Malfunctioning leveling of the headlights
 

Hi everyone, after replacing the bulbs in the headlights on my F-type S 2014, both lights are not working properly and I don't understand why.. As you can see in the video, both lights growl when they try to level, the movement is very slow and what is very strange, first they try to extend up and until then down, instead of the other way around.. I don't see a mechanical problem.

Can someone advise whether to look for the fault in the light (mechanics, motor...) or in the units?

Thanks,

Denis

It's strange that when I connect the second (right) light, both lights seem to start cutting and the leveling doesn't work at all...

Can't help you but I have replaced the headlight globes in my 2014 F-Type S twice now with zero problems.
The first time to brighter HIDs and the second time to LEDs.
Yours seems to be a rare if not unique problem!

:icon_cry:Something is obviously wrong. When I start the engine, instead of leveling "down and up" my lights turn to the right and back. But then when I turn the steering wheel, the lights don't move, so the AFS doesn't work either, even though it works...

I guess I would start by questioning whether you installed them the right way.
You could check it out by reinstalling the originals to see what happens

I don't know what else to do. Classically, I turned the retaining ring, pulled out the discharge lamps and, when replacing, did the same procedure in the opposite way. Sure, I moved the lens to the side while doing it, but after turning on the ignition, the lens always centers, so there won't be a problem here.
Now it goes crazy even without discharge lamps. The leveling itself does not work.

In summary what it does:

• When I turn on the ignition and only have the left headlight plugged to the car, the leveling is slow, it growls and first the lens goes up and then down.
• When I also plug to the car the right headlight, the leveling goes up again first, then it gets down very hard - it chops and growls, see, 2nd video.
• After starting the engine, the up-down leveling does not work, but turns the lenses to the right and back.
• But at the same time, after this "leveling" when the headlights are on and the steering wheel is turned, the AFS does not work, although apparently AFS physically works..

To me, it looks like faulty units. Who knows why (I plugged in new LED bulbs if they couldn't have caused it..). But would the units cause even that snarl? And if so, which of the 2 units could it be?

You got the right bulbs, right? D3s

Yes.

As @CJSJAG asked, have you tried putting your originals back in to see if they function as they should?

Yes I tried it. No change. As you can see in the first video, the leveling does not work correctly even when there are no discharge lamps..

I also tried disconnecting the battery completely, no change again..

If you moved the lens when you fitted the bulbs maybe you've confused some position sensors?

And standard question (sorry but I have to ask!) - is your battery fully charged?

Maybe. But if it was, how to solve it?
Yes, battery is fully charged :)

I don’t know if I’m used to it or just never paid attention, i don’t think i have seen my head light s swirl or level, maybe on start ups, where it goes from dim to bright, is that the self leveling part?

Let me know exactly what you want them to do and i will take a video for you, as i have just done the change a week or two ago.

Vendor sent me wrong bulbs, but it fitted physically and ran intermittently, that’s another story though, replacement coming in next week.

Well, by default, the headlights (lenses) are "warmed up" by leveling when the ignition is turned on / or when starting, when they are turned on. It happens almost inaudibly and quickly - down and back up. But, as you can see, this is not working for me now. On the one hand, the leveling works the other way around for me - up and then down, after starting only to the side, when both main lights are on, the downward movement is very "choppy". Everything is slow and noisy. When the engine is started, the AFS function should follow the turning of the steering wheel, but now it does not..

Noted, i will get a video for you when it’s dark out, I’m curious myself if i damaged the motor by moving them during the change.

I think you would hear the noise if you had the same problem. My headlight motors are very noisy now..:icon_confused:

Did you use a lot of force to move stuff? The tabs were a bit nerve wrecking for me, the motor were fine, but it felt like the door mirror motor which i broke before..

Yes, I did. It was stiff.

I tried seceral things...

• Plug only L, or R headlight. It doesn't matter if I have the right or left it doesn't matter if I have the right or left headlight plugged in. When only one of them is plugged in and the ignition is on, the movement is like the first video in #1 post. The lens first goes up and then down, the movement is quite noisy and slower than it was, but still so.
• I tried swapping the left headlight for the right and vice versa. No change.
• I tested the functionality of the headlights with one, the other, or both units disconnected. No change.
• I tried swapping the right unit with the left one and vice versa. No change.
• Whenever both headlights are on, the movement is very slow and jerky when the ignition is on. When the engine is started with both main lights, instead of moving the lens up and down, it only moves sideways.
• I checked the mechanism with the adjusting nuts. Everything moves as it should, so there shouldn't be a problem in the mechanism.
• If the headlights are able to move up, down and to the sides and all this without an error message on the instrument panel, I think the problem will not be in the headlight units either..

Watch the videos below.

#1: Movement only when the ignition is on (both headlights on):

#2: Movement when starting the engine (both headlights on):

I really don't know what to do anymore, it doesn't make any sense, I don't know what to try anymore...:icon_cry:

You could try checking the workshop manual. There are copies on here somewhere. The manual is over 6,000 pages.

the tabs, or the motor? Your video feels like my broken mirror motor, it still works, but it needs some outside help to get full range of adjustment, like the gear/teeth is not engaged fully in certain part.

But then i fiddled a lot more with it than the simple left and right moment of the bulb motor, the bulb motor wasn’t stiff to move, some resistance were present.

Did you happen to do it with the headlight still attached to the car (powered)? I’m thinking if the light were still connected to the power, the motor might be actively engaged and turning it caused damage.

Give me a few more hours to turn the sky dark, i will get you a video.