lights alignment DIY question

[darnich]

Does anyone know how to manually align their headlights on their A3?
I mean manually -old school way- on a wall ....
you know with marks and all...

I think my lights need some left / right alignment

Do you know the distance that car has to have from the wall and were the marks should be?

TIA

 

[HTC]

You need to place your car on a flat surface facing a perpendicular wall.

The distance from the wall to the headlights should be 10 metres.

You then draw a horizontal line on the wall that is the same height as from the floor to the centre of your headlights.

Then draw two crosses on the line corresponding to the same position as the headlights.
You can either mark the centre on the line by eye and then measure out the same distance from the middle of the car to the headlights, or you can drive the car up to the wall and mark them that way.
Basically you need two marks the same height and distance apart as your lights.

Now switch you lights on. Make sure that your tyre pressures are okay and the the light range adjuster is in the "o" position.

The brightest part of the beam should be on the crosses. If you look at the pattern on the wall you should see it has a flat top which then kinks up on a diagonal. Aim the part that starts to kink up on the cross.

To adjust the lights by hand (Halogen only) You need to turn the screws on the tops of the lights.
Open the bonnet. You should see to screws on top. They can accept a cross head screw driver and an allen key. I use allen keys personally.

To adjust the height of the beam you need to turn BOTH screws the same amount.

To adjust the lateral position, you need to turn just the outer screw (nearest the side of the car).

Obviously it is advised to get them set professionally, but this will give you an acceptable compromise.

 

[darnich]

I've had them adjusted professionally twice, but they only did the height adjustment....
I knew they had to adjust the lateral position as well because I had tampered the outer screws (yes, both of them.... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif) but their reply was "no need to mate, they are fine" /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif

Well thanks very much for the reply,
I have to check the lights using the obove mentioned procedure myself just to make sure
I (or they) have not f***ed up their alignment.

Once again thanks alot

 

[DaveACQ20v]

DIY headlight alignment is not advised, you`ll usually be tempted to set them a little higher and then you`ll be dazzling oncoming traffic. It`s not something you should be f /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/swear.gifing about with unless you have the right equipment!

 

[darnich]

I usually have the lights range adjuster set to the II mark so I don't think there is a problem there.
However I do want to be able check the lights myself as twice the "pros" have not conviced me.

I am not so much tempted to adjust the lights myself, as to check the lights myself.
I also want to do some lights testing on the wall with/without load on the trunc, and with/without a passenger...
because I want to know where under the above conditions the lights range adjuster should be...

I don't want to guess
I want to know

 

[macdoug]

Talking of high head light beam. I have Xenons which are meant to be self leveling. They seem to shine very high and as Dave ACQ 20v says i'm dazzling everyone. Oncoming and infront.

Has anyone else with Xenons had this problem? Is there anyway to rectify it?

 

[HTC]

The adjustment motors can stick. I don't know the full ins and outs. If you do a search there are a few threads on the fix.

 

[darnich]

I think xenons are aligned via diagnostic equipment...

 

[madvw]

also, don't be confused with people just thinking that you're dazzling them. Mine are (well were last time i looked /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif) perfect, and the number of times i get flashed by people who dont realise that xenons are just brighter, is just plain silly. Both myself and my bro in his TT have this problem.

people dont understand that white light from xenons isnt full beam.

 

[macdoug]

Cheers. I thought i read that they auto level to compensate for heavy loads or braking.

Yeh, i do get flashed regulary, they normally get the message when i flash them back.

 

[madvw]

[ QUOTE ]
Cheers. I thought i read that they auto level to compensate for heavy loads or braking.

Yeh, i do get flashed regulary, they normally get the message when i flash them back.

[/ QUOTE ]

the time that the levelling takes to react is very slow, like about 2-5 seconds - you can only tell they're re-adjusting is you park on an incline and watch.

 

[Buster]

I recently had the problem of my lights dipping, have now got new motors and the lights re-aligned. When I was driving home I got flashed at twice so went back to Audi the next day to get them checked and they were OK, so I think it is just the fact that they are xenons and people think they are on full beam