Chris Hall

Does anyone know how to adjust the alignment of the Xenon headlights.

My dealer says that they are fine the autolevel is working and the base setting is correct.

However, they are just too low to use they need to be adjusted up about 2 degrees. At present the cut-off point is only about 30 ft in front of the car. On main beams the lights are good but on dipped they are only safe for about 30 mph! The lights themselve are great bright, white and very even with a good clear cut-off.

Can anyone help?

mikeb

take it to another dealer if they wont help

Rx-Appreci-8

Wow. It sounds like yours are aimed much lower than mine. I'm more worried about the other extreme.

I checked at a dealer a couple weeks ago by pulling up next to two other RX-8's that just happened to be parked side by side on "visually level" pavement about a hundred feet from a brick wall. Not very scientific but it did convince me I that was not way out.

My dealer also let me warm up both RX-8s to compare shifter vibration (at idle) to mine. One was slightly better, the other was worse so I guess I'm satisfied.

BoomerBurt

Chris - I live out in the unlighted countryside and use both high and low beams on unlit roads a lot. I have well over 30 ft illumination with my low-beams. The highs must go nearly a quarter mile. I'd go back to the dealer and insist that they realign or readjust them. The manual says that the Xenon lights are too complex for the owner to change out bulbs, so I would definitely put the burden on the dealer. The only quibble I have with my Xenon's is that the top-line of the light-beams do not perfectly line up between the right and left. I plan to ask for an adjustment on this issue.

By the way, does anyone know what is meant by "self-leveling". I cannot discern any self-leveling going on when I go up and down hills or lean in curves. What is that supposed to be?

eccles

This subject has been discussed before. The low-beam cutoff should be just slightly below horizontal - if you back slowly away from a wall you should see the cutoff remain almost at the same height; if it gets noticeably lower the further you move away, the lights are out of adjustment. But in many cases the problem is simply that folks are not used to properly-designed lights which throw light down the road instead of in a useless pool right in front of the car.

The auto-levelling has also been discussed. See this post for a method of testing the system.

BoomerBurt

eccles - Thanks. I read the auto-level explanation; I will check that on mine. Did canzoomer ever post the procedure for adjusting the Xenons? One of mine is just a degree or so off from the other, but visibility on dark roads is good.

RobDickinson

Chris Hall - I think you need to chat to Julia on this forum :

http://www.rx8ownersclub.co.uk/forum (UK owners club)

She's had the same problem, dunno if she had it sorted or not.

Chris Hall

Thanks for the advice.

I speak to Julia frequently, she is my wife. The car was a birthday present to her.

RobDickinson

lol. k, thought it might be that - not to many people with that problem around in the UK I guess.

Try find another local RX-8 owner and see if there is a difference in the headlights? (unfortunalty your way to far for it to be me.)

A mazda garage (I know one has already looked at it) should have a demo rx-8 to park next to and compare light levels?

Jhouse

the driver side is a bit lower because you would be shining that **** right in a lot of people's eyes.

eccles

No, both lights should be at the same level, because the beam pattern itself is designed to prevent dazzling oncoming drivers. The pattern is called a "Z-beam", which means that the sharp cutoff at the top of the beam is stepped so that it throws more light to the right of center (i.e. towards the verge/footpath) than it does to the left of center (i.e. towards oncoming drivers). This page shows the beam pattern and correct alignment for both Z-beam and E-code lights.

BoomerBurt: When you say that your left-hand light is higher than your right, are you sure you're not comparing the high part of the LH beam to the low part of the RH? Look more closely and you might find that they're actually both at the same height to the left of lamp center, and again to the right of lamp center. It might help to stand in front of each light in turn so you can clearly see the pattern from the other.

BoomerBurt

eccles: I read and printed the page you referenced for future use. The difference in the top, cut-off line is apparently the extra height on the right side of the pattern of the left low-beam. The drawing of the correct pattern pretty well matches what my left light pattern looks like - I just haven't had a flat surface to see that aspect of the right low-beam. THANKS!

downshift

Wow, I wished I can get a car as a birthday present too.

Just an envious remark. Carry on. :D

bobclevenger

Note that this pattern would be reversed for RHD vehicles. Actually this whole pattern is a holdover from the days when two-lane roads without lights were all we had and we needed more light on the shoulder area. Now all that pattern accomplishes most of the time is to put dazzling light into the rear-view mirror of the car ahead of you in the lane to your right. In rural areas there is always the main (high) beam. European cars often have an option for a symmetrical headlight pattern if the vehicle is to be used in multiple countries.

itsallaboutgary

i got mine as a bday present also =)