Adjusting my headlights (and dips?)

[geordief]

I have a 2010 model .

There is  something near the steering wheel to adjust the height of the beams.It goes from 0 to 5  but apparently it still needs adjusting  since it failed the MOT.

I have read that this can be done under the bonnet  but I can't see where and there is nothing in the manual about it.

 

thanks

Edit.I think I have found the 2 "screws".

Here is a couple of photos of what I think are them(behind each headlight ,under the bonnet)

I am wondering whether I need to loosen them before turning and whether I will need a special tool or whether ,as it looks like an Allen key plus a small spanner would do the job.

Edited April 21 by geordief

[TonyHSD]

Hi, 

did the mot tester tried to adjust them or just failed the test? Usually the mot tester should check and adjust these lights and if not able to adjust then he can fail you. These adjustments aren’t as part of any service so it’s an mot check and adjust job. You can request them to adjust accordingly and if not possible then you may need to try yourself. 
There are usually tips online how to adjust correctly headlights as diy, you can search videos in YouTube and Google search. 
Good luck 

 

 

[geordief]

Just now, TonyHSD said:

Hi, 

did the mot tester tried to adjust them or just failed the test? Usually the mot tester should check and adjust these lights and if not able to adjust then he can fail you. These adjustments aren’t as part of any service so it’s an mot check and adjust job. You can request them to adjust accordingly and if not possible then you may need to try yourself. 
There are usually tips online how to adjust correctly headlights as diy, you can search videos in YouTube and Google search. 
Good luck 

 

 

Hi.You can adjust them inside the car  and I said to him "Can't I adjust them with that little turning wheel device?"

He said no ,there wasn't enough adjustment in the "wheel".

If I can't adjust them myself I will have to take it to the garage as they gave me a month to represent the car.

I have looked on YouTube  for instructions, as well as in the manual but without luck

There are also a few old threads on this site but the link to the video was broken (they tend to go down after a few years,I have noticed)

On some of the videos for other Toyotas (not the Auris) they seem to use a racket wrench,which I don't have .And I don't want to force the  cogs by using the wrong tool....

 

Actually I said MOT for simplicity.It is called the NCT  in Ireland ,where I am  .

[solero]

For the mot the adjuster is set to zero. They should be able to tweak it using an allen key at the headlight.

The dash adjuster is supposed to be used when you have a rear loaded car, causing beams to dazzle others, so you can lower the beam accordingly.

Just get them to tweak it, as they have the right optical equipment. Doing it yourself is a crude adjustment.

I believe the adjusters need to work for the new mot test. If both not working, it could be just a fuse.

[geordief]

1 hour ago, solero said:

For the mot the adjuster is set to zero. They should be able to tweak it using an allen key at the headlight.

The dash adjuster is supposed to be used when you have a rear loaded car, causing beams to dazzle others, so you can lower the beam accordingly.

Just get them to tweak it, as they have the right optical equipment. Doing it yourself is a crude adjustment.

I believe the adjusters need to work for the new mot test. If both not working, it could be just a fuse.

The MOT equivalent over here doesn't work on the car .You just get a report that you have to fix.

Does anyone know how I can fix this or do I just have to go to a garage?

The report says to fix the Dip Beam.

[tavy]

  Hi John !

  When I change the low beam bulbs of my 2008 Auris, sometimes I need to adjust the headlights aiming, usually I use a 5mm or 6mm hex screwdriver (I don't remember exactly), upper screw is for horizontal adjusting and lower one is for vertical.

  Park the car in the dusk, on a empty road and proceed for adjusting one headlight at a time, covering other with a rag.

  Turn the screwdriver many times in order to headlight responds...

[geordief]

 

14 hours ago, tavy said:

  Hi John !

  When I change the low beam bulbs of my 2008 Auris, sometimes I need to adjust the headlights aiming, usually I use a 5mm or 6mm hex screwdriver (I don't remember exactly), upper screw is for horizontal adjusting and lower one is for vertical.

  Park the car in the dusk, on a empty road and proceed for adjusting one headlight at a time, covering other with a rag.

  Turn the screwdriver many times in order to headlight responds...

Thanks.So there is no need  to loosen the screws before twisting?

