Headlight adjusters

[Norman Willcox]

2006 Octavia 2.  I took my car for headlight beam adjustment, because the beams were obviously wrong, and was told that the adjustment mechanism on both headlights was broken and so they could not be adjusted. Unfortunately I could not speak to the mechanic so I got no details. I am in France and currently the temperature is above 41 degrees C, so I am not prepared to work on the car, even in the garage!  Last year I had the beams adjusted by Point-S and the car still failed its CT (MoT in UK); I made Point-S redo the adjustment and the car passed - but now I suspect it was Point-S who wrecked my lights - can't prove it a year later though.  New lights are over 100€. Has anyone any bodge repairs for broken adjusters?

[J.R.]

I have a pair of good condition RHD units with working adjusters, removed to fit LHD ones, I am in Northern France and if you are returning via Calais, Dunkirk, Boulogne or Dieppe you will pass close by if you want them.

 

too hot for me to unbox them to see if yours can be bodged.

[Norman Willcox]

Thank you J.R.  That is a kind offer. I don't know yet if it is possible to change the adjusters inside the headlight body. Our Octavia is French. Once I have investigated, I may wish to get back to you. Please would you send me an email so that I can get in touch again? My email is [email protected].

We are tending to use Le Havre Portsmouth or Cherbourg Poole for our crossings, but our next trip cannot be soon as SWMBO has broken her fibula and I am to  have a replacement hip in a couple of weeks.  I have time, CT is next June and I don't drive at night, unless forced.  Best wishes, Norman

[Tilt]

IIrc, I have mended mine.........

 

It was just simply that the screw part of the mechanism had come out of its pivot point at the rear of it, so was not in proper contact with the other threaded part, therefore not adjusting.

 

There is a good chance this is the case i think, and if so then a reasonably simple fix (iirc) if you are reasonably handy.......

 

You have a look at yours if anything is actually in bits / broken or if it looks ok, and i will have a look at mine too and help further if I can.

 

If it is broken (actually in bits) then I guess a new one may be required......

[J.R.]

That rings a bell, I think the screws are ball ended that locate in sockets in the movable part so as to allow for changes in angle, if you unscrew one too far and with force it will plop out.

 

Easy to pop back in, too hard for a garage with a sniff of all the money to be made fitting new headlights.

 

Has the car been in a front end shunt?

Edited 30 June, 2019 by J.R.

[Norman Willcox]

Thank you Tilt and J.R.  I have had a look this morning in my garage, pointing the car at the door, lined with polystyrene. The distance lamp to door is about a meter; I twiddled the adjusters and it seemed to me that the very hazy beam blobs were moving, both ways, up and down, making me doubt the garage.  The electric beam levelling worked fine.   History: years ago a young idiot hit me head-on, just failing to stop in a one-lane track. I had stopped and he needed another 1/2 meter. That hurt one headlight which was replaced, but the garage did not have the large white hexagon nut that holds the headlight (that was what was broken off on the original) - I did not notice for a long time. Before the last CT inspection I was aware that the beams were not well aligned so I took the car to "Point-S" who did  an adjustment but the car still failed on beam alignment. Point-S was made to redo the adjustment and the car then passed.  But after a few months I was aware that a beam had become seriously unaligned - don't know if it was one or both and I don't know why . Before this latest adjustment work I tried an 8mm nut on the plastic thread that protrudes from the headlight, but the thread is not 8mm, so I used 10mm nuts to fill the gap and forced the 8mm nut to cut its own thread. Maybe Norauto did not like the bodge. So it is possible that that one headlight was not being held properly because of the lack of the white hexagon nut - maybe that is what allowed the alignment to slip - though I think it unlikely that it could have made so much difference.  I shall try after dark on a back road to see if I can improve the alignment. I am puzzled as to what is/has happened.  I did have to change a dip-beam bulb last year.  I think I had better remove that headlight so that I can look inside it and check that the bulbs are correctly held.

I have always wondered how those beam-alignment gadgets cope with the scattered blobby light from the headlights, which never seem to produce distinctive patterns.

[MikeTheThinker]

Well, it's been a frustrating morning.  Out of curiosity, I decided several hours ago to track down the part number/s and exploded diagram for the headlamp level adjustment motor (aka headlamp servomotor or range control).  For some strange reason the motor does not appear on any of the parts explosion diagrams on either 7zap or oemepc, witness the diagram for a MY2006 O2 from 7zap:

 

 

Lots of bits, no motor!

