I've installed facelift projector head lights in my pre-facelift R53.
I've aimed the low beams perfectly to match the lowered ride height of my car. Yet when triggering the high beams I noticed that the right high beam is way out of wack; pointing inward to the mid left. While the left high beam is perfectly aimed.
I remember reading somewhere here in the NAM discussions with regards to a ball & socket connection to the headlight adjustment that had popped loose or broken its socket retainer. (The NAM search function regarding the post is less than accurate).

Although the headlight beam displays no vibration (loose), I was wondering where this aforementioned ball & socket is located in order to check to see if that maybe my issue.
I can't seem to see it within the bulb/housing cavity with the bulb cover removed. The Bentley makes no reference of this either.

Can anyone offer clarification as to where or how this "adjustment/ball/socket" may be accessed?

 

Here are some pics of the ball and sockets, but I’m pretty sure they’re for the projector only. Looking in from the back cover they’re located at 3 and 9 o’clock.

Projector adjustment connected at 3 o'clock position looking into opening.





Projector adjustment popped loose at 9 o'clock position looking into opening.

 

Ah-Ha.
Thank you again RB!
I'll post back with my findings...after having my neck and spine realigned from trying to gain access while the headlight buckets are still mounted in the hood.

Also: Thanks for providing the photos. The are a great help!

 

Well, I managed to contort myself within the engine bay to have a look at the internals of the Right side headlight.
I discovered no disconnect of the headlight adjustment or rod & socket that I could see. In fact; the only discovery I made was that - I am claustrophobic.

I then came to the realization that I had an extra R headlight assembly in my hack bin that I had partially disassembled.
With the lens and chrome insert removed allowed for a better advantage to see how the adjustment rod - ball & socket influenced the entire internals as a unit.
RB you are correct. There isn't any separate high beam adjustment.

However; there is a separate sleeved rod connecting the lower portion where the high beam resides and moves/slides in and out in tandem with the entire light assembly when turning the main adjustment screws:


This thing^^^...Looking inside, at an angle just below the (left) 'V2' adjustment screw.


Looking straight in from the front of the lower high beam reflector


Strange. This sleeved rod which connects to the lower high beam reflector/housing extends up into the above plastic "tunnel" - which is also part of/molded to the main headlight bucket....


Pictured above: is the outside (headlight bucket), where this lower rod extends up into.
One might think that that small round protrusion would be a logical point of access to the end of this rod...as a potential adjustment screw for the high beams...?
Nope.

I remain confident in the adjustments I've made to the low beams. The minor disparity between the high beams are just a matter of observation and my OCD.
Changing up from pre-facelift xenons to facelift projectors still remains one of the best upgrades I've made to my '04.
Since I haven't inadvertently blinded any on coming traffic, (the intensity of their headlights are much brighter than mine anyway), I'll revisit/have a look at the internals again when there is enough daylight...and the temps are a bit more tolerable.

Thanks again for your info!

 

That’s funny, I also have a spare right side FL headlight to experiment with, and that’s where my pics came from. Hard to believe there’s no high beam adjustment as I would think it’s a DOT requirement, but then again, the 1st gens have the headlights mounted to the hood. According to the DOT, headlights and the main brake lights can’t be mounted on a moving panel so I don’t know how MINI got away with that. It’s the reason the 2nd gens headlights were moved and the later Clubman’s have the brake lights down in the bumper.

For the FL ball and socket issue, I close my hood in three steps since just dropping the hood to get it closed can make them pop loose. I set the hood down to the first latched/unlatched position, then gently press down over a headlight to latch that side, then repeat for the other side. Just have to be careful not to dent the hood when pressing over the headlights. I push down right behind the headlight ring where the hood is the strongest.

 

Yeah - with regards to your comment and observation about the brake lights: I am still perplexed as to why in the heck brake lights and turn signals have been moved to the lower rear bumper on some of the more recent cars these days? It only seems logical that these important indicators SHOULD be visable to all from at least 3-5 cars back and not just to the vehicle directly behind them in the cue. (?).
Subject in point: The Nissan Cube.... (or as I like to call it - "The Jonny Cab"). Really? Who's the genius designer who'd thought that that placement was a good idea?
I second your way in manner of closing the hood on a Mini. Having owned and built many pre-70s Beetles in my lifetime, I quickly learned to make good practice when lowering and closing the hood with both hands apart from each other. Although metal bodies were much thicker and robust back then; you could easily warp the hood or bend the hinges if not careful.
I agree. Closing the hood in increments on a 1st gen Mini with both hands over the headlights will cause less headache and heartbreak in the long run.

 

With the the back of a Cube being all cargo door above the bumper, that’s the highest place on a non-moveable panel they could mount them.

Had a ‘65 bug and had to be careful with the hood too as I shaved the hood handle and chrome trim so the paint was the only thing I could press down on.

 

Ahhhh - bittersweet memories of the first Beetle I ever owned = a 1965 Baja Bug with the "Bug-Eye" kit.
The previous owner had over cut the headlight punch-out in the fiberglass so he jimmy rigged a pair of angle iron bolted to thE body and headlight assembly. I should have emphasised "jimmy rigged" as that Beetle was really annoying to drive at night as the headlights would perpetually bounce and jiggle. To the piont you would almost wind up with with vertigo and just be glad that the drive was over...and lucky that you didn't manage to crash into anything along the way. I can imagine how the oncoming driver's must have felt and probably relieved after I had passed.

I just had a thought: How well our facelift headlights may just very well fit one of those older (pre-'68) Beetles & Bus's....
​​​​​​

 

This morning I braved the cold 40 degree weather, put my nose up against a wall and proceeded to attempt to readjust the right headlight. I began by dialing back the V1 adjustment height screw in order to start from scratch. To my surprise - dialing back = loosening adjusted the beam upwards as opposed to the left side headlight (which seems to be reverse???). Anyway; That seemed to aim both the high and low beams perfectly aligned with the left/cut off.

who would have guessed to do the opposite?
Not me....that is,...until today.

Edit: Please disregard my stoopid comment/revaluation above.
The 2wo salvage facelift projectors I had installed were from 2wo different cars, year and model.
The adjustment screws for each headlight were slightly different length and were also previously adjusted for those cars.
The left side headlight (salvage 1), V1 extends further out vs the right side headlight (salvage 2), V1 which does not.
Despite the minor differences - They adjust properly.

 

The other thing to look at is if the bulb correctly seated or feels “loose” as, that can cause misalignment of light pattern and some dufus running 130w bulbs and distorting the socket from heat can too, lol.