Member Since: 21 Oct 2007
Location: Ashbourne, Derbyshire
Posts: 78
Xenons and Adjustment
I've retrofited the xenons over the standard Halogens. Interestingly the lights are not adjusted correctly.
Having reviewed all the posts the info appears to vary from not adjustable to having levelling motors, surely the air suspension does this.
Anyhow I definitely have an issue as the right light is spot on when dipped but the left is considerably lower and if both were like this I would suggest the car would be undriveable.
Therefore could someone explain how they do or don't adjust or have I got a duff light as in it's current state it isn't right.
I'm pretty happy they are correctly located on the mounting lugs.
Comments and advice would be welcomed.
27th Oct 2007 10:54 am
CFB
Member Since: 02 Dec 2005
Location: Bradford, West Yorkshire
Posts: 6100
There are some beam adjuster nuts on the back of the units, white plastic surround and I think an 8 or 9mm nut.2020 BMW X1 18d XDrive X-Line Auto
27th Oct 2007 1:57 pm
caverD3
Member Since: 03 Jul 2006
Location: Oberon, NSW
Posts: 6922
You may just be noticing the difference between Zenons and halogens.
Zenons use a siding shade and give a definate cut off with no light spillage.
See how the are after afew night drives.“There are only three sports: bullfighting, motor racing, and mountaineering; all the rest are merely gamesâ€
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27th Oct 2007 1:57 pm
catweasel
Member Since: 05 May 2006
Location: Bundaleer
Posts: 4805
are the lights european spec or UK
27th Oct 2007 2:33 pm
Fish
Member Since: 21 Oct 2007
Location: Ashbourne, Derbyshire
Posts: 78
They are UK spec Halogens. The difference is definitely the difference in adjustment. I'll have a look for an adjuster nut tomorrow. That would make sense as I believe they level with the air suspension...ie they are rigidly fixed.
It definitely is adjustment as one is considerably higher than the other.
Cheers
27th Oct 2007 6:16 pm
DSL Keeper of the wheelie bin
Member Since: 11 May 2006
Location: Off again! :-)
Posts: 72798
Fish, U not a Marillion fan??? Or the great Prog Rock God himself???
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27th Oct 2007 7:53 pm
gazzab
Member Since: 21 Oct 2007
Location: Holmfirth
Posts: 397
keep us posted - I may order some xenons too. (Did you hear back from pistonheads guy re the parts? I think he wants too much money and he is miles away).
28th Oct 2007 10:33 am
countrywide
Member Since: 16 Sep 2007
Location: UK
Posts: 6019
Not sure how the Land Rover one's work, but the law states you must have self adjusting and washers for xenon lights. On my Alfa 156 car there was a sensor which was used to measure ride height and the lights had motors to adjust the level. You could tell it was working because when you switched on the lights they went up and down once and then settled on the right level.
No idea how they work on the Land Rover, but mine had to be calibrated by the dealer using a diagnostic laptop.
As the air suspension is meant to level the car I guess you wouldn't need this as the lights could be fixed.
When I put my MG in for it's MOT a couple of weeks ago they said the nearside lamp was too low (self adjusting xenon)
Had forgot to put it back to UK setting after coming back from the continent
The factory adaptive Bi-Xenons on the RRS are adjustable from left to right hand drive and it does make a bit of a diffrence in beam pattern, when set for UK then left lamp shines much higher and to the left of the vehicle while the right has a sharp cut off to the right. On being set to drive on the right the right hand lamp shines higher and more to the right and the left has the sharp cutoff.
The first time driving at night along country lanes was an experience, I thought I was going to go crosseyed with the way the beams move with the steering input. Coupled with the fog and driving lamps they are great, like daylight
28th Oct 2007 2:25 pm
stapldm
Member Since: 11 Sep 2006
Location: Swine Town
Posts: 2330
Are you talking about the adaptive bi-xenons?
If so, they do a self check 'dance' when you start the engine, and continually adjust themselves during driving. If you're braking behind a car or lorry you can see the beam pattern dip as the front suspension compresses, then you can see the servos 'step' the beam back to level. When you stop the suspension un-compresses and the light pattern raises for an instant, and then in two or three steps the beam moves down again.
These leveling adjustments usually take less than approx 0.5 seconds to complete so you have to watch for them. I would guess that these lamps need to be adjusted by the dealers with a laptop, so that the lighting control unit knows where "level" is for the tilt of the car measured by the difference between the front and back suspension travel.
Chances are high that someone with a laptop also needs to tell the car that they are fitted in the first place.
If you have fixed xenons, then I found this after some googling:
The headlamps have two adjustment screws on the rear which allow for the manual setting of the vertical and horizontal alignment. The adjustment screws have to be turned equal amounts to maintain the correlation in the vertical axis only. There is no horizontal adjustment.
The following safety precautions must be followed when working on the xenon headlamp system:
�� DO NOT attempt any procedures on the xenon headlamps when the lights are switched on.
�� Handling of the D2S Xenon bulb must be performed using suitable protective equipment, e.g. gloves and goggles.
The glass part of the bulb must not be touched.
�� Xenon bulbs must be disposed of as hazardous waste.
�� Only operate the lamp in a mounted condition in the reflector.
I'm not quite sure how you're supposed to align the beams AND not have the lamps switched on though Dr. Ian Malcolm:
"Yeah, but your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should."
Transgenic tomato anyone?
28th Oct 2007 2:59 pm
Fish
Member Since: 21 Oct 2007
Location: Ashbourne, Derbyshire
Posts: 78
Right all adjusted now.
For future reference there are two screws which are 8mm with a ratchet like washer underneath. These adjust the diagonal plane of the lights so both have to be tightened for up and both loosened for down. This will also allow you to level the light slightly.
Anyhow now done and fine.
The easy way to adjust them is to move the screws and leaving the ligh plugged in hold it back into place and check the light pattern then pull out and re adjust etc etc. The nuts are quite difficult to get to when the light is fitted.
Hope that helps folks.
29th Oct 2007 8:33 pm
CFB
Member Since: 02 Dec 2005
Location: Bradford, West Yorkshire
Posts: 6100
cotefarmboy wrote:
There are some beam adjuster nuts on the back of the units, white plastic surround and I think an 8 or 9mm nut.
I refer to my original post 2020 BMW X1 18d XDrive X-Line Auto
29th Oct 2007 8:58 pm
Fish
Member Since: 21 Oct 2007
Location: Ashbourne, Derbyshire
Posts: 78
Nope didn't dispute it! just thought I'd confirm you're right....
Must admit it does work a lot better now I have two correctly adjusted lights
29th Oct 2007 10:33 pm
gazzab
Member Since: 21 Oct 2007
Location: Holmfirth
Posts: 397
well done, can you pop round to mine and fit some for me..........?
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