[monsta]

I noticed last night that my nearside headlight seemed lower than the other one, I tried adjusting the height of the headlights but it only operated one light. When the light was in it's lowest setting (lowest being the amount of distance the lights would shine) they were both at the same level.

Am I right in thinking that the MINI headlights return to the lowest position when the vehicle iginition is off? Therefore the nearside one simply isn't moving up with the other one?

Any quick fix for this or do I have to get my dealer to look at it? MiniGuy?

Thanks

P.S. the motor on the nearside makes the noise as if it's doing the business but simply fails to deliver

[Dom]

Quote:

Originally posted by monsta

Am I right in thinking that the MINI headlights return to the lowest position when the vehicle iginition is off? Therefore the nearside one simply isn't moving up with the other one?

Seems correct... the lights definitely move up when you goto ignition 2

Dom

[MiNiGuY]

Monsta,
You didn't play around with the screws on the lights did you??
I thought not.

Seen this problem once before.
It was only once though and it's so long ago I can't remember what caused it.

It's gonna be electrics or the offending light itself.
If the problem is intermittant and/or the light always rests at a different point then it's most likely electrics, if not then it could be either but I'd then equally suspect the unit itself.



As much as I'd like to, I can't really help any more without seeing it. It's one of those ones!!

I can see the horror in your dealers eyes now, as you pull in!!

[monsta]

Quote:

Originally posted by MiNiGuY
Monsta,
You didn't play around with the screws on the lights did you??
I thought not.

Seen this problem once before.
It was only once though and it's so long ago I can't remember what caused it.

It's gonna be electrics or the offending light itself.
If the problem is intermittant and/or the light always rests at a different point then it's most likely electrics, if not then it could be either but I'd then equally suspect the unit itself.



As much as I'd like to, I can't really help any more without seeing it. It's one of those ones!!

I can see the horror in your dealers eyes now, as you pull in!!

Well, I don't think it is the electrics as I got someone to operate the switch while I listened and watched the light. Both units (working and non-working) make identical noises, the non-working one just doesn't move. Therefore I guessed it wasn't electrical.

My car is due for a service in about 400 miles so I'll get them to sort it out then. I'm a bit worried though as I have a small flashing led in the light unit (only the plastic housing) that reflects into the headlight which could in no way have caused the problem (no moving parts come close and it doesn't use the electrics for the light at all) but I'm sure that my dealer will try and hold it against me in some kind of warranty invalidation way - what do you reckon?

P.S. Don't ask about the led, dietcokeplease and I both saw the same thing on a smart car recently and thought it looked cool and in typical monsta style I tried it on my MINI

[MiNiGuY]

Sounds like the unit then I agree.

The gearing inside has probably thrown a wobbly. They are ultra sensitive and unfortunately the lights design is such that once assembled, disassembly without damage is difficult, so rectification is by means of replacement.

I hope your dealer can take it on the chin and accept that your mods are not responsible.

[monsta]

Quote:

Originally posted by MiNiGuY
Sounds like the unit then I agree.

The gearing inside has probably thrown a wobbly. They are ultra sensitive and unfortunately the lights design is such that once assembled, disassembly without damage is difficult, so rectification is by means of replacement.

I hope your dealer can take it on the chin and accept that your mods are not responsible.

The good news is, its working again!

I've was just sat inside removing and refitting the centre console trim and remembered that the lights make a noise when you turn them onto sidelights (engine off). Now I have no idea what is going on to make this noise but I guessed it was to do with the levellers.

I turned the sidelights on and noted the length on time noise was being made. Then I moved the adjustment dial to its lowest position and turned the sidelights on, it made a shorter noise (presumably as the lights need to move a shorter distance). When I turned it back to it's highest position and switched the sidelights on again it made the long noise but with a slight 'growly click' at the end. I started the car and turned the headlights on and the both moved up! Excellent!

Not sure if this should be a recommended fix but it solves the problem and I'm happy!

[here2help]

hi monsta i know that on bmw's when you turn the lights on, side light or dip beam that they move all the way down to the lowest setting and then back to where the setting is set via youre level switch ,these may be the same ill let you know...cheers

[MiNiGuY]

Quote:

Originally posted by here2help
hi monsta i know that on bmw's when you turn the lights on, side light or dip beam that they move all the way down to the lowest setting and then back to where the setting is set via youre level switch ,these may be the same ill let you know...cheers

You are correct here2help, the calibration cycle is the same.

