Hymer A class Xenon headlight adjustment (1 Viewer)

[DavidG58]

Really this is a continuation of my saga from last year with smashed headlight and Travelworld

We rarely drive in the dark, but had to last weekend now noticed the recently fitted new nearside headlight unit alignment is far from good, pointing down too low and left

Hopefully just a trim on an adjuster, but my manual does not help other than swapping for continental use

If I could find the time and justify the fuel cost I really ought to take it back to TW to get them do the job properly, but very hard now to prove it was them after all these months, although I cant really see anyway it could have gone this far out of true just with driving, almost certainly overlooked when fitted

Problem is MOT is due before we go to France in 3 weeks

Does anybody know or have any experience of making such an adjustment, which will be by feel alone I would guess as even reaching in to change a bulb is near on impossible

One thought I have had is to drive it my MOT garage to see if they are actually so far out as to fail, but that kind of draws their attention to my doubt and he might then need to fail it where he might actually miss it at the test

 

[DavidG58]

discrete nudge

has nobody had to tweak their light settings?

mind you they shouldn't need adjusting if fitted properly in the first place

 

[Fletton]

There be a thread on here (with pics)... on adjusting from uk to euro...
I think that would help you...
Search for ... headlight deflectors"..

JT

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[DavidG58]

thanks @Fletton I found that option, that is by a lever

mine are just not adjusted correctly and need a tweak, might just try the level option, but presume that is either pointing left or right rather than fine tuning

 

[Glandwr]

Hymer A class covers a number of models. On my S740 the surround to the headlights are removeable and there are 4 adjusting screws (at points of the compass) that angle the floating light fittings. An over compensation will get you through the the MOT. Are you aware of the slight turn (about 15 degs between stops) that switches from LHD to RHD?

Dick

 

[laird of Dunstan]

David i managed to do my Rapido,its on a fiat chassis so i dont know if the merc will be similar,there are three screws at the rear and its best to get one of those cheap flexible screwdriver kits from halfords as the screw heads are of the torx type,i slackened off the two screws either side of the central one and then carefully remove the center screw and then gently turn the light ,this was checked by the MOT garage and came up spot on

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[Lenny HB]

As you have HID headlamps they must be fitted with automatic self-levelers, could it be the self-leveler system has failed?

 

[gus-lopez]

I'd go down the mot garage & explain it to them. They aren't going to 'miss' it on the test as they use a beam alignment machine.
Better to get them toset it correctly for the test than to then have to try to get them to fix it before going away + retest.

 

[funflair]

Really this is a continuation of my saga from last year with smashed headlight and Travelworld

We rarely drive in the dark, but had to last weekend now noticed the recently fitted new nearside headlight unit alignment is far from good, pointing down too low and left

Hopefully just a trim on an adjuster, but my manual does not help other than swapping for continental use

If I could find the time and justify the fuel cost I really ought to take it back to TW to get them do the job properly, but very hard now to prove it was them after all these months, although I cant really see anyway it could have gone this far out of true just with driving, almost certainly overlooked when fitted

Problem is MOT is due before we go to France in 3 weeks

Does anybody know or have any experience of making such an adjustment, which will be by feel alone I would guess as even reaching in to change a bulb is near on impossible

One thought I have had is to drive it my MOT garage to see if they are actually so far out as to fail, but that kind of draws their attention to my doubt and he might then need to fail it where he might actually miss it at the test

David your light is low because TW put it in badly with the unit tilted up but set correctly, Terry fitted it correctly but didn't reset is my guess.

Sorry I don't know how to though other than there will be screws at the back.

Martin

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[laird of Dunstan]

if its like the rapido theres an acess hatch at the underside just infront of the wheel,one light is easy to do,the other is a real barsteward ,also this is where the E&P jacks come into their realm

 

[DavidG58]

@Glandwr

you are quite right, I made the wrong assumption that my headlight was infamous, sorry

it's one of these with the inbuilt self destruct

 

[DavidG58]

As you have HID headlamps they must be fitted with automatic self-levelers, could it be the self-leveler system has failed?

didn't realise they had self levelling, if they do, that would account for why I don't have a switch for controlling the light level inside the cab, it could also be a function of the poor fitting by TW, although to be fair to them we have had to take it out again because they refused to fit it correctly

long story, tried to move on from that so really hope it doesn't now need a repair to the holder, if it does it is not going back to them anyway

hopefully I can get it through the MOT then sort it at my leisure

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[DavidG58]

found this photo on google images, appears to be the back of a light the same as mine

logic would say if there is any adjustment at all it would be the 2 'knobs' with white dots on them

anybody agree? or know what tool might turn them?

 

[DavidG58]

decided to try a bit harder myself and went looking for a manual on line, then remembered our own 'resources'

'hymer manual' into search up popped this

http://www.motorhomefun.co.uk/forum/resources/hymer-instruction-manual.110/

posted by who other than @Mr Mousy , thank you Martin, little like the blind leading the blind, but who better to be lead by

Thanks Martin

But true to form, Hymer do not give information on any adjustment , never seem to have the bits you 'really' need

page 220 for anybody wanting to make sure

 

[Lenny HB]

didn't realise they had self levelling, if they do, that would account for why I don't have a switch for controlling the light level inside the cab, it could also be a function of the poor fitting by TW, although to be fair to them we have had to take it out again because they refused to fit it correctly

Self leveling & headlamp washers are a legal requirement when HID lights are fitted so I assumed it has.