Anyway I managed to dig out some screwdriver heads with 6 sides and  I have succeeded in finding one that is a perfect  fit for one of the screws(have not tried to twist it yet)

The other screw though is a different kettle of fish and  is ,on the top 2 flat sides with 2 round  areas joining them.(so a circle with 2 lengths of the perimeter being straight lines)

Below this  is a larger  tube with 4 prominences-ae they perhaps called "flanges"?- that go into  an 8 sided cog.(you can see this  fairly clearly in the second photo I posted -well in both ,actually)

 

I imagine you get a small spanner to turn the whole thing,thereby adjusting  either the horizontal setting or the vertical setting depending on which is which.

Maybe they are different shapes so as to make it easier  to tell them apart.

My Auris  is a 2010.Maybe your's is an earlier model?

 

I also have a question about the number plate lights (as they also failed the Irish MOT)

Do they have a fuse?

Both of mine have gone  and a third bulb I  just scavenged  also does not work.

The manual of the car doesn't show any fuse applying to them  and they are the only things that don't work ,electric wise.

If I can't fix them I will have to go to a garage in the area...

[tavy]

  There's no need to loosen anything, just twist, twist many times. You need a long screwdriver to do this properly.

  My headlights have the same system as yours.

  Regarding number plate lamps, it's better to remove them completely from inside the hatch door in order to change the bulbs, this lamps have not a separate fuse, bulbs are blown for sure, change them, it's very simple job.

[geordief]

1 hour ago, tavy said:

  There's no need to loosen anything, just twist, twist many times. You need a long screwdriver to do this properly.

  My headlights have the same system as yours.

  Regarding number plate lamps, it's better to remove them completely from inside the hatch door in order to change the bulbs, this lamps have not a separate fuse, bulbs are blown for sure, change them, it's very simple job.

Thanks again.

When I adjust the screws we are talking about does this change the angle of the "Dipped" beam   or does it also affect the angle of the Main beam?

My MOT report only mentions the Dipped  Beam as needing correction.

Do I have to worry about  the Main beam as well?

Will that move as I turn the screws or is it only the Dipped Beam  that is going to be  affected?

(I suspect that the angle of the Main Beam is much less important than that of the Dipped Beam )

 

[tavy]

  Yeap, it will adjust both, dipped and main beam, but don't worry, it will be all right.

[geordief]

As an update ,I attempted  to adjust   the  screws by myself.

When I took it in for  the test it failed.

The tester suggested I take it  to the garage next door where they  had  the proper gear

They saw me very quickly and adjusted the screws (4 in all ,I only saw 2 when I tried)

I took it back to the testers and ,would you  believe it ,it failed again!

Apparently both dips are pointing a bit sideways.

 

The garage  that  I saw have said maybe there is  a problem inside the headlights  and they will try and fix it in a weeks time.

I will have to pay for a second test now ,so it is working out more expensive than I thought 

 

 

[tavy]

5 hours ago, geordief said:

 They saw me very quickly and adjusted the screws (4 in all ,I only saw 2 when I tried)

I took it back to the testers and ,would you  believe it ,it failed again!

Apparently both dips are pointing a bit sideways.

  Sorry to hear that !

  The guy from the garage doesn't know to adjust the headlights properly, as you noticed he adjusted only by vertical, that is the reason why your headlights point sideways a little bit.

  Try to adjust the headlights by yourself, in the dark find an empty parking lot, put the inside ajuster on 5 (very low position), adjust both headlights observing the spots, then put the wheel on 0 and finally adjust for vertical aiming.

[geordief]

4 hours ago, tavy said:

  Sorry to hear that !

  The guy from the garage doesn't know to adjust the headlights properly, as you noticed he adjusted only by vertical, that is the reason why your headlights point sideways a little bit.

  Try to adjust the headlights by yourself, in the dark find an empty parking lot, put the inside ajuster on 5 (very low position), adjust both headlights observing the spots, then put the wheel on 0 and finally adjust for vertical aiming.

No,he adjusted both sideways and vertical from what  I could see(I was with him)

There were 4 screws  he moved ,whereas I had only adjusted one on each side (2 in all)

I think the testers  know them well and they have a sign up for "pre nct" checkups.

They would get a very bad name  if they were to blame and so I think there must be something inside the lights themselves  that needs fixing.

The tester was not surprised  that this had happened but I don't think he is allowed to comment on the mechanics of the car per se.