Headlight aim

[Bez]

I'm not too impressed with the headlight aim at the moment. It seems to be too close for my liking and doesn't show the road as I think it should.

I've read through some posts here but not found a solution.

Looking through the on-board computer, it allows options for altering the indicator repeater from 1 to 3 and so forth. Is there a route on the on-board computer to adjust the headlight aim?

 

[ronk]

Not to my knowledge.

 

[Busterboo]

Next time you're near a BMW AD, go in and ask them to adjust the beams. Sytner's did mine while I waited. No charge and they gave me a cup of decent coffee.

 

[flybobbie]

You can adjust manually, just look down behind the headlamps, there is a white object with a hexagon hole in it.
I just recently had my car MOT and from the paper work it initially failed the MOT due to the beams being too high, so they adjusted them and past the car.
Although it has never failed in the past when checked by a different tester person, at the same garage the last 3 MOTs.
So i am now back to the dangerous situation that the beams are too low, so i intend in the next few weeks to wind back up at least the nearside lamp.

I did wonder if there is a way to hack into the levers and fit say a third leveller in the cockpit, so that could be manually turned to set the beam, as i think my car at speed ducks under and the beam then falls short. The adjusters work if the bonnet lifts on acceleration, but would be nice if i could manually set them at speed.
Wondering if a variable resistance was added, could manually adjust the lamp aim.
But i think this diagram is very simplistic of what is actually going on inside the sensor.

 

[ronk]

I suppose the question should be asked, why has the headlight beam gone wrong?
Is it one if those sensors gone belly up? In which case adjustments are only going to mask the problem.

 

[flybobbie]

https://www.hella.com/techworld/uk/Technical/Automotive-lighting/Headlight-adjustment-835/
The section 2(5) and 5 is interesting.

Wondered what that was cast into the lamp housing.
Think i will check my beams on a white wall at work with my trusty tape measure.
Simply method would be my 3 foot spirit level. On a flat surface measure height of beam at the lamp, go back 10m and measure beam height.

 

[Nick9one1]

My headlights are pointing very low at the moment. I scanned the car with ISTA-D and get an error 'Front ride height level sensor'.

It looks like the plug has come off the sensor and hit the wheel, smashing it to pieces.

I guess the default position for headlights is low if there is a level sensor error.

 

[Bez]

Lights are adjusting on start up so assume the system is working. Just not high enough..

Driving in the dark is becoming scary.. going to take it to a specialist.

 

[Nick9one1]

You're correct that the lights are self leveling. But the level thay self adjust to is set by a set-scew just like non levelling headlights.

If you open the bonnet there are two white plastic Allen key sockets on top of the headlights. Turn them one way to raise, the other to lower.

Loads of guides online as to how high the beam should be. - Just park 25ft from a wall, measure the correct beam hight and adjust until correct.

 

[Chuffer]

Since March 2016 the Mot rules changed about headlight aim. Since then the Mot testers have been busy adjusting down most vehicle headlights when carrying out a Mot. Some to ridiculous levels so that driving with dipped headlights is almost dangerous as you can't see far enough ahead even at 30mph. There are two settings, those for vehicles with headlights under 850mm high & those for headlights that are above 850mm from the ground. I do wonder if some testers are looking at the wrong lines, as usual the government have made a simple thing complicated!

 

[Bez]

You're correct that the lights are self leveling. But the level thay self adjust to is set by a set-scew just like non levelling headlights.

If you open the bonnet there are two white plastic Allen key sockets on top of the headlights. Turn them one way to raise, the other to lower.

Loads of guides online as to how high the beam should be. - Just park 25ft from a wall, measure the correct beam hight and adjust until correct.

It's worth a shot.. cheers

 

[Bez]

All levelled at local garage and working. Vast improvement driving at night.

 

[x-driver]

I'm in search for a new headlight levelling sensor.

Does anyone have experience with buying an aftermarket sensor? Do they work fine or should I buy an original one?