S40 MOT Failure - Headlamps out of alignment

[Welton]

Despite using the same MOT place for 8 years they've decided this year my headlamps are not acceptable.

The plastic manual adjustment 'wheels' are long gone after my ham-fisted attempts to adjust them YEARS ago so both sides are now scrap and I'm left in a dilemma.

Volvo want £570.00 for new OE units, aftermarket (TYC) ones are reported as not as good as the factory ones (according to this forum).

So anyway I scoured ebay and found a left and right unit from two breakers that looked in nice condition (and the adjuster wheels looked intact) and ordered them!

Both turned up yesterday and were in surprisingly good shape! fully fitted out with bulbs and easily better than my existing units and will just benefit from a quick whazz over with wet'n'dry and polish up to my preferred standards. Need to check the reflectors for that 'tarnishing' problem and may just apply a patch of aluminium foil tape over the affected spot if needed.

Last night I gave the manual adjustment mechanisms a generous application of penetrating fluid, which I'll repeat tonight. At the weekend I intend to 'ease' the adjusting wheels one by one back and forth a little to establish whether the projector housing will take some adjustment if needed for the MOT (might even be lucky and pass the test straight through) and also check the up/down electrical adjustment from the car's thumb-wheel works.

Monday submit the car for re-test

Fingers crossed........

[Bendolfc]

When one of mine snapped, i dremmeled a slot into the plastic that turns so it can still be adjusted with a flat head screwdriver. Bit of a pain as you have to take it out, adjust and reinsert to check but might be an option if you ever want to use the old ones again.

[LizardOfBodom]

I wonder what made your old lamps "non compliant" ? Beam positioning or pattern or other defect?
Ref new lamps - if you have 2 sets, I guess its good time to experiment with retrofitted projectors (nudge nudge wink wink ;D) and get yourself something better than candles in front?

My adjusters were long gone/snapped but Its still possible to adjust them with pliers on the snapped black cogs, and I just keep 1 set of lights fully standard with correct allignment for annual NCT and do whatever i want with second set for everday.

fingers crossed for ur MOT.

edit - word of advice, if adjusting the beam up/down or left/right try to NOT use the hex key top adjusters as those will most certainly snap at some point. Better to use it directly on black part of cog-adjuster that is directly attached to projector positioning system/ Yes, it is bigger PITA as you need to adjust-check-take headnlamp out - adjust-check etc etc but it wont make it snap like a twig.

[BJB]

Make sure you haven't used WD or similar, as it makes the rubbers in the adjusters swell.
You should be able to adjust them by using the 8mm Allen key slot, which is right angles to the adjuster, after removing the HD light. Clockwise to raise IIRC.

[andy_d]

add me to the list of "pop the lights, adjust pop back in"

had similar, snapped adjusters on one of my lights, so replaced it from fleabay,,
also replaced the reflectors with the Aharron ones LoB uses/used, H7 halogen for me "happy with the Improvment"

[Welton]

Originally Posted by BJB

Make sure you haven't used WD or similar, as it makes the rubbers in the adjusters swell.
You should be able to adjust them by using the 8mm Allen key slot, which is right angles to the adjuster, after removing the HD light. Clockwise to raise IIRC.

Marvelous! guess which penetrating fluid I've soaked them in for the last 2 days

I'm going to blissfully ignore this advice and pretend I've never seen it!

Wish me luck.....

I know the best approach to adjustment is to bosh an allen key right into the buggers but I just know the MOT garage will go for the white plastic 'nipple' first....and probably break it despite warnings.

[LizardOfBodom]

Originally Posted by Welton

....buggers but I just know the MOT garage will go for the white plastic 'nipple' first....and probably break it despite warnings.

wait what?
why would they be even touching that? in UK they try to adjust it while MOTing?
its easy to take the white ones off (they just snap in) if that helps?

[BJB]

Ok... Now only treat this as a GUIDE only.
Park the car (rad grille) 750mm away from wall, (or flat vert), and set the flat main section of the beam to 630mm high.
Once again, guide only. Good luck

[Welton]

Originally Posted by LizardOfBodom

wait what?
why would they be even touching that? in UK they try to adjust it while MOTing?
its easy to take the white ones off (they just snap in) if that helps?

Yes an MOT garage will tweak the adjusters to get the correct beam pattern if they are slightly out of line, I've always experienced this to be the case, certainly the place I use will do it for free.

[Bendolfc]

Originally Posted by LizardOfBodom

wait what?
why would they be even touching that? in UK they try to adjust it while MOTing?
its easy to take the white ones off (they just snap in) if that helps?

Yes, it was an MOT garage that broke mine, failed it and told me to buy a new headlamp. It went back the next day after I dremmeled and I told them to use that slot and sort it.

I knew it was them as they were the only ones to touch it, every year it was showing a fail for alignments with an immediate retest showing a pass. No charge for the adjustment though. Since taking it elsewhere, it's not been mentioned since.