renandstimpey Posted January 5, 2008 Report Share Posted January 5, 2008 Evening,Right can any techy bod on here explain this to me and what I should do.....Thursday I got 3 bags of gravel (10kg each ish....) in the boot of my car. Drove home with it. Yesterday evening (Friday) i woz driving home from work in the dark with me lights on and got the odd flash from people. This morning (Saturday) whilst driving to work in the dark I woz getting flashed a lot, and have also had the same problem on the way home. I think the drivers side Xenon has set itself too high for some reason, I can only assume it is due to the extra load in the boot and me on the drivers side? I have tried an old trick a friend did with his Toyota, that being to jump up and down on the boot to try and reset it back to a lower level. Would it be easier to use the little ajdustment screw thingy on the top of the light? Any help please, I can't drive to and from work tomorrow with one hand on the lights to flash people back, it's getting really irratating! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
renandstimpey Posted January 5, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 5, 2008 (edited) Right, have just been out for a fiddle and a drive.....Have turned the allen key adjuster thingy, it has lowered the drivers headlight down, but the light seems to be stuck on full beam. When you drive along the dipped beam looks like this:_________________...................................\___________________________________Pass. side...................................................................Drivers side.....which is normal, so I dont think the leveling is out at all. It just seems that the drivers side is permanantly on full beam. You can see it pointing at the road when the dipped is on, and also when main is on. Can still see well with the dipped and main beams, I just hope dropping it will stop me blinding everyone and me getting flashed. Failing that I'll just drive round one handed giving everyone the bird.I am thinking something wrong with the mechanism for dipping the lights? Or maybe its the bulb, that may sound stupid but I really dont know. Anyone any ideas?????? Edited January 5, 2008 by renandstimpey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EaRNi! Posted January 5, 2008 Report Share Posted January 5, 2008 get it plugged in and its easily sorted with VAGCOM mate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ID modds Posted January 5, 2008 Report Share Posted January 5, 2008 You will needed it plug in to a diagnostic mechine to adjust the beam on a xenon light as the motor needs disengaging before it will adjust correctly.As you put a load in the boot and the lights on they should corrected the beam to the right level this may not have happen if the boot if still full.Or as you said the high beam shutter on the xenon lens may not have closed if you have used it on a separate ocation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Posted January 5, 2008 Report Share Posted January 5, 2008 You don't want to turn those adjusters n the top much. They are for fine adjustment only. Turn them to much and itll feck everything up. VAGCOM is used to adjust them properly.Get it plugged in and adjusted. Just sounds like they adjusted up when you had weight in the back (although 30kg isn't much really) and its got stuck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
renandstimpey Posted January 5, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 5, 2008 You don't want to turn those adjusters n the top much. They are for fine adjustment only. Turn them to much and itll feck everything up. VAGCOM is used to adjust them properly.Get it plugged in and adjusted. Just sounds like they adjusted up when you had weight in the back (although 30kg isn't much really) and its got stuckYeah. I'm still not convinced its the adjustment now having had a play (and my word the lights can REALLY be moved up and down on mine!) it seems more like whatever shuts off the full beam and turns it into dipped beam (a shutter? I dont really know how it works to be honest, is that the right thing?) isn't woking anymore. When you click from high to low, you can hear it clicking in the pass. light, which then gets dipped, whilst it seems as though the drivers side one just isn't working? Gonna be stuffed to get it looked at until Monday evening/Tuesday day off work. Hope my manual adjustement works for now....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
renandstimpey Posted January 5, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 5, 2008 Thinking back, I didn't have the main lights on, it was just the side lights so that the dash was illuminated. And yes I ain't running round with 30kg of gravle in my boot, its out the front of my house now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
renandstimpey Posted January 6, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 6, 2008 If the dipping mechanism is knackered, does that mean a new unit is required? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
renandstimpey Posted January 8, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 8, 2008 Right, been to Midland Vw today, they hooked it up to vagcom and "computer says no!" there is no faults with the headlamp. They can only suggest that it is a bulb problem, which makes sense as there isn't really anything else it could be if the headlamp is fine!Two things then:How much for a bulb, preferbly NOT from the stealers, as they are extortionate, and.....How the feck do you change the bulb?Of course it would have to be the drivers side where there is no room for a streak of piss, let alone a human hand. And I got a fecking stone chip on the way home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
