My 2001 XK8 throws an odd pattern on the left side of the road. It's like tiered block off from the top see pic attached. Can this be adjusted out?

See the odd pattern shining on the garage door. Its the same on the road making very dark areas.

Its hard to see but this same odd pattern appears on the road.

 

Have you looked inside the lens cover to see if some object may be hanging down and interfering with the beam pattern?

 

When you check you cover each light in turn. Your image in this post will be two overlapping patterns...maybe the left one is too low . If both are the same I suspect thats how it should be but in need of alignment .The light output is always reduced in the direction of oncoming traffic so your stepped beam may be fine as you drive on the right .

 

Your left headlight are to low. Park on a level floor and open your hood and look at the top of your headlights, there is a clear plastic cover and if you look through it you will see an spirit level with some marks on. Adjust your left headlight to the same mark as your right one.

 

Thank you I'm having the brakes and joints checked now. Maybe they can do it. If not I'll check at home. I'm getting into learning things about this car. Thank you

 

Yep, that left light is aimed too low. The top of the cut-off of the left light should coincide with the bottom of the cut-off of the right light making a straight line. My headlights are heavily modified so the brightness and light pattern will be different to yours, but the cut-off looks to be the same ECE European market style.



Here is an example of what you want to achieve.

 

That beam pattern looks for all the world to me to be what I'd expect from a LHD vehicle with the headlights dipped:- light cutoff towards the left lane. The light 'throw' in your second picture looks very short, too.

What is the pattern with the headlamps dipped?

 

How do I adjust the headlights?
Thank you

 

You will need an Allen key. Open the bonnet and look for a plastic white or cream (yellowed with age) adjuster nut on the back of the headlight, that the Allen key fits into. It should be near the power steering fluid reservoir. While facing a wall with the headlights turned on at night, adjust the height of the light beam with the Allen key until the cut-off is leveled with the passenger headlight. The result should resemble the picture I posted earlier.

 

Thank you so much.

 

On my 2001 RHD UK spec car there is a knob at the back of each headlight that you simply turn to adjust the beam up or down. US spec cars may well be different.

By the way, the cut offs in the beam patterns you are seeing are caused by a metal plate inside the headlight - if you access the headlight from the wheel arch and take the bulb out you can see the plate. LHD and RHD cars have mirror image plates. I cut my plates down to increase the distance the headlights reach on the road.