 

I've checked on all model variants of O2 from MY2005-2008 on both sites and still no motor.  There are details of the sensor and/or switch arrangements to drive said motor but ...?

 

Anyway, I managed to track down the relevant beast on skoda-parts.com - "Headlamp Servomotor Europen Union" (sic) - part number 1Z0 941 295 - price €22,75 incl. VAT.

 

This part fits a shed load of preFL O2s, but  also a couple of O3s too - see linky.

 

As regards the mechanism of operation @J.R. mentioned the ball and socket arrangement that seems to be pretty common for this type of motor, and the illustration on the skoda-parts site seems to support that:

 

 

I have previously stripped and fettled such motors on O1s  - a fiddly job but fine if you're patient and gentle - and there are a number of threads in the O1 forum about this and at least two youtube videos.  I can't find anything directly related to preFLO2 but I can't see Skoda re-inventing the wheel on this.

 

Update: after further reading, I'm now of the opinion that the headlamp carrier adjustment is for gross positioning of the headlamp unit in the vehicle and not for beam adjustment; I'm looking further into the latter and will update when I know more. [On another note, the gross headlamp alignment (not the adjustment available via the scroll wheel in the cabin) is via the headlamp carrier (assembly 19 above) - a messy adjustment which has to be performed after removing the headlamp and then refitting to check the beam, then rinse and repeat until done.  The screws that hold those adjusters together (part 19) often seize resulting in no adjustment and usually replacement of the headlamp carrier - not a big job and all parts readily available.]

 

 

 

Edited 30 June, 2019 by StickyMicky
content update - ignore headlamp mount comments for the moment

[J.R.]

Never knew about those carrier cams, they would be for setting the panel gaps or bodging the panel gaps more likely and should only affect the roll axis of the headlight and not the pitch and yaw which are adjusted by the allen key socketed plastic screws, which IIRC operate either through a bowden cable or a right angle drive, its a very complicated set up.

 

I dumped the levelling motors on my MK1 by ripping out the internals.

 

My sister complained of a noise on her Hyundai City Car (Getz?) I recognised it immediately as a headlight motor cycling but everything was sealed and I could not get it apart to remove or isolate it

[MikeTheThinker]

3 minutes ago, J.R. said:

headlight motor cycling

 

There's a good post on the O1 forum about stripping, fettling and rebuilding these motors - I'll see if I can find it and post a link later.

[J.R.]

You are 15 years too late

[Norman Willcox]

I removed the LH side head lamp. Turning the adjusters results in the reflector moving just as it should. There is no play of the reflector. Lamps are properly seated. I can see no reason for Norauto to report that the mechanism was "casse".  And I still do not understand what has been giving me the change in alignment. I shall attempt an alignment on a back road tonight - pity it is not winter!  Whether I can achieve a satisfactory setting for the next CT remains to be seen.  In the pictures the flexible drives and the 3 sockets for the balls on the end of the push-rods can be seen.

[MikeTheThinker]

6 minutes ago, Norman Willcox said:

I can see no reason for Norauto to report that the mechanism was "casse". 

 

Perhaps this calls for them to demonstrate the problem to you as you are "having difficulty understanding what has to be done"

 

[J.R.]

Are the levelling motors working correctly?

 

Is the dashboard height switch in the right position?

 

You do realise that you do the beam setting on high beam which should give you a reasonable centre spot on the garage door?

 

hope its not teaching you to suck eggs but drive up as close as you can on full beam (at night) and mark the centre point on the door with tape, reverse back several feet with the steering straight, the spot will enlarge and diffuse but the tape should still be in the centre, if not make adjustments, beware that the sideways alignment affects the height and vice versa.

 

I found it much harder on the MK2 than the MK1

 

Once that is done you can check that you have the correct dip beam pattern with the kick up in your case to the right.

 

Also be aware that people have bought new RH dipping lights in France for their imported car and the dealers have sold them exactly what they had before because they ordered using the VIN number, someone I know was taken for hundreds of euros and of course they refused to refund

 

The CT checks the dip beam pattern and when they adjust with their machine its on the dipped setting, if you do still have LH dipping lights without knowing it would explain all the confusion, no adjustment will correct it.

[Norman Willcox]

My French is not good or quick enough to argue the toss with a southern-accented technician - sadly - or I should have been more insistent.

