How to adjust main beam aim on W210

[xpc316e]

I have a 2000 W210 E320 Estate and I want to know how to adjust the aim of the main beam part of the headlights. The dipped beam are set well, but the mains are useful only for aircraft spotting and make night driving a real pain.

Can anybody tell me how to do it?

 

[Diesel Benz]

Are you sure it has a separate adjustment for high beams?

Have you checked that your bulbs are correctly seated?

 

[Chas]

I have a 2000 W210 E320 Estate and I want to know how to adjust the aim of the main beam part of the headlights. The dipped beam are set well, but the mains are useful only for aircraft spotting and make night driving a real pain.

Can anybody tell me how to do it?

I don't think you can adjust your main beams in the same manner as the dipped beams, that is, via horizontal/vertical adjustment screws on the headlamps. You may have a wheel /switch on the dashboard to raise/lower the main beam ( most estates do) which will vary in elevation depending on the load in the rear. Failing that, as mentioned above, your main bulbs may be incorrectly seated, but doubtful
Also, could be a vacum problem

Once everything was plugged up, both lights moved up and down perfectly. I reckon I'll have to wait until tonight and fiddle with the heights of both lights.

http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/showpost.php?p=209729&postcount=6

 

[lynall]

A headlights a headlight so must be adjustable in some way.

High beam wont be auto or manual levelling as the idea is to stop dazzle to oncoming traffic and if you are already on high beam!

Have a look at the screws on the top park it a good 20feet from a wall and have a twiddle, this is exactly how i do the trucks at work that i have roadtested noticed beam set wrong, so up to wall and adjust the incorrect headlamp to the same setting as the correct one and jobs a good un, takes minutes, again no point in beam setting as whos it going to annoy as you wont have it on with oncoming traffic.



Lynall

 

[Diesel Benz]

A headlights a headlight so must be adjustable in some way.

High beam wont be auto or manual levelling as the idea is to stop dazzle to oncoming traffic and if you are already on high beam!

Have a look at the screws on the top park it a good 20feet from a wall and have a twiddle, this is exactly how i do the trucks at work that i have roadtested noticed beam set wrong, so up to wall and adjust the incorrect headlamp to the same setting as the correct one and jobs a good un, takes minutes, again no point in beam setting as whos it going to annoy as you wont have it on with oncoming traffic.

Lynall

But if I understood right, the original poster had already done what you describe, adjusted the low beams. But he now observes the main beams aiming being wrong. He would need to be able to adjust the main beams separately from the low beams. I believe this adjustment exists on some cars and does not on some others. The high beam aiming can be built in (to be accurate enough) but then again, on a W210 with a separate lens for the high beams one could have expected independent adjustments.

Perhaps the OP should direct the discussion to the correct path.

 

[lynall]

No he has not adjusted them, just said they are set well ie correctly.

All vehs with seperate high and low beam lamps will have seperate adjustments, mind you the amount of headlamps that dazzle me these days shows that people dont check or care .

Must be adjustable for suspension changes, model differences, ie avantgarde lower suspension, different engine weights etc

Plus in the sarf east we have street lights everywhere so very rare to even get to use high beam



Lynall

 

[Diesel Benz]

No he has not adjusted them, just said they are set well ie correctly.

All vehs with seperate high and low beam lamps will have seperate adjustments, mind you the amount of headlamps that dazzle me these days shows that people dont check or care .

Must be adjustable for suspension changes, model differences, ie avantgarde lower suspension, different engine weights etc

Plus in the sarf east we have street lights everywhere so very rare to even get to use high beam

Lynall

Well, it does not help the OP a lot if we argue what he has done and what not. Anyway I read now that he did not adjust the low beams because they already are fine. I don't see a difference if he did or did not adjust the low beams as far as those now are properly aimed.

I don't want to state a definite opinion about this car but the headlamp assembly is one unit that covers both the high beam and the low beam section. I don't see it being impossible that the high beam aiming would be "guaranteed by design", i.e. both are fixed to aim at the same height.

After all, the things you list like suspension changes, engine weights etc. typically appear the same for both high and low beams.

I'll leave you now helping the OP to solve his problem.

 

[lynall]

Thanks for your input to:bannana: whatever that was! bet you are/ were
a politician

Ps i wasnt arguing i was merely stating what he had actually written.

Just looked at mine and i can only see 2 adj screws on the top not sure if some are buried.

Maybe and its just a maybe,up to wall as said put on high beam set with height adj screws then onto low beam and set with the in car adjuster next to the headlamp switch, but sounds a bit to maybe to me.

I think google is going to come up trumps here again maybe.

PPS you are not adjusting the headlamp casing just the reflector bowls inside which as i am sure you have noticed has one each for high and low beam.



Lynall

 

[xpc316e]

Oh dear, I seem to have opened a can of worms here. Just to clarify matters, I have made minor adjustments to the aim of the dipped beams with the two screws on the top face. They were only a little out, and are now fine, but main beam is a disaster. Both main beam lights are much too high and go much too far over to the left; the driver's side is worse than the passenger side. I have checked that the bulbs are properly seated. It is difficult to get at the back of the lights because of windscreen washer bottles, air filters etc, and I cannot see any other method of adjustment for the main beams.

Mian beam does not provide me with much improvement over dipped because of the poor aim of the lights. I cannot believe that there is no spearate method of aiming them. If I cannot effect some improvement I shall end up fitting a couple of auxilary driving lamps to the grille - at least I could aim those as I wished.

Thanks for your suggestions anyway.

 

[Dieselman]

The adjusters are for both main and dipped beam simultaniously. I suspect your dipped beam is wrong but you prefer it that way.

Drive upto close to a wall and mark the point that the beam hits the wall, then reverse back 20 metres and adjust the beam to hit in the same place.

Check the dipped beam this way also but note it falls off as you reverse backwards.

 

[maddog]

Or just ask a friendly mot place , they will adjust lights FOC on a test or slip the guy a £10 if you pop in