General: Repairing headlamp adjustment mechanism

[2.4TSE]

The dipped beam reflector in a V70 headlamp appears to be held in place at three points from what I can see and feel through the bulb changing aperture in the back of th casing. It is these three points on which it pivots when the aim adjusters are used.

One of the pivots in my nearside headlamp has broken, so the reflector is swinging free with variable aim - usually lighting the the tops of trees and blinding the occupants of opposing vehicles from the amount of flashing I get.

Given that repair or replacement entails the faff of taking the front bumper off, what's my chance of the former or do I simply buy a used unit and be done with it?

[stuart bowes]

Getting the bumper off is the easy bit, getting it back on again is little more of a faff but still not a drama

the headlight unit itself will be the real work, once you've got it off the car you'd have to seperate the lens from the main body which is a lot of careful cutting and tidying up, and then once you've done that you have to find a replacement lens.. and obviously find some way to refix the broken pivot point

and even if all that works you're left with one headlight that looks brand new, and one that looks like the age of the car so then you'll want to do the other side as well

this is assuming its the later plastic type.. even worse if it's glass I wouldn't want to be wrestling with one of those and breaking the glass by accident

don't forget after all that you also have to have a good fully sealed enclosure or it's just gonna fog up all the time

personally I'd just look on ebay, find a replacement of similar vintage, and have the whole job done in under an hour

[100K+]

Plus one on what Stuart says..........
Unless......
You are a tinkerer....my dad would have the Stanley knife, heat guns ( of various sizes) tubes of Araldite, soldering irons to fabricate a repaired pivot, take all Saturday afternoon while listening to the football on the radio then call me to his garage to see the results of his labours, which to be fair were usually A1..Sadly such skills are literally dying out ..
Cheers Bob

[2.4TSE]

Thank you both, even if as I thought. I had a small glimmer of hope that this was a known weakness with an easy fix like taking a Dremel to a rivet to stop the ignition key refusing to turn.

Never mind. Agree on all that is written, fogging especially. I would only attempt repair if possible through the round hole and by extension reusing the same reflector because it wasn't removed.

Yes, my headlamp is glass. If I find a pair, will the later headlamps with clear glass showing separate elements inside, fit? Just in case cheaper, else I will stick with direct replacement of one of the same age.

Cheers.

[2.4TSE]

Closing the loop. All sorted.

The mechanic at my village garage was not only able to resolve the issue without needing a new headlamp unit (or two to keep them balanced), but without even having to remove the front bumper.

Working in the narrow confined space between the rear of the headlamp case and the front face of the airbox, he separated the levelling motor assembly from the case, in so doing proving what I thought in that the reflector was suspended from its two upper mounts but the lower one that was hanging free was doing so because it had become detacted from the levelling arm driven by the motor.

He extended the arm as far as possible, worked out how to firmly clip it back on to the reflector, reassembled what he'd taken apart and then balanced the headlamp aims.

Job done. Very little cost.

[stuart bowes]

ahhhh the bottom joint

gotcha

when you said 'One of the pivots in my nearside headlamp has broken' I figured you meant one of the two top ones i.e .it was just flopping about all over the place

yeah the bottom one is an easy fix sorry I over complicated it

managing it without removing though is some proper jedi mastery though fair play