Headlight Adjusters - MoT advisory

[Jules1965]

Hello All,

Just had an advisory on my 325i Cab that if headlight level adjusters are fitted they need to be working for the MoT. Does anyone have a work around, my local mechanic has suggested fitting a blanking panel over the adjustment dial in the cabin? May be a cheaper option that going through the mechanisms to get them fully working. Any thoughts, are there actually blanking panels from cars without headlight adjusters, or did they all have adjustment as standard?

Regards Jules

[Cloggy Saint]

Advisory? It should be a solid fail! I just remove the adjuster knob when it's MOT time, it's only a couple of screws.

[Jules1965]

I think my mechanic did a little sweet talking, he did make sure the lights were adjusted OK

Advisory? It should be a solid fail! I just remove the adjuster knob when it's MOT time, it's only a couple of screws.

[BenHar]

Advisory? It should be a solid fail! I just remove the adjuster knob when it's MOT time, it's only a couple of screws.

Can you give a link to the relevant section of the MOT regs, please.

I have never had a working headlight adjuster in an E30 and never had one fail the MOT for it.

Thanks
Ben

[Cloggy Saint]

I don't have a link (can't be too hard to find) but I know that if an adjuster is present then it has to work.

[BenHar]

I don't have a link (can't be too hard to find) but I know that if an adjuster is present then it has to work.

Ok, from https://www.mot-testing.service.gov.uk/ ... ection_4.1

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4.1.5 Levelling devices

Make sure any manual headlamp levelling devices (driver controls) work by:

switching on the dipped beam headlamps
operating the manual levelling device
checking that the headlamp beams move up and down
returning the levelling device control to its original position

Vehicles with high intensity discharge (HID) or LED dipped beam headlamps may be fitted with a suspension or headlamp self-levelling system. If these systems have been fitted, they must work.

Sometimes it isn't easy to determine if the self-levelling systems work. In such cases you should give the benefit of the doubt.

You can identify HID headlamps from:

‘DCR’ mark on the headlamp lens or body
an igniter module or inverter behind the headlamp
taking a few seconds to reach full intensity
a bluish tinge to the light

HID headlamps use high voltage. You should take care when inspecting these headlamps.
Defect Category

Headlamp levelling device inoperative

Major

Manual levelling device cannot be operated from the driver’s seat

Major
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So you are right.

I wonder why my cars have never failed for this.

Ben

[DanThe]

Common sense prevails, if the beams are set correctly and cause no issue whats the problem? Nanny state...

[Brianmoooore]

MOT test regs. have recently changed, and this is one of the things that a lot of E30s should now fail on, as Cloggy Saint says.
If the beam pattern is OK, then most testers will ignore the adjusters completely on an E30, or at worst, give an advisory. Similarly with HID dipped headlamps. Beam pattern was OK in my test a couple of months ago, so now illegal (actually illegal before as well, since not 'e' marked) HIDs were ignored.
Note that the MOT test allows quite a wide range of up-down adjustment on dipped beams, and with the very sharp cut off of E30 bull's eyes, they need to be set near the upper limit to be able to see ahead at night.
To answer the OP's question. The 'standard' under dash panel does not have the cut out for the adjuster control, but it's position is marked on the inside, ready to be cut out when fitting the adjusters.