Headlight Adjustment???????????

[stinkysteve]

Hi folks,

The Elise failed it's MOT on Friday, and after a weekend spent changing brake pads and bulbs, the only thing it failed on was the headlights being too high.

I searched seloc techwiki, and i have a copy of the workshop manual. I have found references to removal and refitting, easy enough, accessed from the front arch. Also found details on adjustment for driving abroad, by covering the top of the beam with a neat inbuilt adapter.

However i couldn't find anything specific on height adjustment.

Any ideas? Anyone failed an MOT before for headlights too high? are they adjustable?

Many thanks for any help.

Steve

[Gooby]

Yep, mine failed on headlights a couple of weeks ago.
It is no problem to adjust.
Remove the headlight cover. To do this you have to remove the inside front wheel arch cover, you will then find the allen bolts to remove the light unit cover. Remove the allen bolts and the cover will lift out. To adjust the lights, I park in the garage with the door closed and shine the lights on the door so you can set height. I also draw a line on the light pattern so you can see the change. There are some 8mm nuts around the corners of the light you are going to adjust. Turn these to adjust.

[stinkysteve]

Many thanks Gooby.

Your help is greatly appreciated.

[AdrianR]

But surely they don't adjust themselves, so how can they have got too high? Is your rear end getting lower?

AdrianR

[stinkysteve]

My rear end is fine thank you very much

I called into the (friendly) test station that did it and asked them how far out it was (they also failed it on pads (less then 1.5mm) but after removing them i found they had 2.5mm+ )

I suggested i put lead in the footwells - he said his fail on the headlight height was so marginal that would probably work.

Alternatively let some air pressure out the fronts and that's a pass too.

I guess that over time, vibration will make anything that is designed to move, move a little. Short of loctiting the adjusting mechanism in place i guess they won't need doing again for 5 years/50k miles.

Edited by stinkysteve on Monday 26th October 15:10

[Gooby]

stinkysteve said:

I suggested i put lead in the footwells - he said his fail on the headlight height was so marginal that would probably work.

Alternatively let some air pressure out the fronts and that's a pass too.

?
.... or ... you could adjust them ... ?

[TIPPER]

I must be very lucky: my MOT place adjusted them for me and then passed the car

[AllNines]

Steve,
you shouldn't need to remove the liner to access the bolts. My headlights were miles out when I bought my car back in May (early S2 - dips too low and mains way too high!) and I've had the covers off many times to try and perfect the aim. What I did notice is that when the covers are off, the lamps sit slightly higher so when you check the beam it looks OK... until you refit the covers and they're still wrong. I assume that all cars are like that, not just mine!

Graeme.

[jondude]

One of the mysteries of testing that a Lotus Elise often fails on the headlamp aim (mine does) but they must be some of the most ineffective and non obrusive lights (to other drivers) out there.

[stinkysteve]

Gooby said:

stinkysteve said:

I suggested i put lead in the footwells - he said his fail on the headlight height was so marginal that would probably work.

Alternatively let some air pressure out the fronts and that's a pass too.

?
.... or ... you could adjust them ... ?

properly adjusted thanks to your advice! thanks again.

[stinkysteve]

AllNines said:

Steve,
you shouldn't need to remove the liner to access the bolts. My headlights were miles out when I bought my car back in May (early S2 - dips too low and mains way too high!) and I've had the covers off many times to try and perfect the aim. What I did notice is that when the covers are off, the lamps sit slightly higher so when you check the beam it looks OK... until you refit the covers and they're still wrong. I assume that all cars are like that, not just mine!

Graeme.

Thanks Graeme, but too late. I measured them fitted (marked on garage door), then removed them, and held in position. Then adjusted whilst being held. Refitted and they're where they should be relative to the marks.

MOT passed this morning- cheers chaps.