HIDs point too low

N

nick4tl

Member
Hi,
Just a quick query. I recently installed the h7r kit from car mod shop. My headlights are pointing too low. My girlfriend took the car to a mechanic who after removing the bonnet and attempting to adjust them concluded they, should be pointing quite a bit higher, but they are adjusted as high as they can be and figured the bulbs were at fault.
Has anyone else had this issue?
I'll take it to another mechanic tomorrow I guess but the first mechanic is quite reputable so Im wondering if the h7r bulb may be the issue?
I was very careful to insure the bulbs sat nice and flat in the headlight when fitting them.
Also the headlights were at the same level (too low) as they are now when they had the halogen in.
If anyone else here has fitted the H7R and had no problems it would good to hear so I can rule that out before removing them.
Thanks
Nick
 
Try reseating the HID bulbs in the lamp units they can be wrongly aligned even with the clips and apparently in place.
 
Hi Nick
The motorised height adjusters can sometimes fail. Have you checked the thumbwheel adjuster on the dash actually works and the headlamp moves through its full range. If stuck in the lowest position I suspect you would run out of travel with the allen key adjusters.

Cheers Spike
 
Hi,
i had a set of HIDs fitted that I got from HID'S4u and I had the exact same problem as yourself. The beam was too low yet my normal main beam seemed too hi. took it to another mechanic and he took it to an MOT station and set it with a beam setter. He said it was set too low and is now higher and set to MOT specification. I haven't tried it in the dark yet but hopefully it will be set correctly and the main beam wont be too high. It seemed before that the new HR7 bulbs were pointing too low although the main was high enough. i will let you know how they are if I manage to get out in the dark soon. I suspect the dip is fine and the main will be pointing at the moon. They were both fine before the hids were fitted. Very strange. let me know if you get to the bottom of it.

cheers
kev
 
Hi,
Right. thanks for the suggestions. Ill check both of those things again this evening. Im pretty sure the motorised widget is working. I wonder if there is much adjustment latitude with the two torx screws that hold the headlight in place. I didnt think of that when fitting them back.
Thanks
Nick
 
I had mine fitted by Mike(Skipton) i to got mine from HID'S4U, on first glance they seemed fine, but after driving down a B road no street lights, yes mine where low. I did a rough ajustment on the garage door, got them checked just before MOT last year i had them both just a little to low. Got them to put them to MOT spec and then it went through MOT no problem with them

Cheers Phil
 
How was your main beam though Phil ?
Was that ok or does the main beam hit the sky after you raised the lights to get the dipped correct

Kev
 
Hmm Ive just checked my main beam and they point to the moon too! Will adjust tomorrow I think got to change a blown sidelight bulb anyway...
 
Sounds familiar...
Exactly my experience when I tried two different HID-kits on my car, a H7R-kit and a standard H7-kit.

Both were after an evaluation period returned to the distributor since I wasn't happy with how they performed. They put out a massive amount of light, but it couldn't be controlled. After install, both pointed to the ground. The beam was glary and nonrefined compared to halogens. You simply shouldn't drive with "another persons glasses". No wonder they are and should be illegal.
 
There's absolutely nothing wrong with properly made and correctly installed HID retrofit kits.

Agreed, when they glare and put out a non-defined beam, then they are dangerous. Likewise, when they are blue or purple, then the owners should be made to stare into them for 24 hours and then made to remove them.

However, if you have a decent beam pattern, no glare and well maintained lenses (i.e. keep them clean), there are positive safety benefits to being able to see better at night.

If your main beam and dipped beams are pointing in wildly different directions, then there is something wrong with the bulb or the install - they should be a fraction apart, with the main beam being slightly above and to the right (for UK cars) of the dipped beam.

Cheers

Mike
 
Been here before. ALL retrofit HIDs are illegal UNLESS the vehicle is fitted with headlamp washers and a self levelling device.

http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roadsafety/drs/hidheadlamps

In the Department's view it is not legal to sell or use after market HID lighting kits, for converting conventional Halogen headlamps to HID Xenon. If a customer wants to convert his vehicle to Xenon HID he must purchase completely new Xenon HID headlamps. The reason for this is that the existing lens and reflector are designed around a Halogen filament bulb, working to very precise tolerances. If one places a HID "burner" (bulb) in the headlamp, the beam pattern will not be correct, there will be glare in some places and not enough light in other places within the beam pattern.

further;

For the after market, a used vehicle cannot obtain type approval because it is only applicable for new vehicles. However we feel that saying "HID is banned in the after market" would not be reasonable. Instead we should make analogies with new vehicles. It would be reasonable to require HID in the after market to meet the same safety standards as on new vehicles. The same level of safety should apply.

Therefore a HID headlamp unit sold in the after market should:

1. be type approved to ECE Regulation 98 as a component.

