Xenons not behaving as expected.

[100K+]

I thought I knew how these lights worked on my 2004 V70 AWD R, having solved various issues in the past though self learning as the issues were resolved. But this latest problems got me stumped.
The nearside light throws its pattern ever so slightly lower up the road than I'd like, so I went to the white castle adjuster to lift the beam - its maxed out.
Ok. Wind it down 4 turns ( half way) do a SUM recal and jobs a good en.. No.
The sum recal did its stuff, both lights moving up/down in unison, but both lights ended up exactly where they had started from.
So after lots of testing (messing around ) I leaned that no matter where the white castle adjusters were adjusted to, before a SUM recal was undertaken, That's the exact same position that both lights would return to after the recal.
This is not what I understood to be the case - I thought, and have experienced a SUM recal with the white castle adjusters set lower would give you back some adjustment to lift the lights/ lower the lights if you wanted.

The only DTC on the car is the air quality sensor low/missing signal so I'm a bit baffled.

Anyone got thoughts/comments??

Cheers
Bob

[100K+]

Still have not totally sorted this issue out, but have a currently workable getaround.

Previously, the stepper motor had occasionally jammed causing it not to run correctly, so I took it apart to check - Even took pics. It was not jammed, but I think I may have messed up, because now it don't move the light reflector at all.
There are THREE methods of moving the reflector.

1) dip to main beam. - NOT done by the stepper motor. - with the motor out this function still worked.
2) Mechanically, via the white castle nut on the top of the motor. This runs a "peg" in and out of the motor. This peg runs inside a "camera lens" type arrangement, which is the electronically controlled part of the movement.
There is no connection to any other part of the motor/electronics.
3) Electicallly, via a small electic motor, a worm drive and big white cog, which as it rotates moves a "camera lens" type arrangement into or out of the motor.

How to I think I messed up? - In order to move the "lens part" in and out I used a 12V battery on the internal posts of the motor. Part and parcel of this was the need to have the circuit board attached to the motor. I'm no sparky but I wonder if as well as power going to the motor, power has "overpowered" the circuit board.

The upside to this is now I can manually set the light beam to where I want it and have a full range of adjustment via the white castle nut.

Additionally, I have discovered how to remove/replace the stepper motor in literally 30 seconds - O/S takes a bit longer due to less space. - Removeal is easier, Twist tilt remove. Refitting is a bit more difficult, but removal of the xenon back cap and using the lamp holder as a means of moving/holding the reflector is a great help, as is fully extending the attaching peg. In this configuration tilt the motor down, so the peg can squeeze behind the attaching point. Then, reposition the motor to go into the 3 notches - each time you do it will take 50% less time.

One additional issue that's been high lighted is that VIDA/DICE is not showing any error codes, which if the motor is not working should be the case.. mmmm?? and the car will still do a SUM recal OK too.

Sorry to go on, but someone might find this of interest/use.

Any thoughts/comments as usual appreciated.

Cheers
Bob

[100K+]

I can confirm that connecting a 12v supply to the internal motor posts with PCB attached to the motor has killed the overall motor. I swapped over the whole units side to side and the non-working side moved with the motor units.

So £ 170 later both light units now move up/down on start up, but the N/S still for my mind does not throw the light far enough up the road, even when fully adjusted with white castle nut.

Still don't have a DTC other than the Air quality sensor, so need to scratch the head again.

Current thinking is :- The rear position sensors are within spec to allow a SUM recal. but when I check the actual voltages one unit (O/S rear) is right on the border of working/not working @ 1.50V. Adding weight to the boot lowers the suspension slightly and the reading drops below the 1.50V to 1.47V and it won't do a SUM recal. So is the Position sensor U/S even if its still "working".

I'd risk a new sensor, but hesitate because its the wrong side to the light thats low.

Cheers
Bob

[100K+]

Matter still not resolved - made worse as can't now do a sum calibration, due to too much fuel in tank making rear too low!!.

