markpm

Hi all,

Fitted some new bulbs a couple of weeks ago, and as they are now 'legal' ones I think the alignment needs doing.

I can see approx the great distance of 10 feet in front of the car when they're dipped at the moment!!!! which is no good whatsoever as Im sure you'll agree. And I cant see a bleedin thing!
Full beam only gives me about 20 feet!!

Also the passenger side beam seems to be slightly more 'behind' the drivers side when reflected on the road.
I thought this was supposed to be the other way round on dip, so that you can still see the wall/hedge on passenger side, but drivers side is lower to prevent blinding?

Anyway, it possible I can do this myself?
Is there any 'special' method for doing it?
And where are the adjustments?

guppy

Pop your car down to an mot station they will be able to do it for you for the price of a drink.

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Agree. MoT stations will do it for abt £5, and at that price, it's not worth p*ssing about trying to do it yourself, in the dark, on a cold windswept, rainy carpark etc etc................:
Alcazar

markpm

...down a hole, with an owl.....!

Yeah ok, but we dont have an 'MOT' station over here as such, as we dont have MOTs!
We do have a 'Vehicle Testing Centre' which doubles up as where you take your driving test/where the examiners live etc, but Ive never heard of them doing headlight alignment before...

Any of the local lads know if they'll do it for me up there?

Ta
Mark...

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

OK then, local garage with beam setting equipment. Most have it, whether they do MoT's or not.
Alcazar

Carlos-Fandango

It may be the different type of bulbs.

i had exactly the same snag and I adjusted them right up ( it took for ever!) and the vision still wasn't as good as I had hoped. When a bulb blew I fitted a different make and I had to adjust them right back down again as they were searching for aliens!!!!!

So check they are seated properly (not wanting to insult your intellegence but they may not have located properly) and try a different bulb to so if it is your new ones that are way out.

Hope this helps

Carlos

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Have to agree with Carlos too. I remember reading an Auto Express comparison of uprated bulbs, and many were marked down due to manufacturing tolerances that put the filament in the wrong place, and the light all over!
Standard bulbs will be the same, IMHO. You only have to have a bulb SLIGHTLY mis-seated, or the filament SLIGHTLY off before the light output is cr*p.
Alcazar

Apple

Try this general method...

Set your correct tire pressure, and then park the car on a flat surface facing a wall, parking 25 feet away. Measure from the ground to the center of each headlamp and mark this spot on the wall. Measure the distance between the headlamps and mark this on the wall. Turn the lamps on. Center the high beam on the mark on the wall. Stand behind the car and make sure the beam is parallel to the direction of travel of the car. Check your adjustment by switching to low beam. The low beam horizontal cut-off should fall about three inches at 25 ft. below your mark on the wall for the center of the headlamps. Finally, take a test drive, as aiming is partially a matter of personal taste and vision.

Apple (thanks to Nick )

markpm

Cool!

Thats great advise thanks...

And yes, I had thought they may not have located properly myself. Not looking forward to reseating them TBH as it was quite a fiddly job all in all!