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[DavidG58]

Thanks Lenny, that sounds like things just got a lot more complicated for me

thinking about it, on my cars you see the lights bob up and down when started, should mine do something similar? because they don't, or I don't think they do, will check in the dark, in fact going out now to try

 

[DavidG58]

yet again I go to bed a more knowledgeable person

the lights are 'self' adjusting, in that they do bob up and down when turned on, but are not level, but I guess at least they think they are

@funflair I know you were only really joking about a warranty claim on @Terry , but actually when refitted the light went further back at the top, which if anything would tip it up, so Terry is off the hook

I will try and twiddle a few things tomorrow see if anything moves, trouble is you really need to do it in the dark and it will be hard enough if I can see what I am doing

 

[Xabia]

I wonder if the following might give you some pointers David? Not the same vehicle but the principle would surely be the same.

http://www.audizine.com/forum/showt...brate-and-Adjust-Adaptive-Bi-Xenon-Headlights

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[DavidG58]

got to stage 6, have a beer, may do it is reverse

will see if any similarity to my set up tomorrow, thanks @Xabia

 

[DavidG58]

just been out to start my battery test as per the other thread, thought I would take a look at the headlight issue

sort of solved it, but only in as much as it is now blindingly obvious what is wrong, but I am now struggling for the solution

all blame now fully back on Travel World when they changed the headlamp unit, which I know included changing the bulbs from one to the other

The book of words doesn't say much about the bulbs, but what it does say is

the risk of death bit is hopefully way OTT, but it has stopped me even taking the rear cover off

I am however confident that the bulb has simply been refitted on the gimp

there are so few Hymer dealers around I really do not know what to do for the best, but really feel it should be a very simple job, if it wasn't for the fear of death bit

 

[DavidG58]

edit, actually looking again I now wonder if I have a faulty light unit, where the bulb holder is misaligned, now that will be fun if that is the case

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[Neilfg]

Not sure a like is totally appropriate. I'm not a fan of Travelworld at all, but I would at least give them a call as they fitted it and give them a chance.

 

[Lenny HB]

OK it's full of condensation but it shouldn't effect the alinement. I assume you are thinking they may have assembled the unit incorrectly allowing moisture to get in. On the standard Hymer headlamps I have never heard of condensation being a problem.
Removing the bulbs should not be a problem providing they have been switched of for a while, leave them at least 24 hours to be safe, the Hymer warning is a bit OTT. No different to disconnecting an old TV tube or a microwave magnetron. If worried do it with one hand and the other one behind your back and stand on a thick piece of dry wood - I'm being serious.

P.S. I accept no liability if you fry yourself.

 

[DavidG58]

@Lenny HB

no condensation inside, all winter mist outside

the issue is the physical bulb position in the holder

I am just having a better look myself, appears that the whole bulb moves very easily, so trying to sort it myself now

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[Lenny HB]

I had another look at your pics, I see what you mean.

 

[DavidG58]

Those that know me, or even those that have only read some of my posts, will know I am not one for doing things, when there is an option to have it done, well today I have had a go, had a serious wobble in the middle of the job, (got a mate involved) now it is all sorted

So this is what I now know and how it got sorted

As I now know the light is auto levelling, which I proved at least moved in the dark last night

Had a grope around this morning looking for any obvious means of additional adjustment, felt the bulb which felt a little loose, in groping I managed to rotate the fitting on the back of the bulb which then came off and couldn't be realigned

So had to resort to full headlamp removal, constantly telling myself these cost £1500, be careful

Headlamp out, still couldn't get the fitting back on, call in my mate, he quickly sees there is some kind of locking ring inside which has rotated, rotated a little more and put it back on for me

As the headlight is now right out we can see there are 2 adjusting screws, for reasons that will soon become clear, one is much longer than the other, the shorter one, on the left (viewed facing the windscreen) I now know adjusts left and right, a small turn makes quite a difference. So the long one should do up and down, the bit most needed. But it is long because some half wit has adjusted it off its thread. The half wit is not me , but either Hella who made it, (very unlikely IMO) or the firm that fitted it, who shall remain nameless for fear of me getting even crosser just writing their name, refer further up this thread for answer if you are not clear who did it.

That is why the light was pointing down and the reason why the bulb was loose in the holder, (by loose I mean it moved up and down a bit)

Called same mate who fixed the first issue, he described exactly what it looked like and told me how to put it right, but he offered to come back up if I was struggling. Delighted to be able to say I followed his instructions, wound the adjuster down as far as the other, the bulb is secure, the alignment more or less identical to the other and even better all back together

sort of at least, one of the fixings needs to be replaced as it has gone rusty, ordered a stainless steel set screw for the job (actually a bag of 50 but only £13 for the lot, better that than not getting it back out if needed and I will replace 2 of the three and also use them in place of the self tappers that hold the grill on for a much better fix (I hope)

Can't be bothered to even complain to the company that shall still not be named, it was nearly 12 months ago and I could never prove someone else hadn't done it, the good thing is it is fixed, at no cost other than a meal out for my mate and our wives, I did fear at one point that the self levelling bit was bust and I might need a new headlight or at least new bulb

before adjusting

after, with hindsight it would have been better if I had wiped the dew off before taking the first photo

back of light unit in case it helps others someday, there is a rubber boot that goes over the back of the bulb area, which I also now know is missing from the offside, ordered one of those as well

the screw length is now after fixing, the lower one in the photo is the up and down adjuster

now on to the batteries on the other thread, may not be such good news there

 

[SandraL]

Excellent result. Thankyou for posting as I now know a bit more about my van. I,m hoping I wont need the info, but if I can remember it when needed..........

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[Lenny HB]

You've been telling porkies, you can do things. Well done.