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Topic: Headlight adjustment (Read 636 times) |
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Octavian_P
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Headlight adjustment
« on: Feb 22nd, 2007, 11:30am » |
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Hi there
I'm having a small "trouble" with my headlamps. If you remember about half a year ago my Scorpio was hit in a parking by a priest  The car was sorted, bumper was resprayed and the broken headlamp changed. Since then i didn't drove it in the night time outside towns ... Last nights i needed the headlamps so i have discovered that the new headlamp light path goes to the left and too down...also the old one does the same. The result is that i have light only at 20-30 meters in front of the car...which is pretty dangerous. For now i'm using the fog lamps also for a bit of extra light but those have worn glass due to road chipping. Anyway to cut the story short how can i adjust the lamps a bit. I found the manual on the site to adjust them, but anyone of you knows a how to do it at home in the parking lot version, because i don't want to go to FMD just to pay them to do nothing 
Oohh and forgot to add, my 2.3 is really weird. It's a saloon and does not have headlamp leveling  I don't believe it's having suspension leveling either.
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2.0 16V Ultima|2.3 16V Ghia|2.9 24V Cosworth Ghia
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Octavian_P
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Re: Headlight adjustment
« Reply #2 on: Feb 22nd, 2007, 12:20pm » |
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Thanks Scorpio_man but i have already checked, they are on continental drive. those "wonderful mechanics" that repaired my Scorpio "set-them" up It has to do it the adjusters on top of them. But i don't know how to adjust them to see the road and not blind the cars coming from the front 
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2.0 16V Ultima|2.3 16V Ghia|2.9 24V Cosworth Ghia
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Simmo
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Re: Headlight adjustment
« Reply #3 on: Feb 22nd, 2007, 12:42pm » |
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Put the car on a level surface facing squarely to a blank wall,garage door or similar. Get the car about 15 feet away if you can. This will enable you to see where the centre of the beam is. The beam should be at the same height as the centre of the lamp and the same width apart as the lights. If one of your lights is ok then use that as a guide. If you put a mark with tape or similar on the wall/door the same width apart as the lamp centres you will be able to adjust to that mark. This should enable you to get them roughly aligned.
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scorpio_man
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Ford Kuga awd
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Re: Headlight adjustment
« Reply #4 on: Feb 22nd, 2007, 12:42pm » |
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hi there
found this...
The screw on top of each unit at the side of the rad is does the vertical adjusting of the beam.
Turning the screw clockwise will dip the beam.
also check that the bulb is not up side down. shouldn't be, but you never know.
hth
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TiberiuS
Senior Member
Ex. 1996 2.3 Ultima - RIP P789 KHJ
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Re: Headlight adjustment
« Reply #5 on: Feb 22nd, 2007, 3:39pm » |
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Hi, there's some good info on the web about how to do this, the idea is that you find a wall and a flat area in an empty car park and set them from there using the adjusters behind the lamps. Only facelift models had the adjusters, my '96 pre didn't...but they are a good idea on the road, I thought they were just a gimmick too until I tried them 
Here's the article I used for mine, very helpful 
Regards, Bruce.
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Bruce - '07 Jaguar XKR coupe, '95 Jaguar XJ Sport 4.0, '82 Ford Capri 2.0 Ghia, '15 Honda Civic (sloooooww..)
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AJLElectronics
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I'm a YaBB newbie!
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Re: Headlight adjustment
« Reply #6 on: Feb 22nd, 2007, 6:04pm » |
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Just been out to check mine, which are not impressive. Flicked the assymetric levers and the beam pattern appeared at the left. Looks like I was set to LHD! I did notice though that the projector lenses appear to be cloudy, is this normal? I have got some Osram Silverstar bulbs coming tomorrow, so it will be interesting to find what difference they make. It worked wonders on my Scimitar SS1, although I did fit new bowls as well.