2. when fitted to the vehicle should enable ECE Regulation 48 to be complied with (although no government inspection will take place).

3. Comply with RVLR as far as "use" is concerned.

In practice this means:

1. The headlamp unit (outer lens, reflector, bulb) shall be type approved to ECE 98 and be "e-marked" to demonstrate this. That can only be done by the headlamp supplier - Hella, Valeo etc. who must test the headlamp in an independent laboratory.

2. Once fitted to the vehicle it must have headlamp cleaning and self-levelling (which can be for the headlamp or can be in the vehicle suspension - some expensive estate cars have "self-levelling suspension" and that is adequate). Also the dipped beam must stay on with the main beam.

3. The headlamp must be maintained in good working order, kept clean, and aligned/adjusted correctly like any other headlamp.

Under the Road Traffic Act 1988 it is an offence to supply, fit or use vehicle parts which are not legal.

In summary it is not permitted to convert an existing halogen headlamp unit for use with HID bulbs. The entire headlamp unit must be replaced with one designed and approved for use with HID bulbs and it must be installed in accordance with the rules stated above.

These posts confirm why........................
 
Technically, you are correct Maersk and I'm not going to debate the issue here, as strictly speaking, they are illegal.

However, so are blue led markers and so many other mods, but these get through the loops, so I still stand by my previous statement.

The emission pattern from a HID arc is comparable to the emission from a halogen filament, and as long as it is correctly placed inside the reflector, the resulting beam pattern will be perfectly acceptable and will be within the defined parameters.

The problems stated in this thread do not justify why aftermarket HID kits are technically illegal for road use - just the opposite - they prove that the bulbs are not correctly aligned.

All the kits I've fitted have been fine - giving a good defined pattern and of a good colour. If anything, the throw has been erring on the side of caution, being too low, but this is easily remedied.

If the aftermarket were to produce full headlamps that were passed to the relevant standards, then fine. However, they don't so owners wanting to see more clearly at night have no choice but to fit these kits.

Choose wisely, get a good quality kit, which has been made so that the xenon arc is aligned exactly as a halogen filament would be, has the appropriate shields painted on if using in a reflector system and is of an approved colour temperature and you'll be fine and pass at MOT time.

Cheers,

Mike

PS Like I said, this is not a question of debate though, as technically, you are correct Maersk.
 
And of course for the A2 at MOT time the tester is not allowed to remove the bonnet so he cant check the headlamp inside anyway. Ive used retrofit HIDs in two Audis for the best part of 5years with no MOT issues and I will continue to do so. If it becomes an issue at test time I will swap them out for the test and back in again afterward. A badly aimed filament bulb is just as annoying and boy do you see a lot of cars these days with those.
 
Accepted. Just attempting to clarify the matter.

Badly aligned lamps is a bug of mine...........

On another topic I see LadyXadmin (not I trust your better half) is at it again.................

Oh Spamalot!
 
So i took my offending car to another garage that had no problem adjusting the beam a bit higher using their beam setter.
It seems fine now but I forgot to check where my main beams now point. I'll check it out tonight hopefully.
Regarding colour temp by the way I chose the 4300K and I have to say its very white. Much whiter than halogen.
The next thing to do is to swap cars with a friend over the weekend and check out the HIDs from the perspective of an oncoming driver on crap back roads. I'll quite happily go back to the halogens if I find them dazzling as I too hate being blinded by oncoming traffic but am of the opinion that its generally an issue of adjustment. We'll see.
N
 
I wish I hadn't bothered haveing these damned this fitted. Nothing but trouble and no better than the std ones. Had the beams aligned by a proper MOT station on a beam checker yesterday. Chap said the left headlight was pointing too high so he lowered it. and it is all now spot on. When I shine the headlights on to my garage wall from a bout 6 feet the look fairly even on dip but on high the right one is much higher than the left. Is this normal.
I mentioned to the MOT tester that maybe the bulbs aren't seated properly and this is causing the problems but he said they were fine. i cant even rip the whole lot out and send it back as the ballasts are tucked right under the lights and I really dont want to fanny around with them. How do i check that they are seated. Is it easy enough to pop the bulbs out. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

any advice welcome
ta
Kev
 
Kev, unless you've got really badly made burners, I guarantee that I can get the lights pretty much spot on. Whereabouts are you and can you come to a future social?

Persevere as a properly oriented light is a revelation at night.

Cheers

mike
 
Hi mike,
I'm up in sunny Glasgow so I'm a wee bit away. I think it may be badly seated bulbs. If they aren't seated and aligned properly I would imagine that it is impossible to set the lights properly. I might drop it into Glasgow Audi to get them to re seat the bulbs and re align the lights.
cheers
Kev
 
Well I went out lay might and sure enough the main beams now scare 747s and low flying ducks. Hmmmm? Not sure how to proceed.
 
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