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Omega Help Area => Omega General Help => Topic started by: Peter13 on 25 June 2012, 09:09:59

Title: Xenon adjustment - how?
Post by: Peter13 on 25 June 2012, 09:09:59
Hi Guys,

I have recently replaced the D2S xenon bulbs and the level adjusters in my '98 MV6. The bulbs light quite well (despite they are cheapo chinese...), the levelling is working fine, but there is a constant level difference between the two sides. Is it possible to reset somehow the system (e.g. like the climeate control) or do I have to make basic adjustment manually?
Thanks.
Title: Re: Xenon adjustment - how?
Post by: RobG on 25 June 2012, 09:14:59
Hi Guys,

I have recently replaced the D2S xenon bulbs and the level adjusters in my '98 MV6. The bulbs light quite well (despite they are cheapo chinese...), the levelling is working fine, but there is a constant level difference between the two sides. Is it possible to reset somehow the system (e.g. like the climeate control) or do I have to make basic adjustment manually?
Thanks.
:y
Title: Re: Xenon adjustment - how?
Post by: jonnycool on 25 June 2012, 10:07:47
There are two adjusters on each headlight, one for up/down adjustment and the other for left/right. Iirc the outer ones are for the up/down but I may be wrong. Suck it and see!
Title: Re: Xenon adjustment - how?
Post by: Marks DTM Calib on 25 June 2012, 10:35:00
Find some flat land and a wall.

Drive upto the wall until the bumper is almost touching, turn the headlights on and using a piece of tape or chalk, mark the position of the bright spot from the headlight beam on the wall (there is a an obvious bright point where the beam pattern starts to kick up).

Reverse back about 4m and then adjust the lights so the bright spot is approx 10-20mm below the marks you made.

Simples and works everytime!
Title: Re: Xenon adjustment - how?
Post by: dbug on 25 June 2012, 23:50:31
As ^^^^^ but note you need to make a lot of turns on the adjusters for only a small movement in beams  ;)
Title: Re: Xenon adjustment - how?
Post by: bigegg on 26 June 2012, 00:14:43
allen key bit in a power screwdriver - I *think* it's about 6 revs/mm

Title: Re: Xenon adjustment - how?
Post by: Peter13 on 27 June 2012, 09:02:00
Thanks Guys, you are awesome!
Almost perfect. I should have done this long long time ago! It was a complete crap. I went to a parking house and put the marks on the wall, then reversed 8-10m and ... shhiiit: the left beam didn't reach the wall at all, the right was aiming upwards :D:D:D
I could correctly set the level of the beam to approx 10cm below the mark, but I didn't really feel that any of the other screws had effect on the left-right alignment.
Is that the infamous adjuster breakage or I just wasn't assidous enough to keep turning it by hand?
Title: Re: Xenon adjustment - how?
Post by: Andy B on 27 June 2012, 10:09:06
.......
Is that the infamous adjuster breakage or
Quite possibly


I just wasn't assidous enough to keep turning it by hand?
Good word!  :y
Title: Re: Xenon adjustment - how?
Post by: bigegg on 27 June 2012, 10:27:14
If the beams are WAY out (like more than a foot) and the adjusters don't appear to make any difference, then almost certainly the adjusters. - unless you've had a front end shunt and the body's twisted, or you've not installed the lamps properly.

The aluminium adjusters are fantastically good - and the job's easy - just don't be tempted to try to wipe any marks off the chrome reflectors whilst you have the lamps apart - the chrome comes off just by looking at it.


Title: Re: Xenon adjustment - how?
Post by: Peter13 on 27 June 2012, 10:54:17
assiduous +u added :)
Good word!  :y

You know, online dictionaries help poetry :)

If the beams are WAY out (like more than a foot)
The beams spread almost a foot or so on 10 meters. I'll give it a try with a power screwdriver, and of course see how it performs on a night drive.
I'm not sure yet if it worth to start that "headlamp baking" hassle. If I decide to do this job, how/from where can I get metal adjusters?

Thanks!
Title: Re: Xenon adjustment - how?
Post by: bigegg on 27 June 2012, 11:56:53

there's a sticky in the parts for sale section.


If you drive past a copper and dazzle him, you'll get pulled  :(
It really isn't that bad a job - I received my adjuster at about 730am, and the headlamp was
stripped, fixed, put back together and re-installed by 830, which gave me enough time for a
good blast down the m/way before the MOT at 9am   :y

If the adjuster has crumbled. the internals flop about inside the housing, and you risk irreparably damaging them -
and replacements aren't easy to find (or weren't when I tried)

Title: Re: Xenon adjustment - how?
Post by: Kevin Wood on 27 June 2012, 11:57:31
I wouldn't use a power screwdriver if I were you..

The adjusters are known to be brittle so a gentle touch is needed to prolong their life. Having said that, if yours are a foot out it might well mean they are already broken. :-\
Title: Re: Xenon adjustment - how?
Post by: bigegg on 27 June 2012, 12:00:58
fragile isn't close -
imagine a particularly brittle cornflake   :(

And I just realise the OP said "baking" not "breaking" -
I didn't bake the headlights to loosen the sealant, I used sw(ts)mbo's hair drier

Title: Re: Xenon adjustment - how?
Post by: Peter13 on 27 June 2012, 12:20:12
I have checked the available threads and docs about this issue. Have also found the metal adjuster here. But as far as I see there is only one each side to be replaced. If that one had been broken I couldn't have managed to set the vertical level could I? The problem is only the horizontal adjustment.
Title: Re: Xenon adjustment - how?
Post by: bigegg on 27 June 2012, 13:25:42
The only way to be sure is to openit up.
I seem to remember that it's not actually an "adjuster" which breaks, it's like a little ball and socket
swivel hinge, and affects both adjustments, although not equally
Title: Re: Xenon adjustment - how?
Post by: flyer 0712 on 27 June 2012, 17:47:10
on  my headlamp i removed the headlamp....remove the bulb and looked into the unit and i could see the adjuster had fallen apart...then i took the lamp apart by using a hairdryer and a blade...replaced  with new type adjuster easy.. :
Title: Re: Xenon adjustment - how?
Post by: Peter13 on 28 June 2012, 18:13:50
... or I just wasn't assiduous enough to keep turning it by hand?
Yeah, I wasn't! Today I gave her a try with a power screwdriver. It had to turn it at least 40-50 times to reach the center position, but it did!
Thanks for all who helped.