Monte Full Beam Pattern Wrong

[vexedben]

Hi Guys,

I've recently noticed that when in full beam there is what appears to be a large dark rectangle coming from the left hand headlight and it doesn't tend to illuminate the left hand side of the road all that well. Does any one know what could be causing this issue?

Cheers

Ben

[keithw]

Hi Guys,

I've recently noticed that when in full beam there is what appears to be a large dark rectangle coming from the left hand headlight and it doesn't tend to illuminate the left hand side of the road all that well. Does any one know what could be causing this issue?

Cheers

Ben

 

Hello Ben

 

If anything lets the Monte down it is the lights.  First off the headlight alignment was way out, set too low at the factory;

correctly set by my Skoda dealer.  Secondly the factory bulbs are next to useless on a country road, ok in towns

where street lighting is evident. 

 

I've fitted Osram H7 Night Breakers Unlimited these do improve the main beam for distance but still the lights on

my Monte are inferior to the lights on my '94 Eunos (MX5), "pop up lights."  These lights are "round old fashioned"

but fitted with Osram H4 Night Breakers Unlimited. On main beam the dipped beam remains on so the spread of light

does not dilute when the main beam is on.  That is 115 watts from each headlight on main beam.

 

You could try getting the alignment checked, if you have not already done so.

 

My thinking is that the headlight lens on the Monte is a case of fashion over function. The single filment H7 bulbs

which act for both dip & main beam may also be a factor in the Monte's poor lights.

 

Just a thought, maybe one needs to drive with the fog lights on as well as the headlights, probably not entirely legal,

but at least one could see the kerb as well as the road ahead!!

 

A lesson maybe to road test all future cars in the dark before buying?

 

Keith

 

Edited 8 November, 2014 by keithw

[danebrewer10]

hm, I had an 09 fiesta for a week or so whilst my monte was in the garage, I thought the lights to be excellent, but the monte's lights don't seem to be that bad imo, on twisty windy roads they illuminate the roads pretty well, though in the proper rainy dark nights i have driven with the fogs on just to illuminate the kerb and edge of the roads as the wet seems to eat up the light...... i think it is the bulbs that let them down a bit, when they blow i'll be changing them, how much (£ wise) are you guys looking at bulbs? those osram Night breakers seem to be pretty popular from having a read about on here?

[Big S]

I had this on my Fabia (black pack projectors) after I came back from a trip abroad and didn't reset the adjusters for the beam pattern to the correct position. I fixed it by moving the small lever to the side of the headlamp bulb properly back to where it should be. Look at the threads for adjusting the headlights for driving on the right and you'll find pictures of exactly where the lever is and how to move it.

[fabiamk2SE]

hm, I had an 09 fiesta for a week or so whilst my monte was in the garage, I thought the lights to be excellent, but the monte's lights don't seem to be that bad imo, on twisty windy roads they illuminate the roads pretty well, though in the proper rainy dark nights i have driven with the fogs on just to illuminate the kerb and edge of the roads as the wet seems to eat up the light...... i think it is the bulbs that let them down a bit, when they blow i'll be changing them, how much (£ wise) are you guys looking at bulbs? those osram Night breakers seem to be pretty popular from having a read about on here?

Osram nightbreakers or philips extreme vision are what you want.

I cant remember how much the osrams are but theyre a little more than the philips. I paid £20 posted a pair for the philips last week for the bike.

[seboni121]

just fit hids !

[fabiamk2SE]

just fit hids !

I think some people are put off by the extra complications arent they aha.

Once people see how easy to fit they are, how much extra light there is and how much better they look, they usually wish theyd done it ages ago haha.

[vexedben]

Hi Guys,

 

Thanks for all your feedback. I have realised what had happened since I saw that there was the lever to blank off the projection for running abroad. So having replaced the bulbs after I got the car back in October I must have flicked the lever accidentally and have been running with them like that for a while. Now i have rectified this and the profile is much better now. And I can actually see where I am going.

 

Thanks for all your suggestions and help!!