Can anyone tell me how to adjust my headlight for bright and dim alignment?

I recently had to replace my hood on my 2002 Cooper S. I don't think the body shop adjusted my headlight correctly. My bright lights do not light up the road far enough ahead of the mini. How do you adjust the headlight settings.

Thanks

Go to your dealer.

Seriously, assuming you have the Xenons, you are dealing with more than simple adjusting screws. The dealer knows what they're doing and can do it quickly and safely. Maybe get them to show you if you're really dead set on doing it yourself next time.

The Xenon system needs to be ON while adjusted (since there are motors that pull the lights up). The problem with poking around there while the system is on is that the Xenon transformers put something like 30,000 volts to the bulbs. As has been discussed on this forum before, that can KILL YOU if you happen to poke the wrong thing with a screwdriver. :eek: :eek:

Go to your dealer.

I don't believe the xenons need to be switched on to make an adjustment to have them project further down the road. They were off when I raised mine a little and things are much better. In fact, it they were switched on, the motors would probably work against you with resulting problems.

It's a simple task. However, an improper adjustment can cause the adjusting motors to strip the gearing which will lead to an expensive repair.

That said, jsun's point is very well taken. There are potentially lethal electrics involved with the xenons. Don't mess about without knowing what's involved.

Search on mini2.com for threads involving xenons and adjustments for details on how to raise them.

But be careful.

I tried many times to adjust mine while turned off but the leveling system would always counteract exactly. From my experience the hood must first be closed then the lights turned on and leveled, finally, the hood can be opened and the lights can be adjusted while *on*. There is absolutely no need for concern about voltage -- the lights are fully insulated. I have adjusted mine through a very wide range with no gear stripping problems -- I suspect the gears only strip if you try to adjust them while *off*.

The dealer uses a stick to reach the screw from the wheelwell with the lights on and hood closed.

Yes, but where do you stick the stick? My only point was that without some explicit instructions (a how-to?) and knowledge about what the potential risks were (that they are greater than one would encounter by sticking a screw driver randomly in among the electronics in a regular headlight assemblly), mini4usa would be well advised to first GET some assistance/instruction.

Vespa, since you've done this, maybe you can provide some insight as to the proper technique? :smile:

BTW, it occurs to me that knowing about this (the behind the wheelwell, hood closed, lights on method) is something that many of us would want to know as we encounter state inspections. I've often had the inspection station guys want to twiddle with my headlight ajustment before passing a car. I'd hate to have them end up stripping the gears in my Xenon units before I can stop 'em. :eek:

This isn't a difficult task and if you don't go overboard with the adjustment there shouldn't be any problem with the auto-levelers. That said, any adjustmetns you make are at your own risk.

There's an adjusting screw behind each unit. You have to bend down and look upwards to see it. No need to have the lights turned on. The direction of movement is imprinted into the back of the lamp housing.

I raised the lamps 3/4 of a turn which was sufficient. I did this over 8 months ago and haven't had any problems with the auto-adjusters.

Take a look at this thread for details.

By the way, here's a description of how the headlamps are adjusted at the factory (this is from a posting on mini2.com from a tech at the MINI factory):


The computer takes 9 points of reference from each single beam and studies them. They have a value which is variable. For instance if I threw a silver bottle top in front of the beam, each of the 9 values would change as the top fell through the beam, and then return to normal after.
The points on the outside of the beam can vary constantly up and down as the test is extremely accurate and picks up minute beam signature changes.
The value for each one of these 9 points is given a colour rating. A green light for ok, a yellow for attempt adjustment, and a red for not ok.

The aim is to get all 9 points into the green.

At the end of a test, the minimum allowed is eight greens and one yellow, although one value constantly alternating green to yellow is allowed. 2 or more solid yellows or one red and the headlight is failed.

It is allowed one more retest to attemp to improve the reading and if this fails then the light is replaced.

Manual intervention is allowed on both attempts to try and improve a low 'score' by pressing buttons on a keypad. The computer turns the adjusters on the rear of the light as you hold a button down.
We are talking 10ths of a millimetre per second of holding a button and just touching a button sometimes sends the adjustment way out with red lights everywhere!!.

While the computer is setting, if you stand at the side of the car about 4-5 feet away, the computer can fail the headlight simply because the pattern has changed mid-test by you standing there behind the light beam!!.

Take it to the dealer That way they program the auto-levelers to the correct position.

There's no programming -- the dealer just uses a stick.

jsun: the adjustment screw protrudes prominently from the rear of the headlight housing and is clearly labeled (as clearly as black on black can be). There's another screw for the L/R adjustment nearby as well. Both screws are slotted+hex and entirely plastic. The dealer opens the hood, attaches the stick, closes the hood with the stick prutruding into the wheel well and then crouches alongside the car, reaches in by the front wheel and turns the stick with the lights on and aimed at a pattern. If the dealer is good, they'll have a buddy sit in the driver's seat during the adjustment for proper suspension loading.

My method is to shine the lights on a wall, estimate the necessary change, open the hood to shine the lights on the ceiling and watch the pattern on the ceiling while turning the screw.

any headlight has to be turned on to be aligned. it is true that the xenon has an automatic motor for the vertical alignment, and that they run on 25 000 V . on the mini the alignment has to be done by the dealer, because it requires a special tool that makes the alignment with the bonnet closed.

I have the Cooper with standard headlights. My high beams are pointing in the wrong direction, but I can't find any screws to adjust them. I mean, do they have separate adjustment screws from low beams? Or do those screws actually adjust both the low and high beams simultaneously? Thanks!