hi all..

 

so my 2nd trip to the MOT tester today and I still have the same problem, that problem is that the beam on my headlights kicks up to the middle of the road and not to the kerb side, I have tried the adjusters but one moves and the other headlight doesn't,( knackered cogs I presume) however even on the one that moves the beam still kicks up to the middle of the road so he has failed it again..

i'm at a complete loss on this one guys, I bought the car last year with a full mot so suppose I maybe got a picky tester but being fair to him I suppose if I got a tug from the old bill because of this then they'd want to know how it passed the MOT test.

 

my car is a jap car but was imported to Spain before coming to the UK ( same family owned it since new) do you think the headlights could have been some sort of different spec for Spain ?

 

Either way I need to get this sorted to pass the MOT so i'm up for any help / suggestions that can be fired my way.

 

I think I may be on the look out for some decent priced UK spec headlights ???

 

cheers cutty

checked the bulb is fitted correctly,they are fiddly and quite often on the fritz

It is very rare for headlights of the age they are to have working adjusters, i take it the long metal adjuster works the dipped as it should, from memory i think this moves it up and down ?

The problem could well be the other plastic ones that adjust side to side, i wouldn't be at all surprised if these were broke on both headlights.

To clarify further there is a main beam adjuster in the corner, these do not break and it's the one with the larger socket head than the others, the other for the main beam does break however and is the same one that breaks as is on the dipped beam.

 

Jimmer is correct, bulb fitment is done blind so they may need re seating correctly.

 

I'd personally knuckle down and take the headlights out and check the cogs, it does sound like they do need to come out anyway at some point.

 

Once removed if you take off all the rubber bungs and see from the rear if the bulb openings are in the middle of their respective opening/travel, this will as a rule satisfy a tester, you may blatantly see one or both way out to the left or right, etc.

 

If you bought more headlights, in every likelihood the cogs will be broke, mend your own.

I renovated my headlights, along with all other parts in my rebuild. They really were a rusty mess, though they looked totally fine when they were attached to the car. As for the adjusters I had several snapped cogs, some just seized with rust. Fortunately I was able to get some parts from a member of the club, I know others have used gear cogs from Tamco scale models.

 

Either way I think you need to get the offending headlight out, or even both, and check them out, as something is obviously wrong. You could replace them, but like phutumsch said, they'll likely need TLC too.

Hi guys.. so it appears that I have European spec headlights - hence the offside kick up..

So new headlights it has to be, but I'm off on holiday so a job for when I get back. .

 

Thanks for the help guys.

 

Cutty

It doesn't have to be new headlights, slap bang in the middle of the pic below there is deflector or shield, this is all you need to make yours RHD.

 

I can send you a pair and they just screw bolt in, you will need to pull the projector out but this is done with the adjusters until they just drop off the thread, so you'd replace after you've removed the glass and strip them down to clean, etc, anyway.

 

I can also send you the 8 x Tamiya metal cogs needed for the adjusters.

 

Let me know if you're interested in this option, delivered i would want £35.00.

 

Cheapest is to swap the shield, or grind your current one flat. But that means your adjusters have to work so you can adjust it down afterwards... I take it flat beam pattern is allowed in the UK?

Many people did this mod to skylines being registered in Scandinavia to get headlights legal...