Technical Seicento Sporting Headlight problem

carlbolton · Dec 15, 2009

My W Reg Seicento Sporting has just failed its MOT because the headlight alignment is out

My mechanic has tried to rectify the problem and has found that both reflectors in the headlamp casings are hanging loose - he thinks that there are small plastic fixings that have broken and he says I need to replace the complete headlamp units?

I am trying to locate some used headlamps from a breakers but need to know if the lamps on a W Reg Seicento Sporting are specific to that model, or are they common over a certian period?

Can anyone help?

rallycinq · Dec 15, 2009

Certainly all Mark one Seis will be the same lamp, someone will be along in a minute to confirm whether mark twos are the same.

There is a 'fix' for this, I think.

Do a search.

Cheers

SPD

carlbolton · Dec 15, 2009

Thanks SPD

I've done a search but cant find a fix - but I'm no expert on searching the forum for fixes either!

clock34 · Dec 15, 2009

i had to buy new ones, there is a fix using silicone or something but its only temporary and im that fed up of people having miss aligned headlights behind me on the motorway id just say buy new ones.

Fiatseicento2002 · Dec 15, 2009

Hi,

The Mark 2 Lights are the same as long as you swap over the little black space filler that sits underneath the light on the mark one

Hope that helps and you get it sorted

fingers99 · Dec 15, 2009

I think the fix is detailed by J333EVO. It's actually for the Cinqs, but should be applicable. Last time I checked, Mk1 and Mk2 headlamps had the same Carello part number.

AppleSei · Dec 15, 2009

dont get headlamps from an 899 the adjusters are different, think they are manual on an 899 and they are electric on a sporting

Theres certainly a difference on the adjusters for sure though

Asim · Dec 16, 2009

I have recently put a Xenon kit in my Sei.... But the drivers side aim is lower than passenger side..... Can anyone help by explaining how to adjust the aim...?

Thanks.....

AppleSei · Dec 16, 2009

Asim said:
I have recently put a Xenon kit in my Sei.... But the drivers side aim is lower than passenger side..... Can anyone help by explaining how to adjust the aim...?

Thanks.....

take it to a garage who should re-adjust it, they will have all the charts and proper equipment so its all legal

NosherCento · Dec 16, 2009

i have exactly the same problem on my V reg seicento sporting, and i need to get new headlights...

was wondering should i buy brand new or would buying the set off an old seicento for breaking a good idea?

cheers

fingers99 · Dec 16, 2009

No reason to buy new, but check s/h ones carefully (it's a common issue). There should be virtually no woggle between the reflector and lense.

NosherCento · Dec 16, 2009

thanks for the advice, now i get to go seach around my local scrappy and find some

How much should i expect to pay for a decent s/h pair?

Cheers

exup · Dec 23, 2009

i noticed when I changed the bulb on my nearside headlight that the reflector popped out very easily from its securings causing the beam to be way off - Was suprised how easily it did pop out as I checked the other side and popped that too . :bang: fortunately a bit of messing with the headlights and I managed to pop them both back in again - may be worth having a fiddle round to see whether they will go back into the clips again ?

J333EVO · Dec 24, 2009

The adjuster on Cento headlamps is nothing more than a threaded rod with ball on the end that sits inside a plastic cup which is made up of 8 or so fingers (imagine making a cup shape with your hand)

What happens is when you fit a new bulb or remove the headlamp for some reason when you reattach the electrical connection onto the rear of the bulb the force sometimes needed to get it in place pushes the reflector assembly out of its plastic cup breaking the fingers which normally end up sitting inside the lens. Or you try and pull the reflector assembly back and break the fingers.

Anyway all you need to do to fix it is make sure the bottom of the cup section sits against the metal ball, so if you use a small spring hocked around the reflector (there are lots of little holes that can be utilised) and either simply hock it around the hole at back of the unit and slip the rubber weather shield around it, or neater is to drill a small hole to the side of the large hole and thread the spring through it so it a permanent feature of the light. the spring provides the force to hold the reflector unit in place, and the adjuster rod works fine as all it is doing is move forward or backward the reflector unit against the tension of the spring.

Our Seicento has a headlamp like this, my old Cinq had a headlamp like this as I refused to buy a whole new headlamp just because some small brittle plastic parts broke away from an otherwise perfectly usable unit.

Bubble Trouble · Feb 23, 2023

J333EVO said:
The adjuster on Cento headlamps is nothing more than a threaded rod with ball on the end that sits inside a plastic cup which is made up of 8 or so fingers (imagine making a cup shape with your hand)

What happens is when you fit a new bulb or remove the headlamp for some reason when you reattach the electrical connection onto the rear of the bulb the force sometimes needed to get it in place pushes the reflector assembly out of its plastic cup breaking the fingers which normally end up sitting inside the lens. Or you try and pull the reflector assembly back and break the fingers.

Anyway all you need to do to fix it is make sure the bottom of the cup section sits against the metal ball, so if you use a small spring hocked around the reflector (there are lots of little holes that can be utilised) and either simply hock it around the hole at back of the unit and slip the rubber weather shield around it, or neater is to drill a small hole to the side of the large hole and thread the spring through it so it a permanent feature of the light. the spring provides the force to hold the reflector unit in place, and the adjuster rod works fine as all it is doing is move forward or backward the reflector unit against the tension of the spring.

Our Seicento has a headlamp like this, my old Cinq had a headlamp like this as I refused to buy a whole new headlamp just because some small brittle plastic parts broke away from an otherwise perfectly usable unit.

About to go out and do this to my Noddy Car.. last job before U.K. MOT(hopefully) and U.K. registration(from Spanish)

Bubble Trouble · Feb 25, 2023

Hello Folks

As mentioned above I had the same issue as most Seicento owners have regards the adjusters on their headlamps(the cups that that the motor ‘ball’ fits into to push the lens up and down). After reading the ‘attach spring’ method I have done my interpretation of that ‘fix’ and having shone the lights on my garage door and 2 feet distance I’m pleased to say that both headlamps now adjust at the same rate. Hoping the fix is good enough? I attach a couple of photos of my ‘spring fix’. Not sure the longevity of the springs but can upgrade/replace again if needed.

Best

Malcolm

purf · Feb 27, 2023

Looks like a nice fix and I hope it works for you. I think the Seicento headlights are harder to fix compared to the Cinq units.
I found that mot testers always create hassle and damage the headlights so I replaced with new LHD lights as RHD are not available. Last couple of years they were very reasonabe, priced at about £50 but now £83 including bulbs. You have to swap the glass lenses over from the RHD lights so they pass UK MOT. Every MOT they were causing unnecessary agro...

Bubble Trouble · Feb 28, 2023

Thanks for the advice. Yes was looking at the L/H drive units like you say have gone up in price. Might go down that route in these things don’t last. Got plenty of spare springs(eBay) so might get away with it for a while. I agree that MOT testers are getting more ‘anal’ despite them having less opportunity to ‘test’ things like in the ‘olden days’. ‘Advisory’s’ etc are more ‘opinion’ these days ..

purf · Feb 28, 2023

Maybe in the future when supplies dry up we'll have to use tractor headlights

Bubble Trouble · Mar 1, 2023

Haha well they would be a bit different..

Technical Seicento Sporting Headlight problem

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