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Author Topic: HID lights too low  (Read 3252 times)

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Bionic

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HID lights too low
« on: 31 July 2012, 09:13:49 »

Presumably the two height sensors on the Elite work by the front adjusting the HID headlight height and the rear one being for the air assisted suspension.
If that is not correct please put me right.
If the front one is for the light height does anyone know which way to adjust the link arm on the front height sensor?
Needless to say I do not want to risk using the adjusters in the lamps themselves knowing how fragile they are and the godawful job of repairing them if they snap.
Cheers
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Brikhead

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Re: HID lights too low
« Reply #1 on: 31 July 2012, 10:37:58 »

Presumably the two height sensors on the Elite work by the front adjusting the HID headlight height and the rear one being for the air assisted suspension.
If that is not correct please put me right.
If the front one is for the light height does anyone know which way to adjust the link arm on the front height sensor?
Needless to say I do not want to risk using the adjusters in the lamps themselves knowing how fragile they are and the godawful job of repairing them if they snap.
Cheers

No Mate, the lights use two sensors one at the front and one at the back (separate to the air suspension) to determine where the lights should be pointing...
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Bionic

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Re: HID lights too low
« Reply #2 on: 31 July 2012, 10:50:22 »

 :) Might be good news then if it means that both must be altered. Just need to know which way to adjust the link arm (longer or shorter) on each sensor.
That said from where does the air suspension take its sensing because there are no other sensors on it apart from those two?
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RobG

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Re: HID lights too low
« Reply #3 on: 31 July 2012, 10:53:44 »

:) Might be good news then if it means that both must be altered. Just need to know which way to adjust the link arm (longer or shorter) on each sensor.
That said from where does the air suspension take its sensing because there are no other sensors on it apart from those two?
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Re: HID lights too low
« Reply #4 on: 31 July 2012, 10:54:29 »

:) Might be good news then if it means that both must be altered. Just need to know which way to adjust the link arm (longer or shorter) on each sensor.
That said from where does the air suspension take its sensing because there are no other sensors on it apart from those two?
Non adjustable
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Kevin Wood

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Re: HID lights too low
« Reply #5 on: 31 July 2012, 11:08:23 »

If the lights aren't levelling correctly but previously were then something has gone wrong to cause it.

I would start by inspecting the front and rear sensors, including the electrical connectors. One of mine got a dodgy connection which caused the lights to drop low at times (not badly enough for the ECU to detect a fault). Cleaned the connector with a drop of switch cleaner and it was fine.
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Bionic

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Re: HID lights too low
« Reply #6 on: 31 July 2012, 11:31:19 »

Strange indeed. The rear shocks were changed (Monroes) prior to my buying it. The rear springs have now been changed for the non-barrel type parallel heavier coiled ones (which now give a far better ride and have not  regularly snapped at the eye as did the supposed correct ones even without haevy loads or harsh driving) so there is no air adjustment and the pump was disconnected.
On my old mig the link arm at the front kept popping off until I renewed it and that gave me an error message on the display. I have popped the same one off temporarily on this one and the same message appears until it is put back on. That proves that that front one is for the lights and not the suspension.
If there are two at the rear then only one must be for the suspension and the other must be for the headlight height.
Best way now I think would be to pop off the links one at a time and see which gives an error reading for the lights then do a trial and error adjust until the dip beams are where they should be.
Last resort will be to bin the HID's and retro fit normal units and use the xenon type bulbs. That said, apart from the air adjusting suspansion that I have no use foranyway  I do prefer to keep the car as original as possible.
How about that for a solution ::)?
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Kevin Wood

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Re: HID lights too low
« Reply #7 on: 31 July 2012, 11:49:03 »

The rear HID sensor location is shown in the picture RobG posted above. Just forward of the nearside rear wheel. You can get it it easily enough just by laying next to the car and reaching up in front of the wheel.

I wouldn't adjust the beams. If there's a problem with the levelling they will probably end up too high once it's resolved and the adjusters are fragile.

I also wouldn't remove the system. HID headlights require levelling to prevent dazzle and MOT requirements are starting to tighten regarding having a working levelling system.

