headlight help needed urgently

Need technical Q/A then you're in the right place

Moderator: martauto

Dan318-is
Married to the E30 Zone
Married to the E30 Zone
Posts: 8006
Joined: Wed Jul 06, 2005 11:00 pm
Location: Surrey/London

Post Tue Oct 11, 2005 10:35 pm

my car failed its mot on rear brakes and lights being at the wrong level

iv changed the brakes and the retest is 2moro, iv had no mot for 2 weeks so really need it to pass this one

my problem is that the light level adjusters have seized, an my local dealer cant get any in til next week. i cant wait this long!

so i need to level my lights and fast, n e ideas guys?

please come to my rescue in true zone style!
Andy_magic
E30 Zone Camper
E30 Zone Camper
Posts: 1121
Joined: Tue Feb 22, 2005 11:00 pm
Location: Cambridge

Post Tue Oct 11, 2005 10:43 pm

If they are non remote adjusters try the following:

Take out lights, get a pair of mole grips and WD40, spray WD40 on the adjusters and twist with mole grips, run each adjuster up and down the thread until free, put a blob of copper slip on the thread so it doesn't seize again.

HTH
Image
dazleeds
old skool raver
old skool raver
Posts: 12883
Joined: Fri Apr 01, 2005 11:00 pm
Location: Empire Building @

Post Tue Oct 11, 2005 10:43 pm

take the headlight frames out and keep soaking the threac in penetrating oil or wd if you have to
then try turn them with pliers till they loose

i had to stand in mot taking frames out and readjusting for ages cos they were so stiff
just hope you have a patient tester
antother option is adjust the frame angles tempory with washers to tilt the beam :snigger:
www.oldskoolfantasy.co.uk
in the shit,the one to blame,yeh its all my fault ;)
Dan318-is
Married to the E30 Zone
Married to the E30 Zone
Posts: 8006
Joined: Wed Jul 06, 2005 11:00 pm
Location: Surrey/London

Post Tue Oct 11, 2005 10:44 pm

they are remotly adjsutable but that has seized also

the station said theyd tried adjusting them but they were seized lol

i g2 do it 2moro morning

thanks guys!
mrLEE30
E30 Zone Team Member
E30 Zone Team Member
Posts: 6589
Joined: Tue Jan 18, 2005 11:00 pm
Location: Sweating buckets in Bahrain

Post Wed Oct 12, 2005 2:10 pm

I assume you realise you can manually adjust the remote adjuster by turning the rear of the headlight adjuster barrel. It is the knurled portion about an inch in diameter and two-ish inches long. that adjusts the beam without moving the frame of the light which is sounds like you are trying to do??!!

if thats unclear let me know and i will take a piccy of the bit you need to turn.

of course failing that do you have a friend who can lend you his lights?? only three screws to remove each light unit, just swap em!

mrlee



Image
mrLEE30
E30 Zone Team Member
E30 Zone Team Member
Posts: 6589
Joined: Tue Jan 18, 2005 11:00 pm
Location: Sweating buckets in Bahrain

Post Wed Oct 12, 2005 2:45 pm

felt in a good mood so ran home to take a picture. you can see my fingers around the bit you turn to adjust.

if that bit has seized then final alternative is as you can see from the pictures of my lights on my lovely red sofa, the light unit as a whole is held on by three screws. you could put small washers in between the car body and the light assembly body, this will alter the angle of the light assembly and therfore the lights and the beam, i.e a washer on the bottom screw will lift the beam up. It is i must stress a temp fix cause it will move not only your driving light but your main beam too. Good luck

mrlee

Image
oze30
E30 Zone Addict
E30 Zone Addict
Posts: 4133
Joined: Mon Oct 24, 2005 11:00 pm
Location: Sydney

Post Mon Nov 07, 2005 3:05 pm

What about the actual dial that sits under the headlight pull? If it doesn't move the lights.. What could it be? I think it's vacuum operated, but don't know/can't see where the vacuum is supplied from!
mrLEE30
E30 Zone Team Member
E30 Zone Team Member
Posts: 6589
Joined: Tue Jan 18, 2005 11:00 pm
Location: Sweating buckets in Bahrain

Post Mon Nov 07, 2005 3:22 pm

the dail to which i am assuming you are asking about is the interior headlight adjuster, its not vacuum but sort of hydraulic (its actually a funny mixture of water and something like radiator coolant), but they always die. to adjust turn the knurled part you can just see my fingers round. there are manual adjusters to which look like white butterfly nuts, but be carefull, the plastic clips normally break due to the age of the plastic.

mrlee
e30bb
E30 Zone Newbie
E30 Zone Newbie
Posts: 237
Joined: Fri Jan 14, 2005 11:00 pm
Location: Harlow, Essex

Post Mon Nov 07, 2005 8:14 pm

Which side? I have a leftside level adjust light unit, if want it.