Got factory fitted Xenons- check your leveling sensors now!

[J1MBO]

Originally Posted by ceetdm

J1mbo,

Have you read this post link, I had a similar problem and it was the wiring shorting - a quick fix that sometimes works is to get hold of the wiring loom just behind the driver side headlight and flex it up a little - then check if the self leveling is working.

Tommy :-)

Thanks for the link Tommy but the problem I have is not the same, if you look at the photo's you can see that the sensor arm was reversed, therefore the sensor was "reading" incorrectly and the headlamps were defaulting to low.

Cheers

[HarryM1BYT]

Originally Posted by dattrike

checked mine today,plenty of daylight and warm and dry, back ok just needed greasing, front sensor brackets bent 90 degrees and arm rubbing slightly on drive shaft, bent them back,didn't break luckily, greased joints all working perfectly now.

Ps. wore gloves but still got dirty nails when they split!!

That confirms exactly what I found, that the linkage catches on the drive shaft - thank you!

It was catching so much on mine, that it was forcing the linkage to invert itself bending the arm - as per J1MBO's photos and my lights had been set up with it like that.

I found I could completely resolve the issue by swapping the lower arm and its ball joints to the other side - as fitted it was at the front of the car close to the drive shaft, just take it off with the ball joints and refit on the rear of the car side.

[J1MBO]

Originally Posted by HarryM1BYT

That confirms exactly what I found, that the linkage catches on the drive shaft - thank you!

It was catching so much on mine, that it was forcing the linkage to invert itself bending the arm - as per J1MBO's photos and my lights had been set up with it like that.

I found I could completely resolve the issue by swapping the lower arm and its ball joints to the other side - as fitted it was at the front of the car close to the drive shaft, just take it off with the ball joints and refit on the rear of the car side.

Never thought of how it would sit on the FWD cars but that's an easy fix to resolve the problem.

[HarryM1BYT]

Originally Posted by raykay

The manually adjustable ones go back to the setting of the wheel switch on the LSM after the initial movement after being switched on.

The auto adjust ones are constantly being adjusted by the sensors through the movement of the suspension, by the loading or undulating road surface.

Not that I am aware of it doesn't, at least not constantly - It is a once only adjustment each time you start the car.

[nicpy]

Glad you posted about this Simon, investigation showed one ball joint at front and rear very tight and on the point of seizing, however, removed both, WD40 to clean out the corrosion and a thorough greasing has the job sorted. Thank you.

[raykay]

Originally Posted by HarryM1BYT

Not that I am aware of it doesn't, at least not constantly - It is a once only adjustment each time you start the car.

The principle is the same as the manual system, if you move the thumbwheel as you drive, the lights go up and down, the difference with the automatic system is that instead of the thumbwheel, the sensors do it instead.

[Arctic]

Right while i have the undertray of my MG ZT after doing the coolant i will check this out cheers great pics too, Arctic.

[Simon.h]

Originally Posted by nicpy

Glad you posted about this Simon, investigation showed one ball joint at front and rear very tight and on the point of seizing, however, removed both, WD40 to clean out the corrosion and a thorough greasing has the job sorted. Thank you.

No problem, that's what this club for!

[HarryM1BYT]

Originally Posted by raykay

The principle is the same as the manual system, if you move the thumbwheel as you drive, the lights go up and down, the difference with the automatic system is that instead of the thumbwheel, the sensors do it instead.

So everytime it goes over a bump in the road or you brake or accelerate, the lights will adjust their aim - I don't think so. The only time the adjustment needs to be checked and changed is once the car is loaded and you switch the ignition on with the car still stationary.

It is simple enough to prove, turn the lights on, start the engine and then jack one end of the car up - then tell me the lights self adjust as the weight comes off the suspension.

I appreciate you can make the manual adjustment at any time, but you would only normally need to adjust them once in a while when your loading was different from usual.

[.....]

My front arm was bent.
I simply fitted a nail into the grove in the arm and secured it in place with four small cable ties which pulled the arm straight and made it stronger than it originally was.
Problem solved.