Headlight adjustment questions

[J Tinsby]

I have a question about the headlight adjustment on a 1999 NB. It seems that on the driver side when I attempt to adjust the headlight left and right nothing happens, but the beam will move up and down.

I had the car at the dealer to have the headlights adjusted using a proper aiming device, and they made note of the fact that they "repaired" the headlight adjuster on the driver side.

When I shine the light's against a white wall with a car sitting on a level surface the driver-side low beam seems like it is too far to the left, but when I turn on the high beam then it's much higher than the high beam on the passenger side of the car!

Looking at the mechanism inside the headlight without completely disassembling it it appears that there is some sort of plastic rack that allows the whole headlight assembly to be adjusted side to side and up and down. My question is is it possible to over adjust and have the adjustment gear pop out of the rack?

I replaced the driver-side headlamp because it was burned out and it turned out that I had a set of so-called titanium color H-1 bulb's so I put them in the car so that they would match. I can't really say that I notice much difference as far as color or light on the road. It's the adjustment that seems to bother me the most. I don't understand how the low beam on the driver-side can be out of adjustment to the left and yet the high beam on that side is considerably higher than the passenger side it doesn't make any sense!

Thanks in advance to all who reply!

JT

[MyOtherRidesAVette]

Can't answer your question as the the aiming apparatus on the headlight, but from your wall test, the answer to that is that they are not aligned properly. Here's a DIY for proper aiming without the "proper" equipment, which by the way, I'd be shocked if even your Dealer has. I haven't seen the "proper" equipment in 20 yeras except in old line shops who still have it rolled off in a corner somewhere.
Halogen to HID & Ballast Converter

As to your "titanium" color H1's. Gimme a break, "titanium", what color is titanium light, color is measured in kelvins and doesn't carry fancy names, except, like yellow, white, blue, purple, the colors of the light spectrum. So much gimmick and BS out there in this regard.
Try just some decent "real world" bulbs -
Halogen to HID & Ballast Converter

M.

[D2Beetle]

The high bean light is fixed mounted and not adjustable; if it points one way and the low beam points another, then yes your light is not aligned properly.

Yes, the light can be "over adjusted"; however there are "adjustment stops" to try and prevent over adjusting. If it has been "over adjusted" the adjustment gears/arm may be cracked or broken.

The adjusting mechanism is fixed mounted inside the light, if any of these mounts are cracked or broken the light cannot be adjusted. You will need a replacement.

[J Tinsby]

Originally Posted by D2Beetle

Yes, the light can be "over adjusted"; however there are "adjustment stops" to try and prevent over adjusting. If it has been "over adjusted" the adjustment gears/arm may be cracked or broken.
The adjusting mechanism is fixed mounted inside the light, if any of these mounts are cracked or broken the light cannot be adjusted. You will need a replacement.

Thank you.

That was the response I was looking for rather than a sermon about the degrees of Kelvin and how it relates to light color.I never should have mentioned the H-1 replacement bulbs I put in, I didn't buy them specifically for this car they were just in my junk pile. Somehow talking about them took the thread elsewhere.

I did take the headlight out and can only see that one adjuster actually is doing something. The other one, well I don't know. I also took out the high beam bulb and reseated it and that seemed to help the " looking for squirrels in the trees" appearance it once had.

Regards,

J T