Northern Auto Tech - ECU and Blue & Me Repairs

General Xenon auto level headlights not working

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General Xenon auto level headlights not working

martwho

martwho

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Just bought a 2017 Abarth 695 and i have noticed that the auto leveling lights don't work. At first I was scratching my head wondering how I manually adjust the height until I read up and discovered that there is no manual adjustment and that they level themselves.
My lights point downwards and only project about 10-15 feet in front of the car and make it difficult to drive at night.
On the dash you have a headlight symbol and a number 3 and the arrows are poi Ted downwards.
I've tried disconnecting the battery to no avail.
I've read online that others have had an issue where they point too high and its been down to a load sensor mounted on the rear axle and the mounting bracket for this is bent and needs straightening.

I'm keen to avoid taking it in as it will mean taking a few hrs out of work.
Does anyone have a picture of this or have a schematic of the part to give me a clue where it is?
Cheers.
 
martwho said:
Just bought a 2017 Abarth 695 and i have noticed that the auto leveling lights don't work. At first I was scratching my head wondering how I manually adjust the height until I read up and discovered that there is no manual adjustment and that they level themselves.
My lights point downwards and only project about 10-15 feet in front of the car and make it difficult to drive at night.
On the dash you have a headlight symbol and a number 3 and the arrows are poi Ted downwards.
I've tried disconnecting the battery to no avail.
I've read online that others have had an issue where they point too high and its been down to a load sensor mounted on the rear axle and the mounting bracket for this is bent and needs straightening.

I'm keen to avoid taking it in as it will mean taking a few hrs out of work.
Does anyone have a picture of this or have a schematic of the part to give me a clue where it is?
Cheers.
Click to expand...

If you just bought it from a dealer then they should sort it out. A faulty sensor sounds likely but if you mess with it then the dealer could use that as an excuse to avoid liability. This could be an expensive repair depending on what is wrong. This is also a MOT failure. Get the dealer to drop off a loan car when they pick yours up, well it's worth a try, you should not be out of pocket.

Roert G8RPI.
 
It's a used car still under warranty. Bought it from an independent who has already said they'll sort it out if not covered under warranty. Just wanted to pre-empt this if need be, could do without the hassle of going to the dealer etc.
However I am anticipating the usual run around at the dealer as apparently this sensor bracket bends if you drive through large potholes and I suspect they'll say it my fault even though I've only owned the car a month!
 
After I had my factory fit HID headlights replaced about a year ago, I had one pointed too far downward. The only way to adjust them was electronically at the dealers.


There should be no in car adjustment by default as HIDs are auto-levelling based on sensors fitted about the car and should not be adjustable by the driver.
 
ronmanager said:
After I had my factory fit HID headlights replaced about a year ago, I had one pointed too far downward. The only way to adjust them was electronically at the dealers.


There should be no in car adjustment by default as HIDs are auto-levelling based on sensors fitted about the car and should not be adjustable by the driver.
Click to expand...
Can someone confirm for me that these should defo be auto aligning as the fiat garage have just called me to say that they are physically misaligned and that there is a £35 charge for realigning. They explained that there is a manual height procedure by using the buttons behind the steering wheel. I argued that this is not the case and that I had tried those buttons to no avail, before I discovered they should auto adjust.
They said they would show me how to do it when I collect.
 
On a normal car without xenon's you should be able to adjust the light's with the button's and this should change the number at the bottom on the instrument cluster from 0 to 3
0 should be what you have normally with a little bit in the car and one or two passengers
Not sure if the numbers should even be there on a xenon equiped car?
 
Well it would seem problem solved. With the manual realignment done my dashboard buttons now miraculously work! Fiat insisted I pay £35 for the privilege and were quite dismissive about the buttons not working previously. Was convinced I had auto levelling but it would appear not! Thanks for your help guys anyways [emoji6]
 
If they were factory fitted Xenons they would have both the cleaning and self levelling functions. It is a legal requirement apparently. Do you have the cleaning function (it works with your windscreen washing when the lights are on.)


