Headlight Adjustment Motors Setup

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Wolverine_1999
Joined: Mon 15 Feb, 2010 20:07
Posts: 454

  Z3 roadster 2.0
Location: Munich

Headlight Adjustment Motors Setup

Post by Wolverine_1999 »

Hi All,

I replaced my headlights with the aftermarket halos a few years ago, and I never fitted the headlight adjustment motors. I need them fitted now however to pass the test...

What I have done:

- Taken an adjustment motor apart, checked it out, looks ok including all soldering etc.
- Taken the small motor out and connected directly to the car > It just keeps spinning and spinning. I assume it required a "limit" to be hit to stop turning? (At least the motor works OK)
- Replaced the switch inside the car. If I move this to the 0 or 2 setting, the motor keeps spinning anyway as above.

My next test is to get the leveling screw fitted to the adjustment motor again, and install them into the headlights. But:

How much should the screw be inserted into the motor at setting 0 on the switch inside the car? This is the part I'm referring to:

Image

Any help would be appreciated!
bertiejaffa
Joined: Fri 26 Jul, 2013 09:28
Posts: 1733

  M roadster S50
Location: Manchester

Re: Headlight Adjustment Motors Setup

Post by bertiejaffa »

HI,

Not quite sure I understand what the issue is, I didnt have to pull anything apart on mine, I just inserted the motor into the back of the headlights and they worked. The key is to ensure that you get the ball on the end of the adjusting arm into the groove in the hole on the back of the headlights. If I remember rightly this was a little fiddly but nothing too bad - managed it at the 2 or 3 attempt.

When I had the motors out of the headlights and set the switch to 0 they both moved until they were at the bottom and then stopped, same when I set them to 2, both motors buzzed and moved until they were at their maximum and then stopped (each time takes about 2-3 seconds). The headlight unit itself is just a basic loose tilt so they will go up or down depending on where the arm is pointing.

Hope that helps
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beerbelly
Joined: Fri 07 Feb, 2014 20:12
Posts: 177

  blank

Re: Headlight Adjustment Motors Setup

Post by beerbelly »

getting the ball in is easier with the bulb out and use your finger through the bulb hole to pull the reflector back to give you some room the motor then clicks a quarter turn to lock into place .tbh I cant see how you have been using them without the motors installed as the reflectors would be loose and move about unless you left the packing wires in place :? either way its a lot easier with the headlights removed and working on a bench
Mike Fishwick
Joined: Fri 19 Jun, 2009 10:27
Posts: 2093

  Z3 roadster 2.8
Location: Daglan, France

Re: Headlight Adjustment Motors Setup

Post by Mike Fishwick »

It seems odd that the TuV require adjustment motors, for when I bought new LHD headlamps on moving to France, they were not fitted with adjustment motors, and never have problems in passing a French Controle Technique test.

So much for EU standardisation!
A Z3 is not just for Christmas - it's for life!
Wolverine_1999
Joined: Mon 15 Feb, 2010 20:07
Posts: 454

  Z3 roadster 2.0
Location: Munich

Re: Headlight Adjustment Motors Setup

Post by Wolverine_1999 »

.
Last edited by Wolverine_1999 on Wed 15 Apr, 2015 12:13, edited 1 time in total.
Wolverine_1999
Joined: Mon 15 Feb, 2010 20:07
Posts: 454

  Z3 roadster 2.0
Location: Munich

Re: Headlight Adjustment Motors Setup

Post by Wolverine_1999 »

bertiejaffa wrote: When I had the motors out of the headlights and set the switch to 0 they both moved until they were at the bottom and then stopped, same when I set them to 2, both motors buzzed and moved until they were at their maximum and then stopped (each time takes about 2-3 seconds). The headlight unit itself is just a basic loose tilt so they will go up or down depending on where the arm is pointing.

Hope that helps
I think this is the info I was looking for. My motors didnt make any noise when I moved the switch from 0-2 and vice versa. My feeling is that the screws hadnt moved for so long so became "stuck". Since I have removed them now, and reinserted them, they are much looser to turn. I will look for WD40 this evening, as this may help even more.

If I'm not getting any noise, I assume the adjustment motor is too weak to turn the screw? I've replaced the switch inside the car already so I can't see that both are faulty..

Let's see!
bertiejaffa
Joined: Fri 26 Jul, 2013 09:28
Posts: 1733

  M roadster S50
Location: Manchester

Re: Headlight Adjustment Motors Setup

Post by bertiejaffa »

Wolverine_1999 wrote:
bertiejaffa wrote: When I had the motors out of the headlights and set the switch to 0 they both moved until they were at the bottom and then stopped, same when I set them to 2, both motors buzzed and moved until they were at their maximum and then stopped (each time takes about 2-3 seconds). The headlight unit itself is just a basic loose tilt so they will go up or down depending on where the arm is pointing.