If you can get the car to a tech 2 it should be straightforward to find the problem.
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Bionic

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Re: HID lights too low
« Reply #8 on: 31 July 2012, 13:35:21 »

Hm, It just seems like the beams on mine were set too low in the first place because when it is side by side with my m8's the difference in beam length is a good 40m shorter yet both passed the mot within a week of each other last year. The same test station and tester was used too. I suppose the next best thing would be to try to leave the lights on and then see what effect moving the link arm has. If none then it likely points to the actuators. The only thing then is that its a bit of a coincidence for both to go at the same time.
40m is long way when you are required to brake after seeing a problem..........
Ah well, nothing ventured nothing gained they say  ???
I have code reader and it shows no codes apart from the ones when I took the battery off which I then cleared. Just been out and hooked it up again and its clear.
If it don't work the first time try try again..........here we go (when it gets dry again)
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TheBoy

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Re: HID lights too low
« Reply #9 on: 31 July 2012, 20:03:30 »

The ECU may need recalibration if the suspension has been dramatically changed. Once this procedure has been done, get a garage to manually adjust the beam, assuming the adjusters aren't mangled.
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Bionic

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Re: HID lights too low
« Reply #10 on: 01 August 2012, 05:54:00 »

Forgot to say that the springs are the same height and the shocks were a direct replacement. No modifications, its still within the manufacturers ride height specs. so will try to adjust the links and see what happens.  ;)
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Nick W

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Re: HID lights too low
« Reply #11 on: 01 August 2012, 12:00:46 »

Hm, It just seems like the beams on mine were set too low in the first place because when it is side by side with my m8's the difference in beam length is a good 40m shorter yet both passed the mot within a week of each other last year. The same test station and tester was used too. I suppose the next best thing would be to try to leave the lights on and then see what effect moving the link arm has. If none then it likely points to the actuators. The only thing then is that its a bit of a coincidence for both to go at the same time.


The MOT alignment test isn't to check how well they are set, but is only to check that they aren't set to dazzle other road users.
So as long as they don't fall into the proscribed areas, the car will pass.
If you want to actually use your lights to see where you are going, then you have to adjust them until that is the case. At which point, it might fail an MOT as everybody has a different idea of what they want to see.
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Re: HID lights too low
« Reply #12 on: 01 August 2012, 18:15:29 »

Hm, It just seems like the beams on mine were set too low in the first place because when it is side by side with my m8's the difference in beam length is a good 40m shorter yet both passed the mot within a week of each other last year. The same test station and tester was used too. I suppose the next best thing would be to try to leave the lights on and then see what effect moving the link arm has. If none then it likely points to the actuators. The only thing then is that its a bit of a coincidence for both to go at the same time.


The MOT alignment test isn't to check how well they are set, but is only to check that they aren't set to dazzle other road users.
So as long as they don't fall into the proscribed areas, the car will pass.
If you want to actually use your lights to see where you are going, then you have to adjust them until that is the case. At which point, it might fail an MOT as everybody has a different idea of what they want to see.
The MOT checks the level and pattern is within an allowable tolerance, including being too high or too low. And its a good job too. Around here, the selfish retards think its OK to manually adjust them high so they can see where they are going, and sod everyone else.
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Bionic

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Re: HID lights too low
« Reply #13 on: 02 August 2012, 06:53:11 »

RETARDS; I love that expression  ;D.
 :y I agree with you on that one but that is not my intention. Mine are really at the bottom end of the test pass limit and really do need to be lifted. I have to use high beam far more than I did on my other one (same system) just to see a reasonable distance ahead. It makes the test a joke in some aspects looked at that way.
I bet if we put both our migs side by side your beams would be way longer than mine. I think my main beam limit is about near to where you would expect the dipped ones to be.
As for the fools who purposly set theirs far too high it only shows they are tying to drive beyond their limit of skill! Saw a good demonstration of it a few weeks ago when a young wally in an Insignia that was probably his parents went flying past me, probably to see if his could beat a 3.0 and thought he could speed through a clearly signed safety chicane ahead,  ;D ;D :D he got through the first post and ran smack into the next dead centre. The concrete post was uprooted from its two foot deep sunken base and thrown a good ten foot forward. I stopped to see if the idiot was ok, secretly hoping he was for the lesson. Looking at the damage he had definitely wrote his? car off and the local bobby's who then arrived from the opposite direction gave him what for and took him away. With luck he will have to retake his test and be jailed for good measure.
How the hell do these idiots get passed their test in the first place?
No doubt within an extended period of time the chicane will ventually be repaired and once again the taxpayer will pick up the cost.  :-\
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Re: HID lights too low
« Reply #14 on: 06 January 2014, 15:51:55 »

is it possible to se that the front and rear sensors are working with the tech 2 ?

I have software

so if i connect it and take a drive, some of the sensors should be changing when going over a speedbump ?

and if so, what should the neutral value be ?

If I acutate the front sensor to the max, lights should be low ?
If I actuate the rear sensor to the max, lights should be high ?
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