I have the non-leveling type headlamps with the cute little bubble levelers inside. I installed GE Nighthawks in the low beam and Philips Night Breakers in the highs. Adjusting the grey plastic thingies sticking out of the back only seems to effect the low beams, is that correct? Is there any way to adjust the high beams since they seem to be pointing down below the low beam cutoff? Because of the contrast I can't see beyond 100 feet with them on. Waaaa...

 

Did you ever get an answer? I too have a 99 XK8 and the pass side headlamp is low. I found the L-R adjustment, which turns out to be broken on the drivers side, and the gray plastic rod with the white plastic bolt head above it.

I could almost believe that the white bolt controls the up-down, but I'm finding the car to be counter intuitive on several levels.
This is the passenger side. Up is forward.
The L-R adjust is the white plastic tab on the right.
The red cylinder is a flashlight. It's pointing at a dim, white hex bolt. The gray plastic rod is barely visible going into the housing with the bolt.

Before I break something expensive off trying to turn it, which item controls the up-down?

 

You need to check the motor has not got detached, I have seen a few where the ball has snapped off, drive up to a wall at night and see if both move when you operate the adjustment switch

 

Sorry XK, no motors on the headlamps over here.

Actually, I removed the high beams and used a flashlight in front to re install them. Seems that they'll seat off-center just fine and I had them both in off-center. I've since gone to HID but may be going back, the HID actually seems to give less usable illumination.

 

Really? I will take a look at the US car here on Monday out of curiosity

 

mine has that plastic bolt working the passenger side up and down adjust, but it is somehow stripped on the driver's side. So I guess I will have to dive into it sometime.

 

So it sounds like 5 minutes with a nut driver and I'm good to go. 11 deg and foggy this morning with snow in the PM so not today. No fear! Friday is supposed to be in the 60's.

Oh wait. 11 deg is today's high.

 

Yeah Billl, the little grey plastic acorn nut thing is the elevation adjust. The white plate indicates horizontal assuming that it's still indexed for zero.