[Lazza]

Hi Guys,

I'm being flashed at night by pretty much every oncoming car, and with the nights drawing in I'm finding myself driving in the dark every day now.

I have read that my headlights can't be adjusted? Is this rubbish?

The throw of the beam is DEF far too high, there isn't much difference between low and full beam (apart from lighting up teh sky a bit!).

Could it be something to do with the fact that I have lowered my car 30mm?? Is the car automatically adjusting the lamps to compensate for this?

Help greatly appreciated.

[Subzero2003]

Do a search, this was covered only a couple of weeks ago.

[doughboy]

Go to any garage / MOT place and pay them a few quid to do it for you.

It's a 2 minute job.

[Lazza]

Yep found the post, and I see where the adjustment screw is now!

I did think it would be a simple job, but I read a LOAD of stuff online about how you couldn't do it and that they were self leveling?!

Cheers guys

[xenon]

They are self-levelling but you still have an overall adjustment. Most likely though is that whoever changed the suspension broke off the level sensor arm on the o/s/f or o/s/r lower suspension arm, as they're pretty flimsy.

[Lazza]

Originally Posted by xenon

They are self-levelling but you still have an overall adjustment. Most likely though is that whoever changed the suspension broke off the level sensor arm on the o/s/f or o/s/r lower suspension arm, as they're pretty flimsy.

So, hypothetically, if the sensor has been broken off, it could mean that my headlights are stuck in an 'up' position?

They do go 'up' further when I select full beam, but only to light the sky up as they are so high already..........

[doughboy]

I can understand that, when I took mine for the MOT, the chap did tell me that my lights were a little high, but even he said "you can't adjust them mate, they're set in the factory".

I showed him the adjustment screws, but he still said they weren't adjustable, so I lowered them a bit myself.

Oh and he also said "we don't have the right computer for testing adaptive headlights mate" so they just ignored that bit.

[doughboy]

Originally Posted by Lazza

So, hypothetically, if the sensor has been broken off, it could mean that my headlights are stuck in an 'up' position?

They do go 'up' further when I select full beam, but only to light the sky up as they are so high already..........

If the sensor is broken or disconnected, the lights should default to the fully down (low position) for safety.

You'll know this as the beam will shine about 5 feet infront of the car!

You need to get it checked on a ramp as its too much of a coincidence that its been lowered too.

[xenon]

Yes it could me exactly that. The sensor arm is a ball-joint with a push fit - they sometimes come loose and can just be pushed back on.

[xenon]

Originally Posted by doughboy

If the sensor is broken or disconnected, the lights should default to the fully down (low position) for safety.

You'll know this as the beam will shine about 5 feet infront of the car!

You need to get it checked on a ramp as its too much of a coincidence that its been lowered too.

Only if the reading is implausible - on my e46 the arm was set as if the nose was pitched down permanently and the beams moved up to compensate.

[doughboy]

Yes fair enough, if the sensor arm is in a valid, but wrong, position the system won't know.

I was thinking back to when my front arms were changed to M3 items and we had to wait for the M3 levelling linkage to arrive, the garage unplugged the levelling sensor, so the system put the lights into safety dip.

If a rear linkage is disconnected, the weight will pull the sensor arm DOWN which will give the impression the rear is UP (i.e. nose down) and the car wil raise the headlights.

If a front linage is off, it will think the front is UP i.e. nose UP, and it will lower the lights.?

OP - still needs looking at!

[Lazza]

Right, after work i'm attacking them with a Phillips head.

If that doesn't work, i'll get my indy guy to take a look at my sensor when i'm in for a wheel bearing and MOT next week

[Lazza]

Sorted : )

[AWBimmer]

Had this problem with mine and it's a very simple 2 minute DIY task under the hood or, like someone said take it to any MOT and they will do it next to nothing for future ref :-)

[Lazza]

Originally Posted by AWBimmer

Had this problem with mine and it's a very simple 2 minute DIY task under the hood or, like someone said take it to any MOT and they will do it next to nothing for future ref :-)

Yeah thanks, sorted it last night. Had to do about 10 full turns on each!?

[335DEE]

http://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=389548