Current thinking:- previous position sensor readings showed LHS sensor reading 0.1volt (3.4v) under the max voltage that I could do a recal at and the RHS sensor on the limit at 1.5v. However vida would suggest these readings should be nearer to the mid-point of 2.5v. I have manually moved the position sensor arms to achieve these readings and they have a long way to move.
I have also decided to not use the "Jack the rear" until the senor voltage comes into "range" because what this does is when you remove the jack the car thinks a weight had been placed in the boot( the rear of the car goes down and the car lowers the dip lights to compensate for the perceived weight)

I intend to do the opposite. I have made a pair of brackets - see pic similar to the standard issue. However, I have put a slot rather than a hole where the position sensor arm rod attaches so I can adjust the arm, and thereby the voltage.

I plan to balance the voltages across the back at 1.7v and 3.3v ( comfortably inside the min/max settings and do a sum recal.
Then I plan to adjust the rods further to set the voltages at say 1.8v and 3.2v but not do a sum recal. Hopefully this will cause the lights to think a weight has been removed from the car - the rear has gone up, and that it should raise the dipped lights to prevent them pointing lower than they should.

If this fails to work, I'm looking at a physical location error for the light unit or the bulb within that unit. I don't know how it could have occurred, but I can see no other explanation.

Cheers

Bob

[100K+]

What I said I was going to do in previous posts appears to have worked I now have two good length beams.

The level motor has two adjustments an electronic controlled by computers and sensors, and projects out of the motor like a camera lens; and a mechanical adjustment controlled by the white plastic peg on the top.
Distances from "lens base to reflector attachment point" are:-

Both adjustments screws back ( min/min) 9mm
Both adjustments screwed out ( max/max) 24mm
Electrical in, Mechanical out ( min/max 16mm
Electrical out, Mechanical in ( Max/min 17mm

Fitting the modified bracket, to the RHS the reading jumped from 1.49v to 1.79v. The reading could not be improved upon because the bottom ball joint in the drop link hit against the suspension arm. To get greater adjustment the slot needs to run more horizontal and less vertical. However it has proved not to be an issue.
Fitting the LHS bracket changed the reading from 3.40v to 2.94v. A sum recal was completed ok, but now the lights did not move on engine start up. Why I don't know.

So I adjusted the drop link connections again to give a more balanced/equal voltage from the 1.5v/3.5v boundry voltages.

1.70v RHS ( +0.2v) and 3.3v LHS ( -0.2v) and did another Sum recal. completed OK.
Then I made a final minor adjustment to give reading of 1.75v RHS (+0.25v) and 3.25v LHS (-0.25v).

All again good. Lights move down/up on engine start and I have enough adjustment on the plastic pegs to shine the lights where needed.

Needless to say none of this would have been possible without access to VIDA/DICE

Cheers
Bob

[100K+]

Sorry to revisit this old chestnut but I have to confess to my stupidity....
Sometime between my last checking how far my lights shone up the road, and my original post, my R suffered a minor bump to the near side wing- result new wing.
This initially caused no noticeable problem , but over time slowly it must have. So, upon stripping the front end down yesterday to "once and for all" get to the bottom of why the adjuster has to be 95% "maxed out" to get a decent pattern, I discovered only 3 bolts holding the light unit in. The one hidden behind the plastic side cover was missing. It was not a straight fit either, the light required an ever so slight lift to get the bolt to fit.
Result is that I had to turn the adjuster down a full turn to lower the light back to where it was before the missing bolt was fitted.

Now I'm happy. mystery finally solved.


Cheers
Bob

[Packard999]

Originally Posted by 100K+

I can confirm that connecting a 12v supply to the internal motor posts with PCB attached to the motor has killed the overall motor. I swapped over the whole units side to side and the non-working side moved with the motor units.

So £ 170 later both light units now move up/down on start up, but the N/S still for my mind does not throw the light far enough up the road, even when fully adjusted with white castle nut.

Still don't have a DTC other than the Air quality sensor, so need to scratch the head again.

Current thinking is :- The rear position sensors are within spec to allow a SUM recal. but when I check the actual voltages one unit (O/S rear) is right on the border of working/not working @ 1.50V. Adding weight to the boot lowers the suspension slightly and the reading drops below the 1.50V to 1.47V and it won't do a SUM recal. So is the Position sensor U/S even if its still "working".

I'd risk a new sensor, but hesitate because its the wrong side to the light thats low.

Cheers
Bob

Agreed, I would also risk a new sensor