Help with headlamp adjustment - failed MOT

[Dunc72]

Hi

just bought a 3.0 roadster with no MOT everything looked ok but it’s failed on headlamps alignment. New lamps £1900 on eBay and garage asked if there’s an adjustment set to simply realign them to save the cost. Does anyone have any advice?

im no too clever on cars so hopefully I’ve described the problem properly.

thanks for your help

Duncan

 

[t-tony]

What exactly has it failed on? Can you post the failure sheet or pm the reg. no. so I can look at the MOT history? Where are you located again?

Tony.

 

[Dunc72]

Just messaged you

 

[Dunc72]

What exactly has it failed on? Can you post the failure sheet or pm the reg. no. so I can look at the MOT history? Where are you located again?

Tony.

hi tony

it’s failed on
Headlamp aim too high and left offside
Headlamp aim too low near side
Garage saying they can’t adjust so I need replacements

it’s not at BMW garage or specialist as I thought it would pass no bother

Cheers
Duncan

 

[Dunc72]

Apparently the adjustment screw has corroded so much it’s unusable

 

[t-tony]

There are 2 ways of turning the adjusters. I’ll post some pictures after tea Dunc. Once you can see if they will turn you can get them set up. I suspect they don’t know what they’re doing , as I never had this problem with Z3 lights.

Tony.

 

[Dunc72]

Thanks Tony

I should have gone to bmw specialist I guess!

 

[t-tony]

There are not that many "specialists" that have Z3 experience left these days due to the age of these cars. Also in this modern world the easy get out is to tell you it needs new items before even looking to see if really does or even if it can be repaired. Repair is becoming a dirty word these days.

Tony.

 

[t-tony]

If your headlight adjusters look like this,

the head of the Philips screw "could" be corroded enough for a screwdriver to slip and not turn the adjuster as here.

So what you can do is use a 1/4" drive ratchet and Phillips bit to turn the adjuster as here.

If you can rotate the adjuster using this method you can make the adjustment. Try this and get back to me.

Tony.

 

[Dunc72]

Thanks Tony

I’ll get onto the garage tomorrow

 

[Mazza]

Not trying to jump in, but as I have all my Z3 headlights off both cars its easy to get a picture. Same principle as Tony mentioned but the mechanism does look slightly different.

red is the vertical option adjustment cog, and the yellow is the horizontal option which can be adjusted turning it with your fingers.

 

[mwpe]

I think the headlights Tony is showing are the aftermarket ones like mine, the ones Mazza is showing are OEM.

 

[Eddie Zedder]

Not trying to jump in, but as I have all my Z3 headlights off both cars its easy to get a picture. Same principle as Tony mentioned but the mechanism does look slightly different.
View attachment 189729

red is the vertical option adjustment cog, and the yellow is the horizontal option which can be adjusted turning it with your fingers.
View attachment 189731

I'll have to correct you there Mazza, the thumbscrew (yellow) and the hex (red) work on the same spindle. If you look underneath you will see that they are geared.

 

[Mazza]

I'll have to correct you there Mazza, the thumbscrew (yellow) and the hex (red) work on the same spindle. If you look underneath you will see that they are geared.

Sorry, yes I know each pair are both connected to the same spindle….just didn’t explain it very well .

 

[Eddie Zedder]

There are usually marked, one for up/down, one for left/right. What usually happens is the metal spindle becomes corroded and seizes up, when you try to turn the knob it comes off in your hand (ask me how I know). Some lubrication and a pair of pliers will free it off and then you will need some strong epoxy resin to reattach the knob so that it meshes with the hex adjuster.

 

[Eddie Zedder]

Sorry, yes I know each pair are both connected to the same spindle….just didn’t explain it very well .

No worries, just making sure we didn't send @Dunc72 down the wrong avenue.

 

[t-tony]

Which sends me down the path of why repair something when you can throw it away and sell some new units.

Tony.

 

[t-tony]

Thank you Mike, Malc and Bryan for adding to this thread.

Tony.

 

[Dunc72]

Thanks everyone. Off to the garage a little later, hopefully there’s enough here for them to sort it.

Cheers

Dunc

 

[Dunc72]

Garage are saying the adjusters are missing. I’ve asked them to send some photos of what they are seeing.