Aftermarket headlights: levelling motor

[JayTeeA38P]

I just had one of those scenarios where a little job snowballs into a huge one... Even though, in hindsight, they were fine, I thought I'd wet sand and lacquer my (original) headlights to make them perfect. I ended up just making them 1000x worse.

This lead to me thinking, "well, I may as well buy new headlights now". I was going to get some OEM ones, but ended up taking a chance on some aftermarket ones, with "devil eye" LEDs and halogen projector lens. (Mine were bog-standard halogen ones from 2006).

Of course, to fit them, I had to remove the bumper, but two of the three main bolts on the top of the grille had completely seized, and I ended up having to get my local Indy to weld nuts onto them in order for them to remove them.

Anyway, it was done, and I was eventually able to fit the lights. I think they look great. They enable me to have DRLs, as the LEDs come on when I select "parking lights" with the selector switch. The fitment isn't 100%, but I think it's ok. (At the same time I retrofitted facelight rear lights too, which was a whole lot more straightforward.)

SO, the only query I now have is that you are supposed to transfer the levelling motors from the original headlights into the aftermarket ones. I've removed them, but can't see how they would fit. There doesn't even seem to be enough room to accomodate them. Does anyone have any experience of this?

These are the aftermarket headlights that I fitted.

 

[JayTeeA38P]

And here are the lights fitted.

 

[samuelh_888]

Is that an oil leak from your car?

 

[JayTeeA38P]

Is that an oil leak from your car?

Nope, but thanks for your concern!

 

[paddy]

By law they have to be self leveling so there must be something determines they are level as well ?

 

[Abi]

Mine just passed MOT with one motor not working and at a reputable centre. As far as I’m aware these motor’s are not checked unless tow bars are fitted (due to the possible extra rear end weight causing high headlights ‘dazzling’) As long as your headlights have the correct beam pattern and are not too high all should be fine! (Hight etc... can be adjusted manually under the Bonnet) How many times do people use this feature in normal day to day life. If I was me just I’d leave it be and see! but that’s me!


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[paddy]

How many times do people use this feature in normal day to day life.
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Well every time someone gets in the back, it's there for a good reason as these lights are blinding if not set up correctly.

 

[Abi]

Err?


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[paddy]

Self leveling is about carrying passengers and luggage , its not just about tow bars. I carry stuff in my car for work every day, if i put my tools in the boot my lights would be pointing up at the sky.

 

[Nessy]

I think the automatic self-levelling systems of xenon headlights (which are a legal requirement on vehicles factory-fitted with xenons ) and the headlight adjustment motors on ordinary halogen headlights are being mixed-up here?
I’d say that if the adjustment motors can’t be fitted to the aftermarket headlights then the next best thing would be to get a garage to adjust the beam pattern a bit lower than normal so that even if a heavy load were put in the boot it wouldn’t blind other road users......

 

[Abi]

Self leveling is about carrying passengers and luggage , its not just about tow bars. I carry stuff in my car for work every day, if i put my tools in the boot my lights would be pointing up at the sky.

Yes I know all that, but in normal day life who uses it??


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[paddy]

Everyone who carries anything in the back ? Its automatic, you wouldn't know if you were using it but you are everytime you go out at night.

 

[Abi]

I think the automatic self-levelling systems of xenon headlights (which are a legal requirement on vehicles factory-fitted with xenons ) and the headlight adjustment motors on ordinary halogen headlights are being mixed-up here?
I’d say that if the adjustment motors can’t be fitted to the aftermarket headlights then the next best thing would be to get a garage to adjust the beam pattern a bit lower than normal so that even if a heavy load were put in the boot it wouldn’t blind other road users......

I have driven a 2018 A5 where the headlights auto adjust, but don’t think this is related to. May be wrong


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[Abi]

Everyone who carries anything in the back ? Its automatic, you wouldn't know if you were using it but you are everytime you go out at night.

If it’s automatic then why have the manual thumb wheel adjust in the dash area???


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[paddy]

Look
HID's auto adjust, the law says they must be self leveling, my lights set themselves every time i switch them on, its not a choice its automatic.
If you dont need to auto level if you fit them yourself it sort of defeats the whole thing.

auto adjust does not have thumb wheel.

 

[Abi]

Look
Xenon light auto adjust, the law says they must be self leveling, my lights set themselves every time i switch them on, its not a choice its automatic.
If you dont need to auto level if you fit them yourself it sort of defeats the whole thing.

auto adjust does not have thumb wheel.

This is not what a 2006 aftermarket headlights would do.


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[paddy]

Sorry i thought the OP was fitting HID's but he is not, just halogen.

 

[Abi]

Sorry i thought the OP was fitting HID's but he is not, just halogen.

Exactly my point


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[JayTeeA38P]

That's right. They are (were) bog standard halogen lights, with a thumb wheel on the dash. The levelling motor in question is presumably controlled by this thumb wheel - ie. they are not automatically levelling, but can be remotely adjusted when needed.

I'm not overly worried as there is rarely anything or anyone in the back of my car, particularly at nighttime. I just wanted to do the job properly, and hoped that someone on here might have had experience with this.

 

[Abi]

That's right. They are (were) bog standard halogen lights, with a thumb wheel on the dash. The levelling motor in question is presumably controlled by this thumb wheel - ie. they are not automatically levelling, but can be remotely adjusted when needed.

I'm not overly worried as there is rarely anything or anyone in the back of my car, particularly at nighttime. I just wanted to do the job properly, and hoped that someone on here might have had experience with this.

Yer, know what your saying, I prefer to do the same, but sometimes with aftermarket equipment not everything is 100% compatible


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