Xenon headlights - drooping one side

[DaftMule]

Hi,

My 2005 S-Type has started to have a problem  with one of it's Xenon headlights. When ignition goes on, the lights do their dip/rise self-levelling thing however, once or twice, the left hand one has not risen so it ends up pointing at a spot on the tarmac about 10' in front of the car.  This has always corrected itself when I get in it next time. 

Now though, every time I start up, the left hand one seems to only rise up half way to it's normal position when it's finished the dip/rise motion.  This is not correcting itself when I start up next time.

Not sure quite what could be causing this?  Maybe something in the light housing is loose or the motor that controls the self levelling is not working properly?  Have no clue how that stuf works and I gather getting at the light fixture involves removing the bumper?

Anyone got any ideas? 

[Guest]

Hi Adam,

If you're getting any movement at all the motor is probably working but its meeting some resistance from the mechanisms used to provide Up/Down and Left/Right orientation. I would be tempted to investigate these first with the help of some WD40 as it may be just a little corrosion or build up of dirt. Check the points at which the mechanisms pivot, the bushes,  to see if theres not enough movement or if they are damaged/corroded.

Best I can offer at the moment, hopefully of some help.

Cheers,

Steve

[JOE-DOT-COM]

Hi

This is a common problem on the S-types, At a guess the headlight adjusters have broke

inside the headlight are some plastic adjusters that snap, they can be replaced

there's 2 options

1 the best one really is order the adjusters off eBay , remove the light and split it and replace the adjusters

2 there a screw fix method, its a bit heath robinson, but does the job

also worth remember on these lights, if you unplug them with the battery connected, the self leveling will stop working and can only be reset with jaguar software

to tell if your adjusters have broke, remove the Bulb cover of the rear of the light for the high beam, hold the bulb  connector and gently push and pull, if the lamp moves and fell loose, the adjuster has broke

cheers

Joe

adjuster look like this

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Jaguar-S-type-S-type-NORMAL-XENON-headlamp-headlight-repair-kit-adjuster-2-SETS/281175787162?_trkparms=pageci%3A62ecc327-29f5-11e8-b39c-74dbd1800491|parentrq%3A348377461620ab12391972f4fffc0415|iid%3A1&_trksid=p2481888.c100675.m4236

the quick screw fix

 

[DaftMule]

Cheers for the pointers.  A broken adjuster sounds like it might be it.  I'll take a look tomorrow and see what I can find!

[JOE-DOT-COM]

Hi

I did mine a couple of years ago

new headlights are £813 each

to remove the headlight you have to drop the front bumper, which come off reasonably easy

I removed the bumper and removed both headlights, split them replaced all the adjuster for new type one's that dont break, cleaned them out, swapped the hid bulbs for 8k ones, much brighter, also polished the lenses, so they came up like new#

took about 4 hours from start to finish, but well worth it

cheers

Joe