see further down the road on headlamps than I can on mains. This is because my main beams are pointing down and lighting up the road surface 8 metres infront of the car.
Stupid idea, but...is there any way the dipped/main-beam settings could be reversed, eg. by using the wrong bulbs and/or fitting them upside down? Went for a job as a human cannonball. Not the right calibre.
Last edited by DDDad on 23rd Sep 2015 9:48 pm. Edited 1 time in total
23rd Sep 2015 9:36 pm
Smudger
Member Since: 16 Aug 2013
Location: Herefordshire
Posts: 74
Pretty sure that your bulbs are all checked for function ie light up when supposed to. The dipped beam is then checked for correct cut off on the beam tester. So no the main beam would not be checked for MOT like your reverse light is not checked eitherNever argue with an idiot! They will bring you down to their level, Then win with experience!!
I can see further down the road on headlamps than I can on mains. This is because my main beams are pointing down and lighting up the road surface 8 metres infront of the car.
Stupid idea, but...is there any way the dipped/main-beam settings could be reversed, eg. by using the wrong bulbs and/or fitting them upside down?
The main/dip of the xenon projectors is controlled by a shutter, and the secondary H7 beams are main only anyway, so it's a real mind-boggler...
Only scenario I can see that fits is if the lights are swivelling themselves down. I would be checking for any connection between the main beam feed and the levelling wiring (pins 5, 6, 7 & 8 on the headlamp connector). I imagine it would cause faults to be stored on the AFS ECU too. It may be something else but I can't see any other way that fits...Current: Discovery 3 06MY (55 reg) HSE Auto Zambezi Silver Allisport Fast Road Intercooler, V8 Brakes, Silicone IC Hoses, EGRs Blanked, Remapped, De-Cat pipe, FBHIC
Freelander 2 2007 HSE Manual Tambora Flame
Previous: FL2 56 reg SE Manual Black (written off )
Disco 3 06 reg B7S Manual Rimini Red
Disco 2 TD5 Y reg ES Manual Blue - Chipped
Several Discovery 300 TDis
24th Sep 2015 8:26 am
SpikeUK
Member Since: 21 Sep 2015
Location: Bodmin
Posts: 32
Thanks for all the replies - this has turned out to be a more interesting thread than I expected.
Anyway, I've done more investigations, and must confess that I made a slight error - it's only the driver's side headlamp that's faulty, the passenger side is OK. I drove up to within a few feet of a wall in the dark and compared the lamps.
On dipped, both xenon lamps are perfectly aligned and must be right as they just passed the MOT.
On main, both xenons are still perfectly aligned, the shutters worked, but the left halogen main beam is pointing correctly while the right halogen main beam is hitting the wall about 18 inches below the level of the left. On the road, this translates to the right main beam hitting the road about 8 metres ahead of the car.
So I adjusted the drivers side adjuster to bring the main beam up alongside the other main beam. Unfortunately, this also raised the xenon beam up - dipped and main, resulting in a serious dazzling hazard to oncoming traffic, so I had to wind the adjuster back to where it was. I was hoping that the adaptive mechanism would keep the xenon level as the headlamp unit was moved, but no.
So what I think may have happened is that the drivers side xenon projector gimbal unit (or whatever it's called) has stuck in the "up" position. The MOT examiner has adjusted the headlamp unit downwards to bring the dipped beam to the right place, which has had the effect of driving the main beam into the road, which didn't worry him as he didn't test the main beam.
Is this a possibility? And can the gimbal be unstuck? I understand its driven by stepper motors. I gently put my finger on the back of the xenon bulb and found that it moved easily from side to side, but there's no movement up and down.
I suppose I might be looking for a second hand headlamp yet.
Have you checked that the bulb is seated correctly?
If the unit were stuck, I'd expect the AFS MIL to illuminate.Current: Discovery 3 06MY (55 reg) HSE Auto Zambezi Silver Allisport Fast Road Intercooler, V8 Brakes, Silicone IC Hoses, EGRs Blanked, Remapped, De-Cat pipe, FBHIC
Freelander 2 2007 HSE Manual Tambora Flame
Previous: FL2 56 reg SE Manual Black (written off )
Disco 3 06 reg B7S Manual Rimini Red
Disco 2 TD5 Y reg ES Manual Blue - Chipped
Several Discovery 300 TDis
28th Sep 2015 8:41 am
SpikeUK
Member Since: 21 Sep 2015
Location: Bodmin
Posts: 32
I've just taken the bulb out and it looks OK. It's an Osram 64210L, I assume that's the correct bulb? Thanks
Have you opened it up to check if the unit's moving freely?Current: Discovery 3 06MY (55 reg) HSE Auto Zambezi Silver Allisport Fast Road Intercooler, V8 Brakes, Silicone IC Hoses, EGRs Blanked, Remapped, De-Cat pipe, FBHIC
Freelander 2 2007 HSE Manual Tambora Flame
Previous: FL2 56 reg SE Manual Black (written off )
Disco 3 06 reg B7S Manual Rimini Red
Disco 2 TD5 Y reg ES Manual Blue - Chipped
Several Discovery 300 TDis
28th Sep 2015 3:26 pm
armalites
Member Since: 17 Aug 2013
Location: Herefordshire
Posts: 1918
Try swapping the the main beam bulbs around,local MOT place say that dodgy bulbs can cause alignment issues but usually it would be obvious like they are bent.IID PRO
MSV Extreme
Nanocom One
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum
Stupid idea, but...is there any way the dipped/main-beam settings could be reversed, eg. by using the wrong bulbs and/or fitting them upside down? 
Allisport Fast Road Intercooler, V8 Brakes, Silicone IC Hoses, EGRs Blanked, Remapped, De-Cat pipe, FBHIC
)
