Headlight Alignment
Discussion
Bought my Chim last autumn and it just failed the mot because of headlamp alignment.
Just taken off the fairings and it looks like the headlamp glass is just held on with mastic.
The Bible says that there should be adjusters each side and at the bottom, but I cannot find any of them. No wonder they are out of alignment.
The car is from 1997.
Anyone had a similar problem or have any ideas about what to do now?
Is it going to be a bobywork job to mount the alignment brackets? Do you think the car has had a smack on the front and a cheap repair job?
I have had problems at night by being flashed on dip beam so I know there is a problem and I want to fix it properly.
Any help gratefully received.
Just taken off the fairings and it looks like the headlamp glass is just held on with mastic.
The Bible says that there should be adjusters each side and at the bottom, but I cannot find any of them. No wonder they are out of alignment.
The car is from 1997.
Anyone had a similar problem or have any ideas about what to do now?
Is it going to be a bobywork job to mount the alignment brackets? Do you think the car has had a smack on the front and a cheap repair job?
I have had problems at night by being flashed on dip beam so I know there is a problem and I want to fix it properly.
Any help gratefully received.
Hi - replaced broken headlamp glass last weekend so this is still fresh in my mind. Poke a screw driver through the mastic at 3, 6 and 9 oclock. You will find 3 large holes which are full of mastic. Within each hole is a screw to adjust the headlamp. The lens is not actually fixed to the headlamp but is fixed to the bodywork. The screws adjust the lamp behind the lens. BEFORE you start make sure you have some mastic (sikaflex) to re seal the holes. Good luck
The 2nd edition does cover this,. Page 273 says they are under the mastic. Page 274 has a photo showing where they are.
Steve
www.tvrbooks.co.uk
Steve
www.tvrbooks.co.uk
Before you go poking around with the mastic, there should be three wing nuts behind the headlight. If you remove the front grill and reach behind the headlight you should be able to feel them at the 3, 6, and 9 o'clock. Turning these nuts is how you adjust the beam alignment on most early cars (single piece grill). I think its the same on later cars but access is from a hatch in the wheel well.
)It should just pull off. Its held in place be a rubber lip, you pull in the rubber and both the rubber lip and the grill should come away. Puting it back on is where the fun begins. I find the best way is to place the rubber around the bodywork and then slide the grill back into place at one end, then using a blunt instrument (so you dont scratch the body work) ease the rubber over the grill.
clamdigger my 97 has the inspection holes in the wheel arch and through these you can get to the 3 wing nuts that adjust the relector/bulb holder which adjusts the alignment of the beam.I suggest you give them PLENTY of WD40 over a few days and then try to adjust as mine were very corroded but did work eventually.
Hmmm. Is this true for all early cars? I thought the only way to adjust the headlamps was under the fairing. I haven't looked for mine but one was out at the last MOT but the garage didn't know how to adjust it so let me off with a warning (made a note on the inspection form). Car is 94 vintage.
Thanks for all your help guys but I still have a major problem. I took it all apart - cleaned up the headlight glasses, bought some Sikaflex, exposed the adjusters then took it back to the garage to be set up.
The lights would not go down far enough with the adjusters and one of them broke as we were fiddling about.
I can't quite work out how the adjusters work on some replies above they say that adjustment can be done from the back using the small wing nuts. Surely you should be able to do this all from the front.
When you undo the nuts from the front the light seems to go down but then it reaches its limit.
I reckon i've got to take off the panel in front of the wheel and replace all the adjusters do you agree?
I'm afraid the TVR headlamp design team are not my favourite people at the moment - still - life goes on.
The lights would not go down far enough with the adjusters and one of them broke as we were fiddling about.
I can't quite work out how the adjusters work on some replies above they say that adjustment can be done from the back using the small wing nuts. Surely you should be able to do this all from the front.
When you undo the nuts from the front the light seems to go down but then it reaches its limit.
I reckon i've got to take off the panel in front of the wheel and replace all the adjusters do you agree?
I'm afraid the TVR headlamp design team are not my favourite people at the moment - still - life goes on.
clamdigger all the adjustment is done from the back if you have the wheel arch inspection holes.The glass is supposed to be fixed/bonded to the bodywork.It does not adjust like conventional cars from the front.The adjusters are very crude and basic and will only adjust up to the point where the spring is fully compressed but i am surprised this was not enough.If you can get new ones i would.Could you not let out half the air in your tyres get your MOT and then muck about with adjusters at your leisure
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