HID level problem
 

I have the HID head lights and park in my drive way which is on a slight angle, the front of the car is a little higher then the back. My question is at what point do the lights self level? At start up? When the lights are turned on? It seems that the lights are angled a little low and I’m thinking it is leveling at start up on the slanted drive way. End results the lights point to low.

if i understand correctly, the lights self level through a linkage to the front suspension.

If I recall correctly the manual says it happens when the lights are turned on but I sometimes get the headlight leveling idiot light on without the lights on. Go figure! The dealer says that they cannot help without being able to reproduce the problem and the idiot light has not been on for a while...
With the sharp HID cutoff it is easy to see if the lights are level. My favorite test is to drive down a tree lined road in the dark and see where the cutoff hits the trees. If it looks level then the system is working.

Do the lights look low without you in the car? If you park on a flat surface shut the car off and then turn turn the car&lights back on does it seem more level? I know little about this but the lights are going from the preset "level" position so I think that it may be too low for your liking.

You may just need to adjust the lights themselves. Very quick and easy to do , just do a search.

Yeah, I think it levels during startup. Sometimes, if my nose is lower than the tail, the lights will be up too high. I feel bad for the poor folks in oncoming cars who have to deal with it...

I wonder if it also adjusts while driving - if so, then this should not be a problem.

The manual does say that the lights adjust when starting up but it doesnt say that the lights dont adjust at other times. It just seems to say that you might hear some noise from the motors leveling the lights in case someone worries about what they are hearing ??

Most other xenon cars adjust during driving (e.g., Mini, BMWs etc)

- Bodi

I think it does, but it takes it quite awhile... I'd really like to know for sure.

They do adjust while you're driving, but it's not really obvious. Easiest way to see it is to turn them on then go sit on the rear bumper or push down on the back of the car, you'll see them re-aim when the angle of the car changes. It's nowhere near as obvious as some of the other auto-leveling xenons you see though...

it seems the stock hids are aimed a tad low, at least a tad lower than i'd like them to be. however, i dare not reaim them w/o doing it properly (w/ a flat surface w/ a perpendicular wall and all that).

the self-leveling readjusts constantly and is based off the suspension slant, and not the angle of the car. so having the car parked on an incline will not affect self-leveling. on the other hand, loading up the trunk with bricks will.

another wierd thing is the headlight washer - it seems to be inside the headlight housing .. why would you need to wash the inside ??

- Bodi

you have the headlight washers? i didn't think those were available on US market cars? or did you get yours in canada?

well I didnt see one in action .. I assumed I got it since I got the GT package. Which explains my confusion. I got teh car in the US.

I didnt see the jets outside the headlight, but I saw something inside the headlight assembly. I thought it must be the piece of plastic that moves away and the jet pops up and cleans the headlights .. :rollingla

Bodi

US spec car --- you don't have the headlight washers...

The sensors to adjust the lights in located on the front and rear drivers lower control arm. The best way to test the lights is to park on a driveway with one of the rear wheels still in the street, this will make the other rear wheel drop down into the gutter. Then turn off and on your head lights, you see them move a good bit.


-Peace

btw- my next project will be to make self leveling fog lights........muhahahahah

the headlight washers would be below the headlights (if you had them ;) )...little square on the front bumper in this pic i stole from the mazda canada website.

I have a problem too. One of my headlights is pointing lower than the other one. What's the deal with this?

that's normal... that's the reflection pattern, so the oncoming traffic is not blinded. if you drive real close to a wall, you will notice the same pattern from both the headlights

Thanks, this answers the question.