Headlight height adjustment

[ahavoja]

Can someone explain why the headlight height adjustment step between the height settings 0 and 1 is larger, while the steps between the other settings (1-2 and 2-3) are smaller? See the attached photo.

Are your Jazzes behaving in a similar way, if you try adjusting the headlight height by using the scroll wheel near the driver's knee?

I feel like the setting 0 is too high and might dazzle oncoming cars, unless the road is very even. The solution is to switch to setting 1, but then the lights don't illuminate the road very far. This makes me wish there was an additional setting halfway between 0 and 1.

[Bristol_Crosstar]

Agree that the 0 setting is too high, I have mine set to 1 and find that suits me fine

[davejazz]

Agree that the 0 setting is too high, I have mine set to 1 and find that suits me fine

Having said that, I have never had anyone flashing me on the O setting!

[Lord Voltermore]

The photo shows it  graphically.  My guess is that the rear of the car drops quite a lot initially  due to the weight of  rear passengers   but not much more as you add the extra  weight of luggage etc.

I agree that a progressive and equal drop throughout the range makes more sense as it can be fine tuned. 

But its not always easy to find a compromise  between  seeing well yourself, but having to avoid  blind oncoming drivers .     

[Steve_M]

Probably best to get the base headlamp alignment checked, it can then be manually adjusted so then the electrical adjustment via the switch is correct.

[Leoniceno]

I've had the exact same problem for years, and over time I'd resigned myself to driving with the dial on 1. I'd already tried manually adjusting the individual headlights with a screwdriver, moving the gear on the back of the headlight assembly, but I never quite got the hang of it and was still having problems. In the past few days, I've clarified that the dial inside the engine compartment only adjusts the headlights left or right!! This evening I angled both headlights away from oncoming traffic, so as to have the lower beam toward the cars. I drove with the dial on 0 and this improved the range, compared to 1. I'll test the final result and how many people I dazzle in the coming weeks. I think it's better to keep the headlights low at 1 on uphill slopes, but on bridges and downhill slopes, I think it's normal to light up the world for brief moments... 

[Lord Voltermore]

In the past few days, I've clarified that the dial inside the engine compartment only adjusts the headlights left or right!! This evening I angled both headlights away from oncoming traffic, so as to have the lower beam toward the cars. I drove with the dial on 0 and this improved the range, compared to 1. I'll test the final result and how many people I dazzle in the coming weeks. I think it's better to keep the headlights low at 1 on uphill slopes, but on bridges and downhill slopes, I think it's normal to light up the world for brief moments... 

In the UK the MOT (annual technical test) checks beam aim. Beam height will pass if it can be corrected using the 0-3 settings .But  adjusting the angle left or right may fail the test. (and would therefore be illegal, even if the car is not yet due its MOT test )

How many people adjust the dial each   time they change vehicle loading (rear passengers, luggage etc.) ?

 I will periodically check  how high my headlight beam is compared to the rear window height  of the car in front. (in stopped traffic or parked) . From this I judge whether I am likely to be dazzling oncoming drivers ,and adjust the height up or down. Using the visual result  rather than a setting number.     

[Downsizer]

I rarely have a full load in the back, but when I do, I usually notice the raised beam angle and lower it. If I don’t, people will soon start flashing me!

[Leoniceno]

In the UK the MOT (annual technical test) checks beam aim. Beam height will pass if it can be corrected using the 0-3 settings .But  adjusting the angle left or right may fail the test. (and would therefore be illegal, even if the car is not yet due its MOT test )

How many people adjust the dial each   time they change vehicle loading (rear passengers, luggage etc.) ?

 I will periodically check  how high my headlight beam is compared to the rear window height  of the car in front. (in stopped traffic or parked) . From this I judge whether I am likely to be dazzling oncoming drivers ,and adjust the height up or down. Using the visual result  rather than a setting number.   

I understand you and agree that yes, a DIY adjustment would not pass an official test. I asked two Honda dealers to check my headlights, but neither had the right tools. Terrible service from Honda Italy. Even my private mechanic didn't have the equipment for lenticular headlights and told me that it was enough if there wasn't a broken headlight... In Italy, evidently, that's how it works: the Wild West. After years of driving at night with the headlights too low, I'm tired of it, because it compromises my driving safety, and I hope I found the solution last night... Once upon a time, there was a limit of 55-60W per bulb, equal to perhaps 1500 lumens. At night, you couldn't see much, true, but even a little blindness wasn't a problem. Today, with LEDs, we emit tons of very white light and a speed bump is enough to dazzle everyone (and they've installed tons of them).  The problem is that the roads are winding, have potholes and bumps, dips and only the Matrix led headlights seem to be a real and credible solution.

