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Headlight beam adjustment kit - having a laugh (or not)


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wifey has taken the car to get some new tyres fitted and the headlights setup properly

Apart from the fact that they managed to snap 4 bolts on the wheels...fortunately "only" one each per wheel, they also said their headlamp testing kit couldn't handle RHD cars.

The boss said they can't do it, lamps don't conform, so we must get them changed. The car is a Jag (yes, I know...sorry..but an old one) and Jag made sure that the headlamps were adjustable for continental driving, you just need to twiddle with a couple of hex screws. I can twiddle but I can't tell if they are OK or not.

So...does the headman at the garage have a point? or is he just (for me) driving another nail into the coffin of "customer service" and they can't be bothered?

I will 'pologise if he does have a valid point

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[quote user="HoneySuckleDreams"]wifey has taken the car to get some new tyres fitted and the headlights setup properly

Apart from the fact that they managed to snap 4 bolts on the wheels...fortunately "only" one each per wheel,[/quote]

EEEEEK!!! Presumably this was whilst tightening the bolts after fitting the tyres?

[quote user="HoneySuckleDreams"]they also said their headlamp testing kit couldn't handle RHD cars.

The boss said they can't do it, lamps don't conform, so we must get them changed. The car is a Jag (yes, I know...sorry..but an old one) and Jag made sure that the headlamps were adjustable for continental driving, you just need to twiddle with a couple of hex screws. I can twiddle but I can't tell if they are OK or not.

So...does the headman at the garage have a point? or is he just (for me) driving another nail into the coffin of "customer service" and they can't be bothered?

I will 'pologise if he does have a valid point[/quote]

Well .... I'm not familiar with the Jag set-up, but I would guess that the adjustment basically renders your previously "kicked up to the left" beam pattern to "symmetrical flat". His equipment would be checking for "kicked up to the right" ... which your car's current headlights won't do.

However, AFAIK, you're not required to have beams that kick up to the right, but are required to have beams that DON'T kick up to the left. I stand to be corrected on this, however.

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You are spot on Pickles.

Not sure how old an old jag is in your book but the adjustment for continental driving probably just lowers the beam (which will still have a kick up to the left) to avoid dazzling oncoming motorists, this is very much a temporary mod as the illumination of the road ahead will be significantly compromised, this will be especially noticeable on main beam and I dont think lights lowered in this way will pass the CT.

You can set the aim yourself on a dark night against a wall or garage door, I'm sure there will be something on the net to explain how better than I can.

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[quote user="Chancer"]

You can set the aim yourself on a dark night against a wall or garage door, I'm sure there will be something on the net to explain how better than I can.

[/quote]

That's going a bit far, the garage ist was only trying to help [Www]

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The LHD/ or RHD set up is in the pattern moulded in the glass, so any adjustment may move the light across to the right but will still dip to the left. Dependent on which model you have, but on the 7inch round sealed beam lamps as fitted to old jags, LHD were fitted to many cars supplied to Europe, most common of which is the mini (and Land rover etc) and should be easy enough to obtain in France and make a proper job of converting to LHD, if it's not this unit then still LHD Jaguar units may be available from factors or even breakers.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/RTC3863-Classic-Car-Land-Rover-Mini-BMC-Sealed-Beam-Unit-7-inch-LHD-NEW-/251119819481?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item3a77e85ad9

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Whilst the pattern moulded in the glass will conform to left or right hand drive its not that which creates the cut off, in fact the main purpose is guidelines for using black masking tape for removing the kick up.

The kick up is created by the angular position of the dipped beam element shield, the fresnel lense pattern moulded into the glass if any sharpens up the diffused edge of the dipped beam pattern.

I have modified all my vehicles and many others over the ages by rotating the bulbs within the housing, its the only difference on vehicles with clear glasses like my Skoda, many older Fiats and Lancias had indexed rotatable bulbholders for continental/UK use.

A headlight modified as above has a flat beam with the correct kick up on either the left or right but the cut off edge will be more wooly if there were fresnel lenses moulded into the glass, you can just make it out on the headlight testers much less so on the road.

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Broken wheel bolts - set air wrench to torque setting for a centurion tank and use that on all wheels.

Garages that do this make me sick - pity the poor motorist who has a puncture in the middle of nowhere on a dark rainy night.

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[quote user="Chancer"] Whilst the pattern moulded in the glass will conform to left or right hand drive its not that which creates the cut off, in fact the main purpose is guidelines for using black masking tape for removing the kick up. The kick up is created by the angular position of the dipped beam element shield, the fresnel lense pattern moulded into the glass if any sharpens up the diffused edge of the dipped beam pattern.

I have modified all my vehicles and many others over the ages by rotating the bulbs within the housing, its the only difference on vehicles with clear glasses like my Skoda, many older Fiats and Lancias had indexed rotatable bulbholders for continental/UK use.

A headlight modified as above has a flat beam with the correct kick up on either the left or right but the cut off edge will be more wooly if there were fresnel lenses moulded into the glass, you can just make it out on the headlight testers much less so on the road.


[/quote]

Thanks for the enlightenment Chance, how does it work on sealed beams?

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As an update....

Wifey has been handling all this herself (bless) ...

The garage place said they couldn't handle the beam checking because they use an automatic machine of sorts. I've never seen one so I can't comment.

Wifey found some information on t'interweb that there is a lever behind one of the lights which you can use to adjust the kicked-up (?) position, so she did that, I assume on the LH lamp....and you have to take the battery out to get to it. There is a manual adjustment on each of the 4 separate lamps for left and right, so she had a fiddle with those as well.

Took it back to the CT place for it's retest and blokey there said they were perfect.  So big smiles all round[:D].

I might even let her have a square of chocolate as a "well-done"

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I'm not sure I should add this comment to this thread or the "how-much" [:'(] thread

Feu-vert have phoned up to say they can order the wheel-nuts that they broke (only two it turns out)...you ready for this ... big intake of breath... €84 !! This includes €30 delivery charge.

Why we have to pay for it anyway...but that price..are they have a laugh?

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