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HID leveling motor going crazy?

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Old Jul 26, 2008 | 07:04 AM
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HID leveling motor going crazy?

I've never had a car with HID auto/manual level motors, so I don't know if this is normal or not. On my 2003 Evo, when I turn the headlights on, I can see the beam cutoff going up and down, like the leveling motor is trying to adjust the lights. Both HID's will go up and down for up to 30 seconds at a time before they finally stop moving.


Then sometimes I've noticed sitting in traffic, I can see the cutoff line on the person's bumper in front of me, and the passenger side HID will the going up and down - even though I didn't change the level adjustment.

Is this normal? Or am I going to have 2 burned out leveling motors here soon?
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Old Jul 26, 2008 | 08:18 AM
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To my knowledge, the Evo HIDs shouldn't move unless you turn the in cabin adjustment dial. My HIDs do not move on their own. Sounds to me like you may have an problem
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Old Jul 26, 2008 | 08:33 AM
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my "bob" up and down on the highest level sometimes so i usually leave it one level down and its ok...only does it once in awhile

never really knew why? maybe adjusting themselves but i always hear the motors going when it does it.

good luck
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Old Jul 26, 2008 | 08:37 AM
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Bulb crazy? lol.
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Old Jul 26, 2008 | 09:25 AM
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Yeah, I keep mine at the highest setting, otherwise I can't see more than 30 feet in front of my car at night. I really don't understand why they go so low... they are pretty much useless when they are at the lowest setting.
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Old Jul 26, 2008 | 09:35 AM
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Originally Posted by Craig King
Yeah, I keep mine at the highest setting, otherwise I can't see more than 30 feet in front of my car at night. I really don't understand why they go so low... they are pretty much useless when they are at the lowest setting.
I had a similar problem with mine being to low and bobbing at the highest setting. I adjusted them up so they are pointed perfect at the number 2 setting and they don't bob any more.

I disconnected the mechanical piece that moves the high beams the same as the HID's because they where pointed just fine. once I was done with all adjustments I reconnected the adjuster.

FYI if you are going to adjust your HID's find a place where you can park perfectly perpendicular to a wall or other nearly perfectly flat surface about 15 to 20 feet away and make a mark on that surface where your HID cutoff line is now so you have a reference for adjustments. Don't go crazy high because you will get flashed (not in a good way!) when you are driving around at night.

I hope this helps, let me know if I can help you in any way.

Josh
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Old Jul 26, 2008 | 09:52 AM
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Josh - that is interesting. With the twisty 2 lane roads I drive on at night, I need to HID's to be as high up as possible so I can see the farthest. I have the in-cabin adjuster set so the cut-off is the highest possible.

More often than I'd like to, I drive with the high-beams on just so I can see better. I can't stand not being able to see much of the road when I'm driving at night.

Josh - do the high-beams have adjustment motors too? Can you change the beam on them too?
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Old Jul 26, 2008 | 10:12 AM
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Originally Posted by Craig King
Josh - that is interesting. With the twisty 2 lane roads I drive on at night, I need to HID's to be as high up as possible so I can see the farthest. I have the in-cabin adjuster set so the cut-off is the highest possible.

More often than I'd like to, I drive with the high-beams on just so I can see better. I can't stand not being able to see much of the road when I'm driving at night.

Josh - do the high-beams have adjustment motors too? Can you change the beam on them too?
I don't believe the high beams have adjustment motors but they are adjustable under the hood. Once you adjust them they are fixed in that spot.

I used to live in the woods in TN so I know the feeling of needing as much light as possible. You can actually adjust them up to far and lose the nice projection from them.

Josh
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Old Jul 27, 2008 | 07:02 AM
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Originally Posted by Craig King
I really don't understand why they go so low... they are pretty much useless when they are at the lowest setting.
If you read the book it states that if you put fat chicks in the back seat the beams are going to point upwards. You have the leveling switch to bring the beams back down and out of the eyes of oncoming traffic.

I hear my HID motors every time I start the car. I assume they adjust each time you turn the car on.
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Old Oct 21, 2009 | 09:04 PM
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Back from the dead...

IF my car is on a flat surface my right headlight motor keeps aiming the light UP and DOWN then back UP then back DOWN seeminly trying to level itself... unsuccessfully. Any ideas on what to check out?
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Old Oct 22, 2009 | 10:06 AM
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sounds like some sort of short or a problem with what ever part tells the motor what level its on.take them out and clean and inspect things
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Old Oct 22, 2009 | 03:42 PM
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Wow... I'm glad to see my thread is still alive and well!

I have since switched to JDM headlights and I'm not experiencing this problem anymore.
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Old Oct 22, 2009 | 03:46 PM
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Originally Posted by Hardware
If you read the book it states that if you put fat chicks in the back seat the beams are going to point upwards. You have the leveling switch to bring the beams back down and out of the eyes of oncoming traffic.
Quoted for truth.

I hear my HID motors every time I start the car. I assume they adjust each time you turn the car on.

Never noticed that. My RX-8 always did that, though.
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Old Oct 22, 2009 | 03:51 PM
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This is one of the most INFORMATIVE posts in regards to this problem. I have had 0 issues since.



Originally Posted by mplspilot
Ok, so looks like unplugging this connector takes the power away from the motor, which should fix the problem, so long as you don't mind not being able to adjust the headlight level from inside the car.
This connector:



Now i had to remove the bumper again and both headlights to be able to remove the retarded "noodle" that looks more like a Ford design than anything that should come from Japan... Whoever came up with this whole clever idea of adustment design of these lamps needs to be kicked in the nuts VERY freaking hard and a lot of times...
Noodle that belongs in the trash can:


Once the noodle is removed and if you unplug the power from the motor the only way to adjust the level is manually with this round thing on the left:


You can rotate that little stub with a 3/16 socket, but you'd have to remove the headlight to get to it or at least stuff around it. Or you can adjust it by sticking a philips head screwdriver in its top opening, but you have to bend away the piece of metal that gets in the way on top (bracket)

Bent bracket:


Once it's bent, it's actually pretty easy to adjust the level with a screwdriver with the headlight on the car. Provided it works ok. My driver side one works like a champ, but the pass side doesn't want to cooperate with the screwdriver...

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Old Oct 26, 2009 | 05:22 PM
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My passenger side light does the same thing. I haven't had the problem with the drivers side *knock on wood*

When I tried to adjust the pass side it didn't want to move. I think my damn adjustment knob is broken inside the housing. I need to save up for JDM headlights.
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