[Tombola]

Is the Jazz similar to this 

[NetworkMan]

In the UK the MOT (annual technical test) checks beam aim. Beam height will pass if it can be corrected using the 0-3 settings .But  adjusting the angle left or right may fail the test. (and would therefore be illegal, even if the car is not yet due its MOT test )

How many people adjust the dial each   time they change vehicle loading (rear passengers, luggage etc.) ?

 I will periodically check  how high my headlight beam is compared to the rear window height  of the car in front. (in stopped traffic or parked) . From this I judge whether I am likely to be dazzling oncoming drivers ,and adjust the height up or down. Using the visual result  rather than a setting number.   

I understand you and agree that yes, a DIY adjustment would not pass an official test. I asked two Honda dealers to check my headlights, but neither had the right tools. Terrible service from Honda Italy. Even my private mechanic didn't have the equipment for lenticular headlights and told me that it was enough if there wasn't a broken headlight... In Italy, evidently, that's how it works: the Wild West. After years of driving at night with the headlights too low, I'm tired of it, because it compromises my driving safety, and I hope I found the solution last night... Once upon a time, there was a limit of 55-60W per bulb, equal to perhaps 1500 lumens. At night, you couldn't see much, true, but even a little blindness wasn't a problem. Today, with LEDs, we emit tons of very white light and a speed bump is enough to dazzle everyone (and they've installed tons of them).  The problem is that the roads are winding, have potholes and bumps, dips and only the Matrix led headlights seem to be a real and credible solution.

Yes, and I think that it's made worse by the very abrupt cutoff which is probably a result of the small LED light source and the projector lamp design.  That should be a good thing since it enables the driver to see clearly right up the edge of the beam cutoff.  As long as the other driver is sitting above the level of your headlights (almost certainly true) and the road is dead level with no bumps or hills then all is well but a slight deviation making the beam angle higher will mean the other driver will get full blast in his face.  An old headlight system with a less abrupt cutoff means some low intensity spill over but less sensitivity to level changes.

[davejazz]

How many people adjust the dial each   time they change vehicle loading (rear passengers, luggage etc.) ?

 After years of driving at night with the headlights too low, I'm tired of it, because it compromises my driving safety, and I hope I found the solution last night…


[/quote


Don’t tell me….you let 5psi out of the front tyres!

[Nicksey]

Mine is set at 1.. regardless of what is in the back. When I first bought the Jazz EX I did get flashed a few times on motorways. I couldn't make my mind up if this was just due to a auto high beam delay.. but since moving to 1 no more flashes.
I have the larger alloys/tyres, but wouldn't imagine they make a difference.

[ahavoja]

In the past few days, I've clarified that the dial inside the engine compartment only adjusts the headlights left or right!!

At first I also only found the left/right adjustment dial (or cog) on the backside of the headlight. But then found that there is another cog as well, which adjusts it up/down. (See the attached photo.)

I managed to adjust both headlights downward, so that now I can use setting 0 without other cars flashing their high beams at me as often. But that adjustment moved all other settings (1, 2 and 3) downward as well, so the large gap between settings 0 and 1 still persists.

[Leoniceno]

At first I also only found the left/right adjustment dial (or cog) on the backside of the headlight. But then found that there is another cog as well, which adjusts it up/down. (See the attached photo.)

I managed to adjust both headlights downward, so that now I can use setting 0 without other cars flashing their high beams at me as often. But that adjustment moved all other settings (1, 2 and 3) downward as well, so the large gap between settings 0 and 1 still persists.

Wow, very interesting!! That cog seems to be in a really unfortunate and uncomfortable position! Were you able to adjust it by turning it blindly? I'll try to look, but I seem to recall there being very little room in the engine compartment. However, I think I'll try for now with the height set to 0 and the focal centers of both headlights angled quite a bit toward the edge of the road (to the right, because I drive on the right). I'm a little concerned about what you said about position 1 lowering even further, and it's already quite low...

I have the larger alloys/tyres, but wouldn't imagine they make a difference.

What size wheels and tires do you have?

Is the Jazz similar to this

No, it doesn't look like that headlight at all, unfortunately.

Don’t tell me….you let 5psi out of the front tyres!

I usually drive alone and keep the front tires at 2.8 bar (I think 40.6 psi) and the rears never at more than 2.5/2.4 because I've noticed that the tire's shoulder doesn't touch the ground (36.2/34.8 psi). I don't think this affects the height of the headlights much, because most of the car's weight is in front and completely presses the wheels to the ground. At least that's my driving experience.