Member Since: 16 Jan 2007
Location: Hornchurch Essex
Posts: 1789
Headlight shadows
My 12MY D4 has Xenon / Halogen headlamps so on a recent trip to France I adjusted the dipped beam via the lever beside the xenon bulb. On returning home I changed them back and found a shadow is formed within the beam. It becomes obvious when high beam is selected and has a pronounced shape. On dipped beam it isn't visible. I tried to reset the levers and they both seem seated in their furthest position and don't seem to be seized at all. I am aware that when the lights are on full beam and I park facing the front of my house the shadow patterns are the same each side. When I cover the eyeball type lens the problem shadow disappears so it must be the xenons causing the problem.
Anyone any ideas as to what I should do. I have another trip to France on Friday and don't fancy the prospect of having my line of sight obscured by the shadow. I've attached an image of the shadow which is visible on both headlights but only one is shown here.
Any help is much appreciated.
Cheers
Huw
FFRR 2017 4.4SDV8 Autobiography. Cost so much I must be mad!
D4 HSE 2012 Like a second wife, more expensive but goes better! I almost cried this time!
D3 HSE 2006 (Almost 8 years together, true love)
Land Cruiser VX 1994 11 years together, wife cried when I p/ex'd for my D3
19th Oct 2015 10:14 am
fisherman
Member Since: 16 Jan 2007
Location: Hornchurch Essex
Posts: 1789
Doesn't anyone know what this is?
Help please!
FFRR 2017 4.4SDV8 Autobiography. Cost so much I must be mad!
D4 HSE 2012 Like a second wife, more expensive but goes better! I almost cried this time!
D3 HSE 2006 (Almost 8 years together, true love)
Land Cruiser VX 1994 11 years together, wife cried when I p/ex'd for my D3
19th Oct 2015 5:41 pm
lynalldiscovery
Member Since: 22 Dec 2009
Location: Maidstone
Posts: 7274
Whats it actually like on the road?
19th Oct 2015 5:44 pm
fisherman
Member Since: 16 Jan 2007
Location: Hornchurch Essex
Posts: 1789
Pretty poor to be honest. It shows itself as a shadow across most of the beam at the straight ahead point thereby ruining the distance the light is thrown.FFRR 2017 4.4SDV8 Autobiography. Cost so much I must be mad!
D4 HSE 2012 Like a second wife, more expensive but goes better! I almost cried this time!
D3 HSE 2006 (Almost 8 years together, true love)
Land Cruiser VX 1994 11 years together, wife cried when I p/ex'd for my D3
19th Oct 2015 6:07 pm
lynalldiscovery
Member Since: 22 Dec 2009
Location: Maidstone
Posts: 7274
Ive not had one apart but could the hi/low beam shutter have come adrift when you were working the lhd/rhd switch?
19th Oct 2015 6:24 pm
fisherman
Member Since: 16 Jan 2007
Location: Hornchurch Essex
Posts: 1789
Both lights are exactly the same, I'd understand if it was just one. The eyeball lens seems to have a bright bit on the lens itself when viewed from above but that may be normal as I haven't looked closely before (Both lamps). Looking into the lamp I can see the shutter (I assume thats what it is) but can't operate them in place that I'm aware of. When I tried to muck about with them switched on I blew a halogen bulb, much to my annoyance. Just seems a bit rubbish compared to being ok previously. Another trip to France may see something change, who knows. FFRR 2017 4.4SDV8 Autobiography. Cost so much I must be mad!
D4 HSE 2012 Like a second wife, more expensive but goes better! I almost cried this time!
D3 HSE 2006 (Almost 8 years together, true love)
Land Cruiser VX 1994 11 years together, wife cried when I p/ex'd for my D3
19th Oct 2015 6:33 pm
blackbeltbob
Member Since: 07 Feb 2007
Location: Troon
Posts: 366
mine does this on high beam. I just thought it was the LED running lights in the way. it is annoying though.
20th Oct 2015 11:01 am
fisherman
Member Since: 16 Jan 2007
Location: Hornchurch Essex
Posts: 1789
It's only started doing it since I swapped over to LHD for France. The shadow is in the straight ahead position so effectively ruins the distance the light is thrown. Wish I could get it sorted coz it's really winding me up. My bunny murdering has halved!FFRR 2017 4.4SDV8 Autobiography. Cost so much I must be mad!
D4 HSE 2012 Like a second wife, more expensive but goes better! I almost cried this time!
D3 HSE 2006 (Almost 8 years together, true love)
Land Cruiser VX 1994 11 years together, wife cried when I p/ex'd for my D3
20th Oct 2015 11:07 am
lynalldiscovery
Member Since: 22 Dec 2009
Location: Maidstone
Posts: 7274
Parke up against a fence this morning on way home and noticed my shadows are the same as yours!
Not as pronounced as yours but that could be the fence masking that?
Last edited by lynalldiscovery on 20th Oct 2015 3:41 pm. Edited 2 times in total
20th Oct 2015 3:03 pm
fisherman
Member Since: 16 Jan 2007
Location: Hornchurch Essex
Posts: 1789
I need to get a picture of the light spread at night to show the real effect over distance.FFRR 2017 4.4SDV8 Autobiography. Cost so much I must be mad!
D4 HSE 2012 Like a second wife, more expensive but goes better! I almost cried this time!
D3 HSE 2006 (Almost 8 years together, true love)
Land Cruiser VX 1994 11 years together, wife cried when I p/ex'd for my D3
20th Oct 2015 3:05 pm
muffet
Member Since: 01 Aug 2013
Location: telford
Posts: 16
Fisherman,
I found that I had a similar problem sometime after I had been to France, then I remembered that I had not reset the lights. For the UK the headlight levers should be up in the horizontal position. Apologies if you already know this and you have checked that yours are!
22nd Oct 2015 5:55 pm
lynalldiscovery
Member Since: 22 Dec 2009
Location: Maidstone
Posts: 7274
I did notice my headlamp spread is virtually flat with no kick up to the left so maybe mine are still in lhd mode, might explain why I think the headlamps have to short a range?
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