Headlight / LSM mismatch?
 

Hi, Apologies for double posting- realise now that asking in an old thread may get lost and go unseen by people.... https://the75andztclub.co.uk/forum/s...3&postcount=27

I have recently bought a CDTi tourer (2005) that has Xenon Technology lettering in the headlight housing AND a light switch module with a headlight levelling dial.

The light from the projector dipped beam is very poor and the levelling dial works - a little. The LSM is showing a mismatch when connected to TOAF.

I'm unsure of the best way to proceed- should I get an LSM without the headlight levelling, would it require coding to the car? Any advice would be appreciated, not aware of T4 local to me (Falkirk)...

A replacement LSM would require coding, the LSM is one of the locations where car info such as mileage is stored.

Although he doesn't have a T4 might be worth having a word with Dunc (Cossie Dunc) in Whitburn.

The normal switch is fine for Xenons, fitting the correct switch means installing and maintaining the auto-leveling levers and switches. Toaf will work to match a new switch, should you choose to go down that bumpy road.

Are the beams set correctly in relation to the switch-I had an issue with a car that the dial was set to high and the headlights were focused too low...

Don't need a T4 as you have Toaf, just go into VIN tools and copy the correct VIN from one of your other module, ideally the IPK, to your LSM. End of mis-match.

Regards

Will be contacting Dunc this week

The beam shape is good ( a wee bit 'longer' on the left ) and when raised with the thumbwheel it isn't too high AND may need to be a tad higher? Never had a great dipped beam on my non Xenon 75s and have no yardstick to compare the current car with

Not too bothered about the mismatch- my concern was that an LSM with headlight thumbwheel wouldn't work correctly with Xenon headlights regardless of the burners in them. I don't want to replace the burners if that won't improve the light output (because the LSM does not utilise the technology). If an LSM without thumbwheel does utilise the technology then I will try to source one before doing anything else.

Appreciate the replies gents.

My xenons work perfectly with the thumbwheel:shrug:

Unless you fit all the sensors and brackets to the swingarms, the LSM without the thumbwheel will not work. It does the same as the thumbwheel, just automatically. Nothing to do with the globes/burners but the motors in the housing.

I understand a bit more now thanks. I'd assumed that the different LSM was used to control the power supply to the burners through the housing NOT to control the levelling through sensors front and rear. As the car has none of these, I guess the headlights aren't factory fit.
Never had anything other than halogen lights on cars and most of my driving for the next six months will be done in the dark or very near dark and looking to sort them out sooner rather than later.

When you say the LSM is showing a mismatch on Toaf, what does it not match with exactly? The vin number should match other modules such as the IPK (IKE on Toaf) and the EWS. You'd only get a vin mismatch if someone has swapped the LSM before without coding it in or any of the other modules.

From what you're saying it sounds like someone has swapped out the factory halogen headlights for xenon ones, which is fine as they work plug and play and work with the level thumb wheel on the LSM. The LSM does not have anything to do with the brightness of your headlights.

In regards to light output being poor, the factory xenons on our cars aren't that great compared to what's available on newer cars especially from around 2010 on wards. What can help is ensure your headlight lenses are nice and clean and not faded or are in need of a refurb. Also if the xenon burners have been changed before, some cheap burners are terrible and offer far less light output. The factory burners say Philips on them. Another problem is the projector lenses get cloudy on both sides of the fish eye lens, cleaning the glass lens makes a big difference but requires removing the projector lens.

Rick, the mismatch is VIN related- all other VINs are the same...

It looks like I'm going to have to remove the bumper to remove the headlights so I can clean and polish the lenses and renew the burners. Will look at other jobs to do while the bumper is off and get everything together ready to tackle this. Passenger side headlight is a bit loose at the bottom so will sort that out while in there... (he said optimistically)