38 replies to this topic

[Steve Crisp]

I've had a good look on one of the light units. The dip beam is the outer light with the big dome lens, It uses a single filament H1 bulb. There are three adjusting bolts on the back of the unit for the dip beam. One is sticks out of the back of the unit and is positioned at the bottom of the light (6 o'clock). One is behind a rubber bung and inside the unit at 2 o'clock (looking from the back). The third is at 9 o'clock (looking from the back), and although it's behind a rubber bung, it is not accessable to adjust. You can't get at the inside of the light housing because it is all sealed together and not meant to be opened. I can believe that the unit is the same in every way for European or English models. The difference is in the adjustments to the two accessable adjusting screws, as the dip beam is not the same light as the main beam and so has no affect on the main beam setting. The bottom one will do the up and down, and the 2 o'clock screw will do the side to side. Steve

[Sicey]

So what your saying then Steve is that the 2'o'clock should do the relevant adjustment needed to point the beam to the correct side of the road? I hope that is the case and its a simple fix at a TüV(MOT) station for me. Thanks guys for the info on this

[Steve Crisp]

Yes, I guess so. By the way, I can't find any blanking lever as per what Helle said. Here's a piccy of the 2 0'clock adjuster...

Attached Files

•  Front_Headlight_Ass_01b.JPG   191.5KB   0 downloads

[Steve Crisp]

Here's the six o'clock one. Note. The headlamp is upside down in this picture.. I would imagine that the 6 o'clock screw will also affect the up and down to some extent.

Attached Files

•  Front_Headlight_Ass_02b.JPG   127.45KB   0 downloads

[Sicey]

Top man Steve but you didn't need to take the lights out just for me alright I know there probably spares you got lying around

[Steve Crisp]

Yup. I'm gathering up spares all the time. The cost of them is not going to come down. The only way is up, and they're pricey enough already! I've got a spare front clam, a front bumper, a radiator and radiator surround, headlamps (Vauxhall wouldn't change mine under warranty so I got some second-hand ones), seats, full set of wheels and tyres, shocks and springs, tail lights, etc. I also want a rear clam! My car will be a track only car in a couple of years time, so they'll come in handy eventually!

[Steve Crisp]

Driving to work this morning, I can see that we still don't have the full story. The actual dip beams on my car point forward. There is no bias to the left or right. There is what appears to be a mask inside the unit that masks off all light output from about 10 o'clock around to 3 o'clock (looking out from the car). For continental driving, then this mask should be ideally 9 o'clock around to 2 o'clock. This bears out what Stephan found out from Hella. There is a little brass strap that can just be seen through one of the bung holes, but it's right inside the sealed unit, so it's not easy to get at. My best guess is that this is the lever Stephan describes. I'll have a play tonight, but I don't want to feck up a spare unit! Steve

[Steve Crisp]

Well I've had a good look without opening the unit up, 'cause it's stuck together so that opening will make a bit of a mess. The dip beam unit has a metal shutter over most of the lower half of the lens. Because the lens reverses the optical effect this means that light is prevented from illuminating above the horizon and will only illuminate from below. The metal shutter is not a full half of a circle, but cut away so that light is able to illuminate above the horizon for the area of road infront of the car and to the left - as you'd expect for a car that drives on the LHS. This shutter is held on by a screw at the bottom of the dip unit inside the light housing, so the only way of changing it is to break into the light housing to turn this shutter round the other way. So, masking the outer plastic headlight lens is the only option for a UK car, but won't be very effective as you wont ever get illumination to the right-hand side kerb because of the inbuilt shutter). For you John, when you come back to the UK, it will mean an evening opening up the unit to turn the shutter round. Adjusting the screws to move dip unit isn't going to do much as they are designed to point straight ahead! Steve

[Steve Crisp]

I decided to modify my spare light units so that I can switch to Europian mode when needed. Here's what it looks like inside.

Attached Files

•  Headlight_unit_01.JPG   259.84KB   16 downloads

[Steve Crisp]

As you can see, its actually marked as a UK unit. This picture shows the shutter that stops the light radiating above the horizon except over to the left of the car where it's allowed to radiate upwards a bit more.

Attached Files

•  Headlight_unit_04.JPG   260.12KB   1 downloads

[Steve Crisp]

The bad news, is that they've gone to every way to stop it being modified! There are rivets, screws you can't reach, glue you can't break, etc. Only to be tackled if you're desperate to change them over, and only when you are an accomplished engineer! Oh, Ian - the long screw that is now loose on your unit - it's got a ball on the end, and is a push-fit into the plastic clip it plugs into. There are no threads to pick up on, it should just push back in place.

Attached Files

•  Headlight_unit_02.JPG   264.85KB   0 downloads

[martinh]

I go to France loads of times and I never tape my lights up, at night you are supposed to drink wine not drive about. As for that head light assembly bit, save me.

[Robski]

Steve STERLING WORK MATE!!! Sadly it looks like we're back to the masking thing! Thanks for going to all that trouble though!! cheers Robski

[Steve Crisp]

I will achieve what I set out to do - convert my spare headlights so I can switch between Continental and UK driving set-up. It'll mean minor adapations to the dip unit mechanics though. There'll be a square panel under my light units that I can remove and flip the shutter 180 degrees. I wouldn't have started if I'd have known how "unchangeable" they would be - still....I've started so I'll finish! One final word of warning. The long adjusting screw sticking out of the back of the light unit is the ONLY adjustment you've got on the dip-beam. The other adjusters (behind the rubber bungs) for dip, are glued in place, and if you break the glue the adjuster comes away. The same goes for the main beam. Of the three adjusters, two are behind rubber bungs, but again only the adjuster for up and down is adjustable(!). The others are also glued in place. ONLY TURN THE ONE SCREW FOR UP/DOWN on either dip or main, and do it carefully. They are really flimsy (Heath Robinson comes to mind). Steve

[HiHo]

Sadly it looks like we're back to the masking thing!

That's a superb piece of reverse engineering, Steve. Well done. What a pity the mechanics of it are beyond most of us!

On the masking thingy, I'll be happy to send my small contribution to anyone who PMs me.

Thorney - is there anywhere on the site that these sort of items could be posted for future reference? Sort of "Workshop Manual - Members Extras"

[Robski]

HiHo A very sound idea! I think quite a few people would find that useful. France, Switzerland, Italy & Spain - here I come!! Well ... on Thursday anyway!!!

[Sicey]

hhmmm this does not sound too good for me, I am not too sure the TüV station will accept a sticky template as a way round it which will lead me to finding some speedster lights which may not be too easy and not cheap! I have also been thinking about if the odometer needs changing to show KM, I know the speedo shows KM too but the mileage odo is in miles obviously, I wonder if this is also going to prove tricky to change, I am hoping it wont be.

[mitch]

Sicey, We are in the middle of moving to France and I am told by people who have registered cars there that the inspectors insist on proper dipping headlights and speedometers in km. Mitch

[Sicey]

Thats what I thought A friend on mine is going to speak a mechanic friend of his to find out where I stand with the TüV