Monsta, hope your experiment has done the trick!!

Bloody lights. Wasn't like this 10 years ago!!!!!!!

[AidenL]

Neither of my lights adjust now, nor do they make a noise !

I'll try monstas fix, see what happens !

[AidenL]

My headlamp levelling has totally packed in, noticed the lights seemed low , tried to adjust them.........nothing.

The lights don't make the usual levelling action when turned on - any solution for this, a quick fix ?

[AidenL]

Quote:

Originally posted by MiNiGuY
Sounds like the unit then I agree.

The gearing inside has probably thrown a wobbly. They are ultra sensitive and unfortunately the lights design is such that once assembled, disassembly without damage is difficult, so rectification is by means of replacement.

I hope your dealer can take it on the chin and accept that your mods are not responsible.

Does this mean two new headlamp units then ???

[AidenL]

Just to get this back up there again ........

I have total failure of the levelling mechanism on both lights......

Has this happened anyone else ?

[monsta]

Just to add to this, on the MINI One Courtesy car I had recently (02 reg) it had a much quicker mechanism (i.e. it moved the lights faster!) indicating possible problems and a change in design.. Maybe MiniGuy could shed some light on this one?

[monsta]

The same fault with my headlights started again the other day and just as I was about to make an appointment to have it checked out (today), they're back to normal!

Talk about misbehaving!

[nanker]

i have the same fault with both my headlights. stuck on the shortest throw when dipped. another failure to add to the list with my car. only 300 miles till service, so i will get em sorted then.

i recently had the gear linkage go on the motorway. my dealer said this was the first failure they had seen, and there were only 3 or 4 nationally but how many people on this forum have had failures ? i never got the recall for that one, or any others. am i alone?

[lightbody]

One of my headlights got stuck in the down position, but turning them off and on a few times and twiddling the switch seemed to sort it - it hasn't done it since.

Does seem to me like in 6 years time, theres gonna be a lot of MINIs with their lights on very low beam because no-one can afford to get this fixed!

[AidenL]

I can leave the lights on Full Beam all the time......they are so low, no-one ever flashes me.......!

[iaa]

Quote:

Originally posted by AidenL
Just to get this back up there again ........

I have total failure of the levelling mechanism on both lights......

Has this happened anyone else ?

My One's booked in on Monday for various fixes, but the priority for me is to get the headlight level fixed. I was surprised by a comment from the dealer that they hadn't seen this problem before, but searching the forums does seem to suggest that it's not a common problem - unless YOU know different?

My problem started intermittently on the nearside headlight only - sometimes it rose to the correct level and sometimes it would just sit at the lowest point. Now that the offside headlight is stuck low as well, the visibility at night is really bad, even with main beam on.

I guess I'm just unlucky, because the fact that only one light started failing intermittently before they both failed suggests that it's a problem with the light units themselves, rather than a system common to both. So it must be pretty unlucky to have two duff headlight units if it's not a common problem.

Ian

[AidenL]

Quote:

Originally posted by iaa
My One's booked in on Monday for various fixes, but the priority for me is to get the headlight level fixed. I was surprised by a comment from the dealer that they hadn't seen this problem before, but searching the forums does seem to suggest that it's not a common problem - unless YOU know different?

My problem started intermittently on the nearside headlight only - sometimes it rose to the correct level and sometimes it would just sit at the lowest point. Now that the offside headlight is stuck low as well, the visibility at night is really bad, even with main beam on.

I guess I'm just unlucky, because the fact that only one light started failing intermittently before they both failed suggests that it's a problem with the light units themselves, rather than a system common to both. So it must be pretty unlucky to have two duff headlight units if it's not a common problem.

Ian

Mine are fixed now.........I suggested they might need 2 new lamp units, but dealer told me it was just a matter of another ECU tweak !

Sure enough, they are working fine now.........

[nanker]

Well I had one headlamp unit replaced at christmas for this problem, but since then it has returned. Same as last time except this time both units are stuck but at different levels.