14 replies to this topic

[dmdangermouse]

Model: MPi Cooper
Year: 1999

Right, my mot is on Monday and I need to aim my headlights correctly

Does anyone know the method of doing this?

Is it something like parking 10m away from a wall with dip beam on and measuring how far the brightest part is from the ground..?

[miRon]

if i was you id take the rings of ready,
and ask the nice(LOL) MOT tester to do it for you,
they dont normally mind.

[998dave]

park v close to a wall, with headlights on draw a cross where the centre of each beam is,

Back up about 4 metres, the centre of the beam should now be slightly lower.

[minisam1275]

park v close to a wall, with headlights on draw a cross where the centre of each beam is,

Back up about 4 metres, the centre of the beam should now be slightly lower.

hey i have exactly the same thing MOT monday

is this ^ sidelight dipped or main ?

[Dan]

if i was you id take the rings of ready,
and ask the nice(LOL) MOT tester to do it for you,

If you present the car with the headlamp trims removed it should fail the MOT for sharp edges. Just make sure they can be removed easily and nothing is siezed.

Only the dipped beam lamps and any front fog lamps have a beam angle setting.

[998dave]

dipped beam, sorry.

main beam they should be slightly above the centre line, can't remember, but sure there's an exact spec...

[Dan]

Nope, there's no beam angle or beam pattern for main beam headlamps. Dipped beam, 1.3% down dip left, fogs 1.5% down centralised.

[dmdangermouse]

Thanks.

Will give it ago

[Disco Dan]

Taken from manual:

Main Beam Adjustment -

Position the car on level ground 25 feet from a wall. Covering each headlamp in turn, set the beam height and direction by turning the adjuster screws with a screwdriver.

Top of beam should measure 42" on wall at 25 feet.

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Edited by Disco Dan, 27 March 2009 - 10:51 PM.

[dave21478]

What manual is that from?
Dipped beam pattern should always be LOWER than the headlight unit.

Park the car 10 meters from a wall. measure from the ground up to the centre of the headlamp lense. Subtract 10cm and mark this new height on the wall. The horizintal section of the beam hould be aligned to this height. The dipped beam will also kick up about 30 degrees to the side. The kick-up point should be directly infront of the lamp unit.

[dmdangermouse]

brilliant. Just what i was after.

Thanks

[dmdangermouse]

anyone else got anything different to add to this?

going to set them up tonight and i really dont want to fail an mot.

[daemonchild]

anyone else got anything different to add to this?

going to set them up tonight and i really dont want to fail an mot.

to be honest if you fail on this and this alone, they will just set it for you and you'll pass fella!
But I'd go cap in hand and say to the guy "I'm not sure if it's right, would you mind adjusting if it's off...?"

[WiredbyWilson]

anyone else got anything different to add to this?

going to set them up tonight and i really dont want to fail an mot.

to be honest if you fail on this and this alone, they will just set it for you and you'll pass fella!
But I'd go cap in hand and say to the guy "I'm not sure if it's right, would you mind adjusting if it's off...?"

^^^ agree with that, most aren't too grumpy to do it.

[dmdangermouse]

alright, nice one.

I think i've got it roughly right.