Xenon auto level sensor arm broken - Page 2

Greeners · 12th October 2010, 16:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by chrislloydie

Thanks guys. I did make a temporary bracket when trying to sort the problem yesterday. Just got home and had a look and its still in place, however, the headlights were still pointing low again this morning. i can hear the lights adjust when i first turn them on, but they then point low.

The back sensor arm seems fine. Any ideas or am i gonna be facing a new sensor?

Have you jacked the car up recently....?

Sometimes if the suspension drops too far, the arm can flip the wrong way.

chrislloydie · 12th October 2010, 16:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by Greeners

Have you jacked the car up recently....?

Sometimes if the suspension drops too far, the arm can flip the wrong way.

Yes I had the car jacked up at the weekend. Both arms are making a triangle shape pointing upwards. All ball joints move freely in their sockets.

Only thing i can think of is if the arm is fouling on the temporary bracket i made up and therefore not operating correctly.

The car recently passed its MOT with no mention of any problem with the lights. Could the garage have adjusted the under bonnet manual adjusters to correct the aim, therefore with the sensor working again, I need to adjust the aim again too?

HarryM1BYT · 12th October 2010, 17:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by Greeners

Clips on the side

Does that photo not show it mounted on the wrong side of the sensors arm, where it either (depending how you set it) fouls the suspension arm or the drive shaft?

If you remember back a few weeks, I was struggling with my sensors linkage and we eventually established that Rover had fitted (at least some of them) the wrong way on the production line.

Once I had mine fitted the right way, my headlights were very low, but I was able to correct the aim which the adjusters.

chrislloydie · 12th October 2010, 17:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryM1BYT

Does that photo not show it mounted on the wrong side of the sensors arm, where it either (depending how you set it) fouls the suspension arm or the drive shaft?

If you remember back a few weeks, I was struggling with my sensors linkage and we eventually established that Rover had fitted (at least some of them) the wrong way on the production line.

Once I had mine fitted the right way, my headlights were very low, but I was able to correct the aim which the adjusters.

Harry, i read through your other thread before I attempted to fix my own problem. So while I had the arm off the car I took the opportunity to reverse the way the arm was fitted as you suggested.

Maybe I just need to adjust mine with the manual adjusters then now the arm is fixed in place. I'll have to wait til its dark before I can go and adjust them and check them out.

Greeners · 12th October 2010, 17:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by chrislloydie

Harry, i read through your other thread before I attempted to fix my own problem. So while I had the arm off the car I took the opportunity to reverse the way the arm was fitted as you suggested.

Maybe I just need to adjust mine with the manual adjusters then now the arm is fixed in place. I'll have to wait til its dark before I can go and adjust them and check them out.

Ah.....so you've already had a fiddle Chris........

In my photo, the arm is in the wrong position (flipped), it should be an inverted V.

Make sure the arms are correct, then adjust on the headlamp adjusters.

chrislloydie · 12th October 2010, 17:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by Greeners

Ah.....so you've already had a fiddle Chris........

In my photo, the arm is in the wrong position (flipped), it should be an inverted V.

Make sure the arms are correct, then adjust on the headlamp adjusters.

Indeed I have had a fiddle already David!

Ive fashioned a temporary bracket which has stayed frimly in place so far. My sensor arms are the opposite of those in the above picture, so all is correct so far.

I'm hoping I just need to manually adjust the aim now and it should sort it. Fingers crossed.

HarryM1BYT · 12th October 2010, 18:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by Greeners

Ah.....so you've already had a fiddle Chris........

In my photo, the arm is in the wrong position (flipped), it should be an inverted V.

Make sure the arms are correct, then adjust on the headlamp adjusters.

Hi Greeners,

No I didn't mean wrong as in V versus /\ - I meant wrong as in the 'dog bone' shaped plastic link arm needs the nut to be taken off and the balljoint plus arm transfered to the other side of the sensor arm. To put it another way - The 'dog bone' link arm in your photo is to the side nearest the front of car, it needs to be moved over to the side nearest back of the car.

Originally mine was \/ that way, scrapping the lower arm and the dog bone link becoming bent. I tried it like /\ and it would then hit the weight ring around the driveshaft. So the conclusion I arrived at was that the dog bone was fitted on the wrong side - I corrected that and my headlights were pointing at the ground.

chunkybray · 12th October 2010, 19:47

I had the same problem with my lights.After playing with the level sensors it turned out to be that the wiring loom to the lights had rubbed through on
the bodywork under the offside headlight.( Fairly common apparently).

chrislloydie · 12th October 2010, 20:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by chunkybray

I had the same problem with my lights.After playing with the level sensors it turned out to be that the wiring loom to the lights had rubbed through on
the bodywork under the offside headlight.( Fairly common apparently).

But did you still get the whirring noise and the lights adjusting when the wire had worn through? I still get that, they just go up and then point back down again.

chrislloydie · 12th October 2010, 20:22

As it was half time in the football, I thought I'd go and check the headlights. i started the car up, lights on, whirring noise from headlights, then I pulled out onto the little road where I live. The result? The headlights lit up the whole side of a house about 150 yards down the road!

I thought this was a little too much so I've now adjusted them manually so they are a little lower. Turned the engine and lights off several times and each time the lights came on at the right level. Hopefully the problem is solved.

Another question I have though, is do the hedlights self adjust EVERY time you switch them on or with every ignition cycle? Or do they only adjust when they detect a difference in the suspension height? i'm not 100% sure I could hear them adjusting everytime I turned the lights on.

12th October 2010, 20:22	#20
chrislloydie Posted a thing or two MG ZT 135 CDTI+ Auto Royal Blue with Synergy 2. 75 Tourer cdti club Se Auto, Royal Blue, synergy 2 Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Bancroft, Milton Keynes Posts: 1,906 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	As it was half time in the football, I thought I'd go and check the headlights. i started the car up, lights on, whirring noise from headlights, then I pulled out onto the little road where I live. The result? The headlights lit up the whole side of a house about 150 yards down the road! I thought this was a little too much so I've now adjusted them manually so they are a little lower. Turned the engine and lights off several times and each time the lights came on at the right level. Hopefully the problem is solved. Another question I have though, is do the hedlights self adjust EVERY time you switch them on or with every ignition cycle? Or do they only adjust when they detect a difference in the suspension height? i'm not 100% sure I could hear them adjusting everytime I turned the lights on. __________________ Chris

12th October 2010, 19:47	#18
chunkybray Avid contributor mg zt-t Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Staines Posts: 192 Thanks: 1 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	I had the same problem with my lights.After playing with the level sensors it turned out to be that the wiring loom to the lights had rubbed through on the bodywork under the offside headlight.( Fairly common apparently).