Hi all.

The horizontal levelling screw on my near side passenger headlight has broken meaning that the level cannot be set.

Everywhere says I need a whole new headlight as the screw isn't replaceable. A new Xenon is £450+ from a private parts supplier. Skoda is around £580.

Any ideas guys? I really don't want to have to replace the whole unit

Thanks.

J

Ive got some bust headlights you can have for the price of postage if you want to try and repair it?

Are they halogen or xenon mate?

Halogen, but the adjuster screws (white plastic ones on back of headlight?) should be the same

Ok pm me the postage cost and I'll let you know. Still open to other ideas because as far as I understand the screw is all one unit and can't be replaced:(

Ok pm me the postage cost and I'll let you know. Still open to other ideas because as far as I understand the screw is all one unit and can't be replaced:(

 

Define broken... (picture?)

 

My simple logic says that if there's a screw in there, someone must have screwed it in, so it must be possible to screw it out.

 

I once lost the screw that kept the distributor cap on an old car and (foolishly) went to a dealership (i thought they would know what thread it was etc). They would only quote for a new distributor. I went to the local diy store with the second screw and matched it by eye.

Sorry I can't circle the screw. It's near the left of the picture. On the far right you'll see the white screw for centring the headlight

This is the driver side light. You can see the screen is ok here.

I can disassemble mine tonight and see if I can get the screw out, them get back to you on cost, that alright?

ok - i can see the piece that is missing and i would suspect that is the same between halogens/xenons.

 

I'd certainly be taking the headlamp out and having a look as to exactly what could be done, but it's difficult to suggest what that might be.

 

Can you see the shaft of the screw? Would it be possible to either drill a small hole and fix some sort of extension? Or to "gouge" a recess you can then get a small flat screwdriver in to?

Ok thanks. The shaft of the screw is gone so drilling a hole might work. Tho me and DIY don't go that far and I don't think the mechanic would be up for that!

Would it be an idea to buy a halogen headlight, take the halogen assembly out and place the xenon unit in? Sorry if that sounds very far fetched!

This is a classic Hella problem - the steel shaft rusts and splits the plastic gears.

 

The fix is simple. Remove both parts of the plastic gears and discard. Drill a 1.5mm cross hole near the free end of the steel shaft. Thread a compression spring onto the shaft to keep the ball pin preloaded in position, then fit a cross pin in the hole. Taper pins as used by clock repairers work best.

 

Adjust the lamp position by turning the shaft by hand, with the cross pin.

 

This rubbish has been around for years - Valeo lamps are much better designed.

 

rotodiesel.

I took a light apart and there isn't really any way to separate it all :( however you should still be able to adjust them by using a 10mm spanner on the white adjuster

Thanks for trying. I'll give the 10mm a go tomorrow:)

Had my old focus st170 fail it mot for this exact problem, tried normal halogen lights from the scrap yards for the part but these are completely different - the new light was going to cost half as much as the car was worth. Can't recall the exact fix sand detail now though, was something along the lines of pulling the pin out and dropping a circlip over it to keep the rod pulled out, then I think I glued or fixed a small bolt on the end to adjust it (rotodiesels idea sounds good)

I took a light apart and there isn't really any way to separate it all :( however you should still be able to adjust them by using a 10mm spanner on the white adjuster

PS the black clip that you can make out on the screw was fitted by my mechanic to try and level the headlight. Not sure why. Maybe they tried a spanner and it wouldn't turn. I'll find out tomorrow