XJ6L Headlight adjustment?
#1
01-19-2009, 08:18 PM
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XJ6L Headlight adjustment?
Hi folks,
I'm new to the forum here, I'm not sure if I'm posting in the right place.
My wife has a '97 XJ6L and smacked a deer about a month ago which took out the right headlights. The dufus at the body shop that did the repair used a leveling tool to adjust the headlamps. He was kind enough to notice the GOOD LEFT SIDE was off, so he adjusted those too. The headlights basically illuminated the tops of the trees on the sides of the road and the road was black. My wife found this out on a 200 mile night drive, having to see by only the fog lights.
Since then she's taken it to a real mechanic shop and they've adjusted the headlights down twice and they are still too high. Right now the dims are about where the brights should be.
I don't think this should be rocket science here. The last time the mechanic adjusted them he said the leveler was negative and the light still appear too high. Is there some possibility that some reflector lens or possibly the glass cover over the lights may be installed upside down or something so the light beams are focused up or higher than they should be?
I would assume the thing to do is to keep adjusting them down until they look normal, but I thought I would check here to see if there are any suggestions.
Thanks in advance, Jim.
I'm new to the forum here, I'm not sure if I'm posting in the right place.
My wife has a '97 XJ6L and smacked a deer about a month ago which took out the right headlights. The dufus at the body shop that did the repair used a leveling tool to adjust the headlamps. He was kind enough to notice the GOOD LEFT SIDE was off, so he adjusted those too. The headlights basically illuminated the tops of the trees on the sides of the road and the road was black. My wife found this out on a 200 mile night drive, having to see by only the fog lights.
Since then she's taken it to a real mechanic shop and they've adjusted the headlights down twice and they are still too high. Right now the dims are about where the brights should be.
I don't think this should be rocket science here. The last time the mechanic adjusted them he said the leveler was negative and the light still appear too high. Is there some possibility that some reflector lens or possibly the glass cover over the lights may be installed upside down or something so the light beams are focused up or higher than they should be?
I would assume the thing to do is to keep adjusting them down until they look normal, but I thought I would check here to see if there are any suggestions.
Thanks in advance, Jim.
#2
01-19-2009, 10:04 PM
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Powell, Ohio U.S.A. 43065
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RE: XJ6L Headlight adjustment?
You've discovered my trade secret, I pull the car 25 feet from a wall and aim them level at about 30" up. D.O.T. will probably be knocking on my door tomorrow.
Seriously, open the hood and look down at the back side of the headlamps. Each beam has one adjuster, for vertical only, and you just reach in and turn the knob by hand.
It's a little unclear to me from your description, but here's one other point to consider: the headlamps mount to a plastic mounting bracket, each lamp has the one adjustable mounting point and two fixed ones. If the mounting braket was broken when you lost the two right side lights, perhaps it was improperly repaired and those lamps now cannot be adjusted properly. Otherwise, it's just point and adjust until you see what works for you.
On a '97 XJ6L, the low beams are the outer lamps and have the small parking light bulbs inside. I mention this to make sure the high and low have not been switched, XJ8 isdifferent.
Seriously, open the hood and look down at the back side of the headlamps. Each beam has one adjuster, for vertical only, and you just reach in and turn the knob by hand.
It's a little unclear to me from your description, but here's one other point to consider: the headlamps mount to a plastic mounting bracket, each lamp has the one adjustable mounting point and two fixed ones. If the mounting braket was broken when you lost the two right side lights, perhaps it was improperly repaired and those lamps now cannot be adjusted properly. Otherwise, it's just point and adjust until you see what works for you.
On a '97 XJ6L, the low beams are the outer lamps and have the small parking light bulbs inside. I mention this to make sure the high and low have not been switched, XJ8 isdifferent.
#3
01-19-2009, 10:27 PM
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Damon /Houston, Texas
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RE: XJ6L Headlight adjustment?
lol Nice JT,I actually put 2 lines and ok on the way for everyone that likes to use the wall behind me at work...works very well. And I agree, the mmount assembly is probobly broken. You want a supplemsnt to the accident from insurance cause you have to buy the whole assembly. lights high and low and bracket adjustment asembly. about 800 a side if memeory servces me correct......probobly not but you get the idea
#4
01-20-2009, 05:16 AM
Veteran Member
RE: XJ6L Headlight adjustment?
yes, the 25 feet method is what is specified in the Service Manual. but that just takes care of the height adjustment. What if the lamps are shooting left or right?
You can look at each glass to read the DOT lettering on it, that will tell you if it is upside down or not. Sometimes they read: DOT LH or DOT RH.
There is an alignment fixture-tool which is attached to the glass itself, that's the purpose of those protrusion pins at the bottom of the glass.The toolsort of looks like the alignment fixtures used to align the wheels. Where are these now? I remember seeing them since the 1960's all the way to the end of the 1970's.
I would check with places like Firestone or Goodyear to see if they have those headlight alignment tools.
You can look at each glass to read the DOT lettering on it, that will tell you if it is upside down or not. Sometimes they read: DOT LH or DOT RH.
There is an alignment fixture-tool which is attached to the glass itself, that's the purpose of those protrusion pins at the bottom of the glass.The toolsort of looks like the alignment fixtures used to align the wheels. Where are these now? I remember seeing them since the 1960's all the way to the end of the 1970's.
I would check with places like Firestone or Goodyear to see if they have those headlight alignment tools.
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