Headlight Adjuster Question

[t1mm]

Hi Guys,

I've read various threads about headlight adjusters but still have more questions. My E39 (2002) has angel eye Hella headlights (halogen), which move up and then back down when the car is started. On the dashboard theres a little dial that can be rotated which moves them up and down also.

Even if I adjust the dial on the dashboard to have the lights at maximum height, they're not pointing quite high enough for my liking. I thought I'd be able to twist the plastic screws on the headlights themselves as a "primary" adjustment, and then adjust the dial inside the car to fine tune. The plastic screws don't seem to do much though.

Are my adjusters broken? I'm wondering why they move down / up when the car starts, but not when I manually adjust them. Any tips would be appreciated!

Thanks!

[makenzie71]

"Are my headlight adjusters broken?"

"Do you own an E39?"

"Yes."

"Then your headlight adjusters are broken."

[jagerhund]

Yes your adjusters are broken, you can temporarily hold them up with a zip tie.

I bought some cheap headlights on ebay and cannibalized them for the adjusters and the plastic light covers. Headlights look like new and have new adjusters.

[crazy4trains]

I believe the dashboard adjustment feature is an aftermarket add. Show us some pics. Better yet shoot a video of you adjusting the lights and upload it to youtube and post the link.

What is the build date for your car? The transition from lights that can be baked open to those that can't happened sometime late in the 2002 model year. My 2002 was built in December of 2001 and the lights can be baked to facilitate opening.

[Mach540]

Euro cars have the adjustable doohickey on the dash.
American drivers are not allowed that kind of control. Too stupid, I guess

[Dking078]

Euro cars have the adjustable doohickey on the dash.
American drivers are not allowed that kind of control. Too stupid, I guess

If it does it automatically us Americans will like it

...Except rear fogs because it'll just be used incorrectly.

[crazy4trains]

Euro cars have the adjustable doohickey on the dash.
American drivers are not allowed that kind of control. Too stupid, I guess

Ah, didn't take notice of the location.

[t1mm]

"Are my headlight adjusters broken?"

"Do you own an E39?"

"Yes."

"Then your headlight adjusters are broken."

Hahaha!

Thanks for responses guys! Okay, so it sounds like rather than the automatic adjusters on the US version, I've got a manual, motorised version but the adjusters are still broken. Will look into the bake open fix, or see if I can find some working ones at a scrap yard. Cheers

[sleuth255]

If you see them auto adjust (up and down movement) when you first start the car then your adjusters aren't broken. There's also a manual adjustment on the lights that takes a hex wrench that you can use to set them higher.

[Dking078]

If you see them auto adjust (up and down movement) when you first start the car then your adjusters aren't broken. There's also a manual adjustment on the lights that takes a hex wrench that you can use to set them higher.

Not necessarily. The adjusters work in conjunction with the auto leveler arm in a 3 point mounting system. So even if the two plastic adjusters are busted, the auto leveling is still connected to the projector shroud and still moves the projector when powering on. It just moves very little and attributes to lower bezel shroud wear.

The be-all-end-all test to grasp the low beam connector (when NOT on) and try to move it gently.

0 resistance in vertical/horizontal movement? Broken adjusters.
Firm resistance in those two directions? Good adjusters.

[sleuth255]

I'll concur with your definitive test method. Its the best way to tell for sure.

[rdl]

t1mm
A bit of clarification based on my experience (although with North American HID headlights) and a good deal of reading various sources.
The headlight assembly you have is similar to mine, i.e. same adjusters and adjuster motor configuration. But the control mechanism in the car is different. Mine is fully automatic, reacting to sensors on the suspension. Some European cars have the driver controlled adjustment thumbwheel you describe; I think only with halogen low beams, but I'm not certain of that.

The headlight beam will, or at least can, cycle up-down-up on start-up even when the adjusters are broken. Mine certainly have.

To check for broken adjusters, grasp the low beam plug & try to move it in/out to check the lateral adjuster, up/down for the vertical. Don't expect perfect rigidity - there is some play in the adjuster mechanisms. If the plug moves ~5mm with a gentle push/pull, the adjuster is good. More than 1 cm, the adjuster is broken.

Adjusters can be replaced as a DIY from the back, without removing the headlight lens or any cutting. My 2003 lights are permanently sealed & I've done it. It is though a tedious job which some have described as a "ship in a bottle" repair. Replacement adjusters can be had for ~$10 per light - just be sure they are the facelift style. Your 2002 lights should bake open which gives you options for replacement. There are lots of DIYs in E39 forums and youtube for all the alternatives.

FWIW, I'd advise against looking for working lights ready to swap into your car at scrap yards. You're unlikely to find any, and if by some minor miracle you do, the adjusters will be long past their "best before date" and likely to break soon anyway.

[sienayr]

Adjusters can be replaced as a DIY from the back, without removing the headlight lens or any cutting. My 2003 lights are permanently sealed & I've done it. It is though a tedious job which some have described as a "ship in a bottle" repair.

I did this, on ONE headlight. It was such a terrible experience that over a year later I haven't gotten to the second headlight. And I have relatively small hands.

[rdl]

I did this, on ONE headlight. It was such a terrible experience that over a year later I haven't gotten to the second headlight. And I have relatively small hands.

There is no question that there a knack to getting the new adjusters into position inside the housing - once that is figured out the job moves quite quickly.

The first light I did several years ago took hours & I was white with frustration at times. The second light 1/2 to 3/4 hour once I'd figured out tools and technique. And I have blunt fingers not really suited to the cramped space. The times are after the headlight was out on the bench. A few months ago I did a second pair & these took the same 1/2 hour or a bit more each.

Having baked open a set of headlights recently to install EVOX-R bixenon projectors, for me it's a toss up between baking open and doing the "ship in a bottle" if doing only the adjusters. But, then I've already paid the learning curve price ... every excruciatingly frustrating moment of it.

[Dking078]

^+1 to that.

I got really good at the ship in a bottle and I have huuuuge hands... /EndBadJoke

It got tedious and just said to myself it's more worthwhile to chop off the lenses and put DJ Autos and have the ability to upgrade projectors.