Uh.....one of these things is not like the other.




Driver's side



Passenger side. Oops.

I may have hit a bump or something last week, but I don't remember. I happened to notice at night that my headlights were casting a diagonal line. I was like WTF? Quick glance and didn't notice anything.

Pulled into work today facing a concrete wall where I could see the lights. Definitely off. Got out and saw this.

So. The outer plastic looks like it's removable. Question is, is whatever tab that was holding it in place, fixable, replaceable?

Anyone have this before?

I don't have the bread to upgrade to projectors, which is what I know some of you will say... (time to upgrade!)

 

sure are missing a screw...i think you maybe able to match it from a hardware store and place it there. there is not need to remove the plastic fender trim (if that is what you are referring to), just loosen the screws and realign the projection of the beam

 

Readjust the beam? Does it adjust that whole inner assembly? I mean look at it, it's like it's sitting down.

I wasn't refering to the fender trim, I meant the clear plastic overlay of the headlight. (Surrounds and extends past the outer oval ring). It looks like it has tabs and is removable.

 

i got you...no the whole assembly needs to be adjusted. when i said the beam, i meant that you park facing a wall like you did, turn the lights on and then loosen the screws on around the light and adjust it to the proper height.

 

Ah, excellent. Thanks! (Pics are great)

 

Anytime my friend

 

And that one screw can adjust that much of that inner piece into place? Certainly a cheap option heh.

 

it is not the inner piece that moved. it is the whole housing. so, when you pop the hood, feel if the headlight housing moves. there is nothing you can do to the internal of the housing. only the screws that i marked above. one screw can tilt the housing. my headlight is shining on the street and i barely can see ahead of me on the passenger side. im too lazy to adjust it though lol

 

OK, I went out in lunch, popped the hood, put my hand on the assembly and nothing moves. Solid as a rock. ?

 

so the next thing would be to see when the wood is closed, do you notice the headlight not being centered like the other one? then just try to realign it. if it is centered, perhaps the internals holding the lens are damaged?

 

With the hood closed it looks the same as above. To me that's what it seemed to be, the internals.

 

looking at both lights from a distance, can you notice the lens pointing somewhere else? try to take them off (mark the location of the hinges so you can put them back same way when you took them off) and shake them a bit to see if they are really broken.

 

I mean I can see the light projecting the beam in an upward diagonal motion when driving.

 

Looking at the pictures, the INSIDE of the headlight has fallen to the left.

I don't think it can be adjusted that much with the one missing screw.

 

That's what I kept thinking. No idea how or what broke to allow that.

Is that outer shell (held on with tabs and clips) removable or is it glued onto the rest of the assembly?

 

One of the mounts inside the headlight popped out of the internal adjustment ball. Open the back of the headlight near the bulb and see if it just popped out or the mount is cracked. If it is it would be better just to get new headlights if the internal mount is broken. We have some halogen options :

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...n-2-minis.html





https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...-joey-mod.html











OR

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...r-parts-4.html




thanks

 

Can I see that ball mount while it's still in the car?

 

No, not unless you can peek around the side it's laying on. You have to unplug the headlight housing take it off the car, undo the lid on the back and look up inside at an angle.

 

Well I was able to get my hand through that back hatch and put the little white l shaped ball into the socket. That lines it back up horizontally, but I can rock the bottom up and down. So currently, it's angled down slightly.

 

Check the other mount. Should be another holder in there.

 

Three total? I see the two kind of on the side. Is there one towards the bottom?

 

There is one on each side and then one on the top or bottom. The mounts will crack from an impact or a very hard bump sometimes.

 

Yep. Found it. White arm that attaches to the engine side of the inner assembly is completely broken off. No fixing that most likely.

I'll have to deal for now. At least the beam is horizontal and angled down so it's not going to blind people.

 

Ok, glad you found it. That's what i guessed. I would replace the light with halogen projectors so you can see and have function again.

 

Yeah, those Depos are looking good.