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TiberiuS
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Ex. 1996 2.3 Ultima - RIP P789 KHJ
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Re: Headlight adjustment
« Reply #7 on: Feb 22nd, 2007, 6:18pm » |
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You need to unclip the glass lens (4 clips) from the lamp body and clean it and the reflector with soapy water. Matt said to do this, I did mine about a year back and it made a hell of a difference with new bulbs...most cars suffer form misted lenses as they get older, I think it's a reaction with the heat form the bulb. Did the same to the quads on the XJ, pulled and cleaned them, put them back with a set of Philips Vision Plus bulbs - fantastic now, and owners often complain about how bad the lights on the XJ are
Regards, Bruce.
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Bruce - '07 Jaguar XKR coupe, '95 Jaguar XJ Sport 4.0, '82 Ford Capri 2.0 Ghia, '15 Honda Civic (sloooooww..)
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Octavian_P
Senior Member
Posts: 1126
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Re: Headlight adjustment
« Reply #9 on: Feb 22nd, 2007, 8:16pm » |
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Thank you all for the great tips ....someone will now see in the dark 
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2.0 16V Ultima|2.3 16V Ghia|2.9 24V Cosworth Ghia
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TiberiuS
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Ex. 1996 2.3 Ultima - RIP P789 KHJ
Posts: 2257
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Re: Headlight adjustment
« Reply #10 on: Feb 22nd, 2007, 8:30pm » |
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Andrew, why did you edit my post mate?
Not that I mind, just wondered
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Bruce - '07 Jaguar XKR coupe, '95 Jaguar XJ Sport 4.0, '82 Ford Capri 2.0 Ghia, '15 Honda Civic (sloooooww..)
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scorpio_man
Administrator
Ford Kuga awd
Posts: 5654
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Re: Headlight adjustment
« Reply #11 on: Feb 22nd, 2007, 8:57pm » |
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hi there
sorry, should've made it clearer. 
there's 4 clips on the light, not 3. 1 you get to from the foglight hole in the bumper.
regards
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TiberiuS
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Ex. 1996 2.3 Ultima - RIP P789 KHJ
Posts: 2257
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Re: Headlight adjustment
« Reply #12 on: Feb 22nd, 2007, 9:08pm » |
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Sorry Andrew, I only remembered 3 mate
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Bruce - '07 Jaguar XKR coupe, '95 Jaguar XJ Sport 4.0, '82 Ford Capri 2.0 Ghia, '15 Honda Civic (sloooooww..)
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scorpio_man
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Ford Kuga awd
Posts: 5654
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Re: Headlight adjustment
« Reply #13 on: Feb 22nd, 2007, 9:11pm » |
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see i know all about the 4th one.
thought i'd have to take the bumper off to get it back on the first time i cleaned them! 
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TiberiuS
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Ex. 1996 2.3 Ultima - RIP P789 KHJ
Posts: 2257
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Re: Headlight adjustment
« Reply #14 on: Feb 22nd, 2007, 10:52pm » |
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Andrew, you can tell I really need another Scorp to refresh my memory
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Bruce - '07 Jaguar XKR coupe, '95 Jaguar XJ Sport 4.0, '82 Ford Capri 2.0 Ghia, '15 Honda Civic (sloooooww..)
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Matt
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Manual'd and a 4.0 in the making
Posts: 2816
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Re: Headlight adjustment
« Reply #15 on: Feb 25th, 2007, 10:20pm » |
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Quote:
yep i did , if you have the face lift type headlamps, i'd recomend painting the steel ring that holds the focusing lense in place black, gets rid of that horrible oxidised look and seems to make the headlight appear just that little bit more darker like so 
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Octavian_P
Senior Member
Posts: 1126
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Re: Headlight adjustment
« Reply #16 on: Feb 28th, 2007, 7:01pm » |
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Thank you all for the tips and tricks, didn't have enough time but i have adjusted a bit the headlights...what can i say...just WOW...now i can see
PS: Tiberius that link was also very useful, when i'll have time...i'll do the proper job
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2.0 16V Ultima|2.3 16V Ghia|2.9 24V Cosworth Ghia
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