boss-eyed headlights !

[slow-lane-Matt]

Apologies in advanced for asking a none bus question, I'm hoping one of you knowledgeable chaps can help
before I start butchering.

The MOT man mentioned that my lights we always wrong - ie one low beam and other high beam - and if I flick the switch
they both change, ie the high goes low and the low goes high



--------------------------------------LOW BEAM --------------------------------------------------------------------------HIGH BEAM---------------------------

The wiring looks original and un-messed around.

But I did notice one of the bulbs is upside down. This can't be right ??? - both lights are meant to behave exactly the same ?

The bulb is keyed so only fits in one way.

The reflector only fits in one way as the parking bulb has to be at the bottom

The outer rim only fits one way as fixing screw is at bottom

Below both units held the same way - as they would be fitted in car, you can see bulbs are different



The easy solution would be to file the key off the bulb and fit bulb upside down - but what's the fun in that - can anyone explain what is going on...?

I guess I've missed something stoopid - but I can't see what

 

[Elibomrod]

You can turn the reflectors over.

Either:

You see metal clip which holds the reflector to the chrome surround. Just below the yellow sticker on the reflector...next to the beam adjustment thread.

Unclip all three or four, rotate the whole headlight assembly and clip back on (sometimes it's a paint to clip back on, plenty of patience needed).

Worth marking where it is at the mo, so you can rotate exactly 180deg.

You will need to gently pull the adjusters (metal bits half way up the screw threads) out of the rubber mounts ( or take the screws out if it all looks a bit fragile - they look like a small arrow head when your u pull them out).

Or:

Ease the rubber adjuster pivots out of their location notches in the reflector and frame, this will break a perished one so care if they are old...and just rotate the reflector only.
if one breaks you can fashion one out of a lump of rubber or thick walled rubber pipe with a stanley knife - i should know...all three were perished on mine.

Note this will screw up your alignment, but do a search for the adjustment procedure, get some masking tape and a tape measure and drive up near a garage door or wall and it's quite an easy job.

Hope this helps

Si

 

[slow-lane-Matt]

Thanks for the comment Elibomrod

I don't think that would work because the parking light bulb is separate and underneath
the main bulb - so can't just rotate the whole reflector or the parking bulb would be at the top...

If anyone one else gets this problem (unlikely!) here's the explanation.

It turns out reflectors are different for RHD and LHD cars, and PO had fitted a LHD reflector, which meant the bulb was upside down, putting the filament shield on the wrong side of the filament. This meant full beam was OK (shield not used) - but with dipped beam the shield diverted light to wrong side, so the pattern on the glass lens was compromised accounting for the distorted and wrongly positioned beam on garage door...

Solution was easy, cut a new locator key on the reflector and fit bulb at 180 degrees.

Seemed preferable to buying a new reflector at £58!