breamy Posted January 9, 2008 Report Share Posted January 9, 2008 theres a guy on here selling them for £35 each check for sale section.sorry no idea how to change them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee_ Posted January 9, 2008 Report Share Posted January 9, 2008 I thought the main beam was done with the little lamps. The Xenon light was just for dipped beam?? There should be a level switch for xenon lights, usually located on the rear axle, It might be worth checking to see if the Lupo has one and if it is working order. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philplop Posted January 9, 2008 Report Share Posted January 9, 2008 Nope, we have Bi-Xenons. The little ones are sidelights and standard halogen beams. If you have your headlights turned off and flash your lights, just the little ones flash, if your lights are on, you get the Xenons flashing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bossjohnc Posted January 10, 2008 Report Share Posted January 10, 2008 I had the shutter fail in one of mine once - it acted as though it adjusted properly if you put weight on the boot etc, but the light itself didn't change. I think it was stuck on dipped, but some light went over the top of the shutter which was a pain for oncoming traffic. Putting the light on to full beam didn't change anything.VW replaced the entire unit under warranty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee_ Posted January 10, 2008 Report Share Posted January 10, 2008 Nope, we have Bi-Xenons. The little ones are sidelights and standard halogen beams. If you have your headlights turned off and flash your lights, just the little ones flash, if your lights are on, you get the Xenons flashing.You learn something new every day, the Lupo keeps on impressing me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TANNER Posted January 10, 2008 Report Share Posted January 10, 2008 I have a similar problem mate, when I flash someone (be it they are fit and blonde or whether I am just being polite in traffic) my drivers side headlight seems to stick on main beam, I can turn it off again by flashing again but sometimes it takes more than one flash to clear it which can be annoying for oncoming traffic i'd imagine! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
renandstimpey Posted January 11, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 11, 2008 Seems to me that most of the people who have the same problem as me have had it caused by a dodgy headlamp unit. However when hooked up to vagcom it said there was no problem? I am assuming that it would pick it up if it was a headlight fault......?Especially as I have just shelled out for a new bulb (£40 from xenonmaster, NOT Vw!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
renandstimpey Posted January 26, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 26, 2008 Right I thought I'd resurrect this thread as my headlight seems to have corrected itself of its own accord! I noticed on the way to work at half seven this morning that the dipped drivers beam was now "cut off" along the top, meaning that the deliberatley slow dipping mechanism (in a Dr Evil voiceover) is fnctional again. Whilst i'm a bit annoyed at paying for a new bulb when it seems to be ok, I'm glad I didn't shell out for a new headlight!And at least i've got a spare bulb. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lupo pete Posted October 8, 2009 Report Share Posted October 8, 2009 Anybody else had this problem?how can you reset the shutter?can it be reset by flasing the main beam?thanks pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
99hjhm Posted October 8, 2009 Report Share Posted October 8, 2009 (edited) Wow.. This is bump of the yearIt is worked by a little actuator... I guess this can stick open or shut. If you remove the cover off the light(with it removed from the car), you will see it, and how it works. Reset it... Whats yours doing? Edited October 8, 2009 by 99hjhm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lupo pete Posted October 8, 2009 Report Share Posted October 8, 2009 It's stuck open (on main beam) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lupo pete Posted October 9, 2009 Report Share Posted October 9, 2009 Ok i have taken the bulb out to see how the shutter worksIt just not closing fully (so light escaping at the top off the shutter)i used a pencil to move it back to where it should beand it closed the gap at the top.But when i used main beam it got stuck againWhat can be used to grease the shutter (someone recommended using a pencil agaist the hinge)the graphit from the pencil would grease it.any ideas please 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bossjohnc Posted October 9, 2009 Report Share Posted October 9, 2009 Well done for doing that, it's useful information. Never heard of pencil graphite being used as grease though!If I were you I'd be looking around for a spare/scrap unit, I know they're hard to find, but you don't need the bulb or ballast so it shouldn't cost too much (and if you get one with bulb and ballast from scrap then you'll have spares which as I've found can be very useful). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lupo pete Posted October 9, 2009 Report Share Posted October 9, 2009 yiipppei have fixed it the little actuatormust of been stiff it moves nice and freely now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bossjohnc Posted October 9, 2009 Report Share Posted October 9, 2009 Nice!Any pics? What did you use? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toi gulp Posted October 9, 2009 Report Share Posted October 9, 2009 on your rear beam there is a load sensor which detects how much the rear end has dropped, this adjust's your lights pitch to compensate so i'd check to see that it hasnt got stuck before you go faffig about with the dial.otherwise take it to an mot station and get them to adjust it on their light calibrator. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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