Hope that helps
I think this is the info I was looking for. My motors didnt make any noise when I moved the switch from 0-2 and vice versa. My feeling is that the screws hadnt moved for so long so became "stuck". Since I have removed them now, and reinserted them, they are much looser to turn. I will look for WD40 this evening, as this may help even more.

If I'm not getting any noise, I assume the adjustment motor is too weak to turn the screw? I've replaced the switch inside the car already so I can't see that both are faulty..

Let's see!
You're bang on with the symptoms - I must admit I didn't investigate the cause - basically one of mine was working as I described, and the other was doing nothing. Changed them round and the good one still worked and the naff one didn't with proved I had a duff one and all my wiring to the motors were in order - got a replacement on from Spurs Fan...
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Wolverine_1999
Joined: Mon 15 Feb, 2010 20:07
Posts: 454

  Z3 roadster 2.0
Location: Munich

Re: Headlight Adjustment Motors Setup

Post by Wolverine_1999 »

Mike Fishwick wrote:It seems odd that the TuV require adjustment motors, for when I bought new LHD headlamps on moving to France, they were not fitted with adjustment motors, and never have problems in passing a French Controle Technique test.

So much for EU standardisation!
Mike, after the TUV guy telling me I'm only allowed 4 parking lights in the front of the car I'm not surprised by anything anymore..

Because I have the angel eye headlights, I have to remove the bulbs from the side markers because this makes 6 in total :lol:
Fender2004
Joined: Fri 14 Aug, 2009 10:24
Posts: 907

  Z3 roadster 2.8
Location: Houghton-Le-Spring

Re: Headlight Adjustment Motors Setup

Post by Fender2004 »

Just for information I asked in the dealers the other day how much a new headlight adjuster was and was told £92!!! :head:
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Inferno
Joined: Sun 30 Sep, 2012 07:35
Posts: 277

  Z3 roadster 1.8
Location: Athens

Re: Headlight Adjustment Motors Setup

Post by Inferno »

I too need 1 adjuster, passenger's side (opposite than yours :P) is gone... they are quite expensive..
Wolverine_1999
Joined: Mon 15 Feb, 2010 20:07
Posts: 454

  Z3 roadster 2.0
Location: Munich

Re: Headlight Adjustment Motors Setup

Post by Wolverine_1999 »

They cost about 60 pounds new from a dealer here, which is still extortionate. I hope to test my fix by the end of the week.
Wolverine_1999
Joined: Mon 15 Feb, 2010 20:07
Posts: 454

  Z3 roadster 2.0
Location: Munich

Re: Headlight Adjustment Motors Setup

Post by Wolverine_1999 »

Tada! They are both working again. This evening, I put them back together with the screw inserted, and suddenly I heard movement and lots of noise after switching the lights and plugging them in. I have a feeling the following fixed it:

- Taking it completely apart and connecting only the internal motor, to see if it turns
- Manually turning the internal mechanisms to make sure that everything moves, and isn't stuck
- Spraying a bit of WD40 into the hole where the screw goes in

I found out that:

- The white plastic part moves back and forward (highlighted in RED), so technically the screw doesn't move at all
- As the screw doesn't move (highlighted in BLUE), you must turn the screw manually to either move it in further, or out from the white piece

Image

So, back to my original question, any idea how far must the screw be inserted into the white holder? Thanks!
Last edited by Wolverine_1999 on Thu 16 Apr, 2015 20:03, edited 1 time in total.
bertiejaffa
Joined: Fri 26 Jul, 2013 09:28
Posts: 1733

  M roadster S50
Location: Manchester

Re: Headlight Adjustment Motors Setup

Post by bertiejaffa »

Great knowledge will have to see if I can return my old one... Is it obvious how they come apart?
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Wolverine_1999
Joined: Mon 15 Feb, 2010 20:07
Posts: 454

  Z3 roadster 2.0
Location: Munich

Re: Headlight Adjustment Motors Setup

Post by Wolverine_1999 »

Yes just clips all around, which you could lift up using your nails.
Wolverine_1999
Joined: Mon 15 Feb, 2010 20:07
Posts: 454

  Z3 roadster 2.0
Location: Munich

Re: Headlight Adjustment Motors Setup

Post by Wolverine_1999 »

From this image, I take it 14 rings should do it :D Will give it a go!

Image
Wolverine_1999
Joined: Mon 15 Feb, 2010 20:07
Posts: 454

  Z3 roadster 2.0
Location: Munich

Re: Headlight Adjustment Motors Setup

Post by Wolverine_1999 »

Well, finally sorted. You have to make sure to "slot" the screw into the white plastic holder in the angel eye headlights, pushing wont do it..

They also need a bit of encouragement the first few times, as the movement is very stiff.
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