Headlight beam

[S700TRB]

Had a headlight bulb blow. Had it changed now the dip beam of that bulb is higher than the main beam. Could it be bulb have been put in wrong ? Or has the beam alignment been moved ? The main beam alignment seen as normal

[problemchild1976]

Re: Headlight beam

bulb seated wrong!

you "had it changed" i am presuming means you got someone at halfords do it

its easy to get the bulb in badly if only using the access panel

JJ

[smartsparky]

Re: Headlight beam

Garry, if you into the light assembly from the front, compare the alignment of the bulbs on either side. You may notice that your 'problem' bulb is not pointing straight ahead (I suspect it is pointing down slightly). If so then it needs to be removed and refitted. The tab on the bulb needs to point upwards as viewed from the back:

[S700TRB]

Thanks for the help. I will have a look. Got it replaced by a smart specialist about time I had a go at a bulb myself and not be lazy Strange effect driving with one beam searching for aircraft !

[Zipppy]

Re: Headlight beam

I had a dip beam bulb go last week....So much easier to take the whole Front End off and put two new bulbs in.
40 mins for start to finish !!

[silver bubble]

Re: Headlight beam

I have noticed that my dipped beam is illuminating the inside of cars in front of me. I have the adjuster set on 2 so they are pointing as low as the motor will adjust. Does anyone know if there are adjustment screws/knobs on the headlight units to wind the beam down OR is it get a computer garage (£90 an hour) to adjust the motor drive to lower the light beams?
The only thing I can think of that has given this problem is I had new rear shocks last MOT as the garage advised the bushes were worn and only come complete with new shocks. Don't want to go back to that garage as they screwed the after disconnecting the battery and despite claiming to be smart specialist have no way of editing any ECU faults, anyway it was a year ago.
2001 Smart fortwo 450 cabrio

[lalli_d1]

Re: Headlight beam

I have the adjuster set on 2 so they are pointing as low as the motor will adjust.

may i ask why have you set it to 2?

[heinkeljb]

Re: Headlight beam

The simplest answer is that your headlights are badly adjusted and will fail an MOT in their current state. If you you have small hands and arms, you can take the bulbs out and reseat them via the service hatches just below the windscreen. If you would rather see what you are doing, then you will have to take the front cowl off. That will allow you to either remove the headlights completely in order to make sure the bulbs are seated correctly (see picture above). Or you can do that with the headlights still in place. Reset the head light adjuster in the car to 0. Then there are adjusters that you can turn which will allow you to adjust the beam height / direction.
Very basic settings are easy, park the car minus the front cowl about 6 foot away from a wall. Switch on the lights. The top of the flat line produced by the dipped beam should be just below a line the same height as the centre of the head light is above the ground. The left hand "kick up" of light should be just to the left of a line drawn from the centre of the headlight to the wall.
Evilution has a how to if you want another explanation.
At this point any further adjustment should really be done using the beam viewer at an MOT station or a garage with that equipment.

John

[madDan]

Re: Headlight beam

You do not require a beam viewer just a wall on flat ground and a device for measuring and a modicum of brain cells.

[Evilution]

Re: Headlight beam

may i ask why have you set it to 2?

As per their post, they have set it to 2 because their lights seem too high.

[silver bubble]

Re: Headlight beam

The simplest answer is that your headlights are badly adjusted and will fail an MOT in their current state. If you you have small hands and arms, you can take the bulbs out and reseat them via the service hatches just below the windscreen. If you would rather see what you are doing, then you will have to take the front cowl off. That will allow you to either remove the headlights completely in order to make sure the bulbs are seated correctly (see picture above). Or you can do that with the headlights still in place. Reset the head light adjuster in the car to 0. Then there are adjusters that you can turn which will allow you to adjust the beam height / direction.
Very basic settings are easy, park the car minus the front cowl about 6 foot away from a wall. Switch on the lights. The top of the flat line produced by the dipped beam should be just below a line the same height as the centre of the head light is above the ground. The left hand "kick up" of light should be just to the left of a line drawn from the centre of the headlight to the wall.
Evilution has a how to if you want another explanation.
At this point any further adjustment should really be done using the beam viewer at an MOT station or a garage with that equipment.

John

So to adjust the beam the BULBs need to be removed and then replaced at a different angle? Every other car I have owned has had thumb knobs behind the light unit that when turned adjusted the beam aim laterally and vertically? There is NO mention of any such adjustment screws/knobs in the smart handbook?

[MrPoo]

Re: Headlight beam

So to adjust the beam the BULBs need to be removed and then replaced at a different angle? Every other car I have owned has had thumb knobs behind the light unit that when turned adjusted the beam aim laterally and vertically? There is NO mention of any such adjustment screws/knobs in the smart handbook?

Yes there is, toothed adjuster behind the headlight. I can just about reach mine through the hatch.


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[heinkeljb]

Re: Headlight beam

Unless some one has been "playing" with your headlight mountings, those should still point the light beam in the correct direction. It is far more likely that a bulb change has been done at some time and that the bulbs have not been seated properly.

My post mentioned taking the front cowl off to check the correct seating of the bulbs if you are unable to do so via the service hatches - lots of people can't.

If the bulbs are correctly seated then you will need to adjust the position of the headlights themselves. This is done using the adjuster screws on the back of the headlights. No point in changing these if the bulbs are not fitted correctly!

John

[lalli_d1]

Re: Headlight beam

As per their post, they have set it to 2 because their lights seem too high.

most have there lights set correctly but STILL have there lights set to the lowest leven