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[markspark]

Hi guys/gals ive just picked up a 3.2 elite on a 51 plate very nice it is to (pics in next few days)
but i have a coulpe of problems with it but im going to deal with them one at once
the cid on the dash keeps coming up saying headlight out of range with pic of light with arrows goin up and down from it there is no exact time it will come on its just random and it does it if the lights are on or off what could this be and what to do to test or fix it
TIA

[Mr Skrunts]

This is one of the things I have been talking about in the Tech 2 tgread in General Chat.  It seems that when this warning is given the automatic level adjustment on the headlights needs cleaning, and from my understanding the Tech 2 put it through a full up and down movement to clean the guides (needs to be confirmed by others though)

[Lampynoiseboy]

Got a link to that thread? can't find it

Cheers

[CaptainZok]

May be a level sensor or could be one of the headlight motors playing up. Exercising the motors may help but a read of the fault codes from the headlight ECU will give you more idea.

[Kaycee]

just had mine serviced thurs went to town and going i kept getting same thing Head light range i called back to garage and he went straight to sensor arm ad popped of on wishbone but he had to tie wrap it on but he then said " I was looking at that wondering what it was" so he had been messing with it anyway ok now but im going to see if i can buy the arm and the ball joints knowing vx i bet i carnt

[feeutfo]

just had mine serviced thurs went to town and going i kept getting same thing Head light range i called back to garage and he went straight to sensor arm ad popped of on wishbone but he had to tie wrap it on but he then said " I was looking at that wondering what it was" so he had been messing with it anyway ok now but im going to see if i can buy the arm and the ball joints knowing vx i bet i carnt

Yes you can, 50 sobs when I got mine, although that must nave been over a year ago now.

Warning means the headlight levelling system has failed and defaulted the headlights to their lowest "range" or dipped position to stop you blinding everyone. Now you have to find the cause, first place to look is the sensors mentioned, left side as you sit in the car, on each suspension arm to chassis. in the wheel arch gap nearest the doors you'll find a sensor. These have a rose jointed link rod to a rotating socket, on mine the socket popped out due to wear and seized rose joints. If this is the case on yours simply replace the sensor. If both sensors look ok then it's a bit more complicated, you really need tech2 to diagnose further to save replacing parts unnecessarily as it could be either of the level motors in the headlights themselves or any wiring or open circuit within the system, I believe Kevin Wood had a wiring fault on the rear of his

When running a text 2 diagnostic the operators on here will usually go through every system on the car unless their is a specifically obvious fault they are looking for. But on the headlight levelling system they will exercise the headlight motors to keep the range free and moving as they rarely move far from the base position. They are surprisingly quick to move actually.

On elites when playing with the suspension ride hight sensor as the guide in maintenance, it's possible to see the headlights move up or down in small steps as the rear suspension pumps up or down, if watching the lights on a garage door from the drivers seat, at night obviously, when the system is working properly

Hth

[feeutfo]

Should add re the sensors, it's often the case/ or at least not uncommon that the sensor pops off when the car is jacked up or being worked on as the suspension fully extends the sensor out of it's normal piston.

[Jimbob]

Bit more on the HID exercise..

In day to day use, the hids constantly adjust themselves up and down to keep the light at a constant height, to keep illumination as it should be, and not dazzle other drivers.

think of it like this, with 0 being the level position (im not saying this is the range, just an indication, probably lots of positions.

4
3
2
1
0
-1
-2
-3
-4

Now in normal roads, nothing to steep, the lights will stay in the 1 to -1, sometime in the 2 to -2.

The outer edges of adjustment arent used to much, to the threads can get a bit gunged up, Meaning when the lights try and go to these positions, the movement isnt as fluid as it should be, and can spread dirt back down the threads etc.

Doing the HID exercise, tech2 tells the car to move them fully up, then fully down,  and you repeat doing this a good few times.
1st couple are often quite jerky, and dont cover the full range, but as the adjusters are passed over the threads, it kind of self cleans, so then full smooth travel is possible.

So the outcome...
this isnt going to give you more light, it is going to let the car self level the lights better, which can potentially give better illumination / less dazzle.

The other thing you can do (which is manual process) is use the adjusters to rise the normal '0' point.
iirc park a meter from a door, and mark the bright cut up points on it.
then reverse a meter, and use the adjusters to 'move' the new cut up point to the location of the old, in effect raising the beam slightly.

Others can explain more fully the procedure, but thats basically it.

If you want to see the levelling in action, Im sure I could do a little video of it.

[markspark]

Thanks for the replies
so for clarification there are 4 sensors 2 front 2 rear i will check these 1st (not today its persisting down)then report back
do these same sensors control the ride height of the rear shocks or are there others i have heard the compressor running once in the front osf wing or there abouts

[Entwood]

Thanks for the replies
so for clarification there are 4 sensors 2 front 2 rear i will check these 1st (not today its persisting down)then report back
do these same sensors control the ride height of the rear shocks or are there others i have heard the compressor running once in the front osf wing or there abouts

NO ..

Front left wishbone, rear left suspension arm - 2 sensors for the HID lights autolevel

Right rear suspension arm - 1 sensor for the self levelling suspension

totally seperate circuits / ECU's  ..

HTH

[markspark]

thanks for the clarification on that 

[markspark]

just another thought is there a way to test the operation of the sensors with a multi meter??

[I_want_an_Omega]

just another thought is there a way to test the operation of the sensors with a multi meter??

Not really, no. But being the saddo that I am, some months ago,  I had a whole system up and running in my garage and could check it all "manually" by playing with the sensors.

[Mr Skrunts]

Got a link to that thread? can't find it

Cheers

http://www.omegaowners.com/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1278698412/all

 

[Lampynoiseboy]