My car is French, bought at Narbonne. The replacement headlight will have been bought by the repair garage using the Carte Grise. I still have the identical old one which is missing the fixing stud, broken off.

 Yes the levelling motors are working fine. The setting on the dash roller control is zero.

Thank you J.R. all advice is welcome.  Unfortunately my ground is not level, it falls away just outside the garage.  I have a wooden palette which will stand on end, so I shall take that with me to the back lane behind the house and mark it as you suggest.

Am I right in thinking that there are only 3 adjusters V&H for dipped and only V for main beam?  So the dipped beam is independent of the main beam?

It was quite a fiddly job getting the headlamp to reseat properly and the hockey-stick slider does not seem to anchor the headlamp absolutely securely - maybe there was some panel damage from the accident which was not corrected and that is maybe responsible for the changing beams. (Except that that would not explain significant vertical alignment, which has been the major fault.)

 

[J.R.]

I cant recall regarding the adjusters, I think they move the whole refelector/bulb(s) assembly.

 

It does not matter if your drive slopes (mine does) as long as its flat, ie a constant slope.

 

Headlights have just been loaded into my car to go to England to be sent on to Sticky Micky so hope you dont need an adjuster, if you do then contact him, I'm just pleased that they are going to be re-used.

[Norman Willcox]

Hi J.R.   No that's fine.   Slope changes angle continuously outside the garage. Just been out to try re-aligning the lights on a relatively flat section.  Horribly difficult!  I think they are better and driving with them is better than before, but whether they are in spec, I don't know. LH seems a bit odd in that there is some flare across the road to the left, though low down.

The bulb failure indicator is now showing, even though no bulbs are apparently blown. I wonder If a lead has come adrift from the headlight connector? Is there a separate current sensor wire ? Don't think so!  Time for bed.

[Tilt]

I'm a little confused as if i read it correctly all of your adjusters work fine............

 

However, could it be that your adjusters are reaching the end of their adjustment before reaching the desired, and legal position / aim.

 

If so you need to move the reflector inside and then reattach the adjuster screw to the centre of the adjustment rod. This will give you adjustment either way then and should allow you to set them correctly.

 

Seeing your images brings back memories, I had forgotten about the Bowden? cable bit as JR mentions.......

 

Something else is wrong tho if you are getting bulb errors but no bulb issues........

[Norman Willcox]

Hi Tilt, I am confused and disgusted too. Hasn't anybody any done any R&D on headlights? They are a scientific and engineering disgrace.  I could do better with a candle and a decent parabolic reflector!  What useless beams they produce!

Yes, one of my adjusters is a bit stiff and the internal hex drive can slip, but then any decent mechanic could have used the external hex, which would have had more purchase.  For the amateur, without any kit to offset the random beam-forming produced with these astonishingly expensive and poor performing reflectors, it is rather difficult to arrive at something that might match a CT (MoT) wizard operating his fancy gadget.

I think I achieved a result approaching what is required, out in the bundu, with my black plastic masks and palette screen.

Yes, I was surprised that the bulb-failure indicator lit; I stopped the car and walked round it, testing all the lights and noticed nothing wrong. I stopped the engine to allow it to reboot - no change.  But I am pleased to report that this evening the indicator does not show. Bloody computers!

I have not been interested in the Skoda today; the whole exercise is to make it saleable for another unsuspecting Brit who is desperate for a cheap car to replace his defunct Kia.  I have been busy fitting a tow-bar to the UK-Reg Insignia stop-gap which is intended to get me back to UK ahead of Effing Brexit. Boy, was it sweaty!

Not sure that I get your suggestion about resetting the adjuster push-rods; surely the only way you might run out of adjustment would be when the push-rod thread bottomed at the end of it's travel. If more was needed - tough!

I think these stupid poncy headlights are both over-engineered and under engineered at the same time. What on earth is wrong with a nice circular sealed-beam unit, such as the Americans kept for ages after the European market chose to go arty?  Well, global-energising is going to bring all of us to heel!

Thanks for everyone's inputs, much appreciated.

[Golf-Fiend]

12 hours ago, Norman Willcox said:

................What on earth is wrong with a nice circular sealed-beam unit, such as the Americans kept for ages after the European market chose to go arty?  Well, global-energising is going to bring all of us to heel!..............

 

 

Have to agree! Simple. Cheap. Easy to fix. Good beams. Separate indicators from headlight units so others can ACTUALLY SEE the indicators working.

 

Elegantly simple: