Headlights - adjustment and overseas deflectors

[Hypermiler]

Hi all
Two things:
1. Manual page 6-48. Was just trying to work out if there is a way to manually adjust the headlight beams - it doesn't look like there is. I have never had headlights quite like these, and coming home last night in the dark for the first time, found that they were nice and bright (particularly for lighting the hedges at the edge of the road!) but there is such a sharp "cut-off" between the light and dark - there is a definite line (you can even see where the left side of the road is lit more than the right). I would have thought the lights might be clever enough to adjust as you go up and down (and left and right?) but they don't appear to - this means that when the road undulates sharply (as one particular bit near us does) your visibility can be cut really short as the car tilts up and down. Any comments or suggestions, or is that just how modern lights are?! (I reckon my old lights were probably so dim and fuzzy edged that I didn't really notice this sort of thing). We also felt that they were generally set quite high and I hate dazzling people but couldn't see how to lower them a bit.

2. We are off to Germany in 10 days. Presumably need some headlight deflectors, even though we wouldn't plan to drive in the dark but, perhaps if the weather is bad or we go through any tunnels, we might have the lights on. Think we've got some of these somewhere so presume will fit well enough, unless anyone knows better...

http://www.care4car.com/car-travel-accessories/headlight-beam-deflectors.html#.U7CINxYzLwI

Cheers
H

 

[jaapv]

Xenon lights are never adjustable manually..
The correct way to apply masking for driving on the right (hand :mrgreen: ) side of the road can be found in the manual. You are required by law to fit them even if you do not plan to drive in the dark.

 

[maddogsetc]

Xenon lights are never adjustable manually..

Actually they are on the Disco - a little lever to toggle between LH and RH drive. Cleverly though LR put the little lever so far out of reach that you have to remove the front grille and headlights to get to it :lol:

 

[jaapv]

They were not on my Jag. At least I never found it, and if I I did only a trained lizard could have performed the operation.

 

[maddogsetc]

They were not on my Jag. At least I never found it, and if I I did only a trained lizard could have performed the operation

Did you not tick the 'small trained lizard' option when you ordered? Salesman wasn't doing his job that day :lol:

 

[Hypermiler]

Thanks. Will just dazzle with gay abandon then, knowing there's nothing I can do (in UK).

Re the manual telling you how to mask the lights, yes so it does (thanks jaapv) - under "masking the headlights" on 11-29. this is in the maintenance section, not under the lights section. Presume we have halogen lamps that do require adjustment, rather than "high intensity discharge" lamps (whatever that means) which don't?

Spent last night ploughing through the locking and unlocking section - still not quite worked out what to do on the ferry - is it 4-32 of the manual - deactivating the inclination function? Presumably so since it mentions automated car parks where the car would be moved around. That is also the setting for leaving the kids in the car (when paying for petrol - which shouldn't be very often!) as it deactivates the interior sensor.
Cheers
H

 

[jaapv]

You probably have high intensity discharge lights aka Xenon. Check with your dealer.

 

[maddogsetc]

Gx3h = Halogen, Gx4h & Gx4hs = Xenon

 

[Hypermiler]

Thanks both - so I have a GX4H with xenon/HID lights, therefore do not need to do anything to the lights to drive on the continent (per 11-29 the manual). Don't quite understand why not, but hey - sounds good to me!
Cheers
H

 

[trilly]

Thanks both - so I have a GX4H with xenon/HID lights, therefore do not need to do anything to the lights to drive on the continent (per 11-29 the manual). Don't quite understand why not, but hey - sounds good to me!
Cheers
H

I was interested to come across this thread having just returned from France and having a UK car, not having to alter the HID lights being a GX4H and I did have to drive in the dark. Despite what the manuals states the French drivers on the other side of the road repeatedly flashed me to turn the lights down, one from behind as could clearly see on country roads that the left hand side of the car, now facing oncoming drivers was higher than the right hand side. I think the manual describes then as wide angle, the width of the beam wasn't the issue, height of the left hand beam is an issue and will be seeing what we can do to alter this.

 

[Hypermiler]

ahh, yes I can imagine they would be quite aggrieved at being blinded by a UK car without the regulation deflectors! I'm always paranoid about infringing some driving law when in France... Fortunately we didn't drive in the dark when abroad (and we didn't go through France). Please let us know if you come up with any ideas - perhaps we should just fit the regular deflectors, but presumably positioning is key...
H

 

[gwatpe]

I live in Australia and found the factory adjusted HID lights a bit high. Other drivers coming the other way did flash, to indicate the low beam was high. The Aspire has self leveling lights. There is an adjustment bolt on the rear of the light assembly, 8mm from memory and a bit fiddly, to set the default height. The lights are now better for other drivers. The cutOFF is very sharp on the low beam, and there is a step in the beam pattern of both lights. The LHS is about 200mm higher at 100m. Tends to light up the road signs. Lights are not quite as bright as aftermarket HID H4, in all glass square reflectors. I do prefer HID on high beam as well, but regulations restrict usage here.