 
Last edited:
Nope they don't. Note to self do more research next time! :D
On the plus side ApprovedPerformanceUK who I bought the car from have already reimbursed me the £35.
Could recommend them highly enough - if your near Leicester check them out.
 
martwho said:
Nope they don't. Note to self do more research next time! :D
On the plus side ApprovedPerformanceUK who I bought the car from have already reimbursed me the £35.
Could recommend them highly enough - if your near Leicester check them out.
Click to expand...

Check your handbook but certainly the earlier Abarth 500 had auto leveller and washers if the HID (xenon) light option was fitted. These are a requirement for the 35W HID lamps. There are more recent 25W ones that don't need auto levelling but they are not as bright and still need washers. Looks like your car has been odified and will fail the MOT
The MOT handbook says "Existing halogen headlamp units shouldn’t be converted to be used with HID bulbs. If such a conversion has been done, you must fail the headlamp." and "Defect Category
  1. Headlamp cleaning device:


  1. inoperative
Minor
  1. inoperative in the case of LED or gas discharge systems (HID)
Major



You need to get the supplier to prove they were factory fit, or put them back to Halogen.

Robert G8RPI.
 
g8rpi said:
Check your handbook but certainly the earlier Abarth 500 had auto leveller and washers if the HID (xenon) light option was fitted. These are a requirement for the 35W HID lamps. There are more recent 25W ones that don't need auto levelling but they are not as bright and still need washers. Looks like your car has been odified and will fail the MOT
The MOT handbook says "Existing halogen headlamp units shouldn’t be converted to be used with HID bulbs. If such a conversion has been done, you must fail the headlamp." and "Defect Category
  1. Headlamp cleaning device:


  1. inoperative
Minor
  1. inoperative in the case of LED or gas discharge systems (HID)
Major



You need to get the supplier to prove they were factory fit, or put them back to Halogen.

Robert G8RPI.
Click to expand...
That's only if they are fitted and not working
If they don't have washer fitted it a pass as not all xennons have washers from the factory
 
chris3234 said:
That's only if they are fitted and not working
If they don't have washer fitted it a pass as not all xennons have washers from the factory
Click to expand...

My (illegally converted), originally halogen projector headlights(on my Mazda) pass the new mot twice as they "cannot be seen as to have been converted" thus it's assumed they're simply bright bulbs, the mot tester told me not realising the weren't standard hid.
 
Spoke to another garage selling the same car as mine for advice, they confirmed the headlights on this model don't have auto level. Only the manual alignment buttons (that on mine now miraculously work) so the lights are factory fit and I have enothing to worry about concerning future mot's.
 
martwho said:
Spoke to another garage selling the same car as mine for advice, they confirmed the headlights on this model don't have auto level. Only the manual alignment buttons (that on mine now miraculously work) so the lights are factory fit and I have enothing to worry about concerning future mot's.
Click to expand...

Well what else would the say, the car's illegal?
According to ePer and all other resources I can find the Abarth uses a D1S lamp which is 35W and requires washers and autolevelling.

Again what does the handbook say?
 
Manual states my headlights are manual adjustment using the buttons, unless (xenon) which are automatically adjusted. My assumption from looking at the headlights was that they were Xenon and I also think partly because my manual adjustment didn't work, ergo no manual adjustment, they must be xenon. However now the adjustment does work,I now know they can't be xenon.
 
martwho said:
Manual states my headlights are manual adjustment using the buttons, unless (xenon) which are automatically adjusted. My assumption from looking at the headlights was that they were Xenon and I also think partly because my manual adjustment didn't work, ergo no manual adjustment, they must be xenon. However now the adjustment does work,I now know they can't be xenon.
Click to expand...

A look at the back of the bulb should soon show if they are xenon's
 
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