Headlight focussing//auto-levelling
 

Hi all,

There seems to be some issue with my headlight focussing...mine is a 2005 model...the headlights are HIDs....while driving in the night i can see only as far as probably 6 feet in front of me and then it blacks out completely...there is no smooth transition (i.e. the lights don't fade as it goes further away)...also the pattern is somewhat wierd like:
.....................-----------------''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

the headlight auto-levelling sign on the driver's panel comes ON a few times and then goes OFF by itself...i had taken it to a dealer (Mazda of Lodi, NJ) and it seems they see no problem with the focussing and i was told it is as per factory settings...also they cudn't find any failcode on the computer for the auto-levelling sign...

is this normal??...i think its a safety concern and should be taken care of...what do u suggest i shud do?

any help will be appreciated...thanks!

-AR

I had this same problem. Take this to the dealer:
http://www.finishlineperformance.com...8-07-1729a.pdf

That's great to know...thanks a lot for the information...which dealer did u go to?..also will this solve the problem of headlight focussing too??...will I be able to see better or is that a different issue?

Thanks again...

-AR

I wish I had the Headlight Leveler Switch where it lets you adjust how high you want the lights from the cabin like the 8s in Japan... I'm jealous that the EVO guys have them too...

My Mazda6s has the four-position headlight level control and I have sometimes found myself driving with them way high (loaded down trunk and full back seat). So I thought the auto-levelers would be the complete answer, but after living with the RX-8 since December I find myself wanting a manual override.

I do appreciate the well-designed auto climate control in my 6s and the smooth and economical auto transmission in my RX-8, but they both have manual modes that I use often. The headlight leveling should be similar.

The sharp cutoff is the nature of the HID beam pattern required by the DOT. It's tightly regulated to prevent dazzling oncoming drivers. So, that part is normal but ending 6 feet from the car is not. The following diagrams should give you an idea of the proper height of the pattern, and how to adjust with a Philips screwdriver. If yours is significantly different than the specs you should take it back and demand they do a correct adjustment. It is a safety issue.

https://www.rx8club.com/attachment.p...2&d=1080031511

http://www.snikte.net/images/rx-8/HID_adjuster.jpg

My dealer is Cascade Mazda in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. Your profile doesn't list where you're from.
When I first brought the car in to have the lights looked at (like you, I could only see ~10ft in front of me... which was scary going 70MPH), they would try to manually adjust the level, then it kept wanting to fall back down (remember, its motorized).
So they reviewed the Service Bulletin and replaced the harness. Its been running good ever since.

That's refreshing to know. So I guess the TSB should take care of the problems I have with focussing. I'll probably take it to the same dealer (Mazda of Lodi, NJ) and see how it goes.

Thanks for all the help.

-AR

thanks!
 

The instructions to adjust the headlights are perfect! It took some searching to find the little holes you need but that was because my white plastic guides were out of place and covering up that spot. Some poking around in there with a screwdriver dropped them back into place and it was easy after that.

My dealership refused to adjust them since they thought they were fine, but i could really only see 8-10 feet in front of the car and that wasn't very useful.

Thanks for the help guys.

hey does someone have the same leaving diagram for the non HID?

Does this mean that if that screw is loose enough that the light will go off. Because I just changed my front headlight bulb and the light goes of every once and awhile. Do you think by tightening the screw it will prevent the light from going out?

Thanks