MOT Failure for Headlights being to low

willstuart

Active Member
Jun 20, 2016
4
0
I've just take my 2014 Leon for its first MOT and it's failed.

The reason for the failure is because the passenger side headlight beam is too low and can not be adjusted any higher.

The MOT center is saying that this may be due to the car having lowering springs fitted, but after talking to Eibach they confirm they test all this before and should not affect anything.

The LED headlights go through the auto leveling sequence as normal when the car is started.

Apart from putting the car back to standard i'm a bit stuck for ideas. Any help ?
 

BenH

Active Member
Sep 16, 2016
658
31
Nottingham
I've just take my 2014 Leon for its first MOT and it's failed.



The reason for the failure is because the passenger side headlight beam is too low and can not be adjusted any higher.



The MOT center is saying that this may be due to the car having lowering springs fitted, but after talking to Eibach they confirm they test all this before and should not affect anything.



The LED headlights go through the auto leveling sequence as normal when the car is started.



Apart from putting the car back to standard i'm a bit stuck for ideas. Any help ?



Why can they not be adjusted any higher?
 

JACUPRA280

Active Member
Jun 18, 2015
932
55
Somewhere
I've just take my 2014 Leon for its first MOT and it's failed.

The reason for the failure is because the passenger side headlight beam is too low and can not be adjusted any higher.

The MOT center is saying that this may be due to the car having lowering springs fitted, but after talking to Eibach they confirm they test all this before and should not affect anything.

The LED headlights go through the auto leveling sequence as normal when the car is started.

Apart from putting the car back to standard i'm a bit stuck for ideas. Any help ?

MOT centres should have a headlight beam setting machine which you can use.

The LED headlights can be adjusted.

oNjDmd4.png


The image above shows you how to adjust the height. It is screw 2 that adjusts the height. Anti-clockwise raises the beam, clockwise lowers it.
 
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willstuart

Active Member
Jun 20, 2016
4
0
Because the headlight adjustment screw is maxed out and won't allow turn any more to bring the level up higher.

Screw 2 has been turned all the way out (anticlockwise) and still wont reach the required height
 
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BenH

Active Member
Sep 16, 2016
658
31
Nottingham
I was worried you'd say that, if you hadn't I would of gone with jacupra but as is I'm not sure why that'd be a thing, maybe the garage are right
 

JACUPRA280

Active Member
Jun 18, 2015
932
55
Somewhere
Because the headlight adjustment screw is maxed out and won't allow turn any more to bring the level up higher.

Have you actually checked the headlights yourself? How bad is the levelling?

Personally I'd let them fail you and drive somewhere else for a second opinion.
 

willstuart

Active Member
Jun 20, 2016
4
0
I checked this morning at about 1 meter away from my garage wall and the passenger side was about 3/4" lower than the drivers side (which was a pass) I'm not sure if this difference is normal of if both should be the same height ?

I asked the MOT center if i could see it being tested but being kwikfit they rambled off health and safety quotes as to why I couldn't go and look.

Next step will be to go to a indy MOT center and ask them to check I think now
 

JACUPRA280

Active Member
Jun 18, 2015
932
55
Somewhere
I checked this morning at about 1 meter away from my garage wall and the passenger side was about 3/4" lower than the drivers side (which was a pass) I'm not sure if this difference is normal of if both should be the same height ?

I asked the MOT center if i could see it being tested but being kwikfit they rambled off health and safety quotes as to why I couldn't go and look.

Next step will be to go to a indy MOT center and ask them to check I think now

Kwik Fit don't know what they are doing. Look elsewhere for your MOT.
 

matthab

Active Member
Jun 16, 2010
841
29
West Midlands
I checked this morning at about 1 meter away from my garage wall and the passenger side was about 3/4" lower than the drivers side (which was a pass) I'm not sure if this difference is normal of if both should be the same height ?

I asked the MOT center if i could see it being tested but being kwikfit they rambled off health and safety quotes as to why I couldn't go and look.

Next step will be to go to a indy MOT center and ask them to check I think now

And there is your issue...
 

kazand

Is powered by Medtronics
Jun 6, 2010
4,138
73
Brum
Kwik fit? I wouldn't trust them to tell me the time. Whenever I've needed an MOT I've used a local place,only does MOT's no repairs so no interest in 'making work' unlike some other big name chains. I'd do as suggested and take it elsewhere. If it fails again on the same thing, if its the first ever MOT I'd be tempted to speak to Seat.
 

Sadfield

Active Member
Jan 2, 2017
3
0
This may sound daft, but can you not fill the boot with something really heavy and get them to retest. Might just pull the nose up enough.

Sent from my LG-H815 using Tapatalk
 

Damo H

Remind me, what's an indicator?
Staff member
Moderator
Oct 3, 2012
4,710
2,804
Car Length In Front
Kwik fit near me are a great bunch of guys, however MOT is quite specific for modern cars and if they're not aware of things like auto leveling sensors on all different cars. Always better paying more and going to your cars own manufacturer for an MOT.

As the car is lowered has anyone mentioned checking the sensor on the rear suspension that checks the angle of he car? It could be that the sensor is broken or needs adjusting so it's telling the light at the front to point further down. I believe this can be adjusted in VCDS/VagCom.


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willstuart

Active Member
Jun 20, 2016
4
0
This may sound daft, but can you not fill the boot with something really heavy and get them to retest. Might just pull the nose up enough.

Sent from my LG-H815 using Tapatalk

I did think that but thought the auto level on the lights would compensate for it.
 

Damo H

Remind me, what's an indicator?
Staff member
Moderator
Oct 3, 2012
4,710
2,804
Car Length In Front
I did think that but thought the auto level on the lights would compensate for it.


If you've lowered your car and not had the sensor adjusted already then you need to get it adjusted in VCDS.

On BMW/MINI they have 2 auto levelling sensors. One on front suspension arm and one on the opposite corner at the rear.

Seat appear to only put one sensor on the rear, so if you lower the car, it adjusts the beam down because the rear suspension arm is higher up than expected (as car is lower) however as there is no sensor on the front it isn't compensated by the front being lower as well which happens with the BMW/MINI. So this should be fixed by a VCDS adjustment rather than a manual screw adjustment.

I'd adjust the screw back to half way and then get someone to adjust it in VCDS then fine tune with the screw again.


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martin j.

Active Member
Feb 11, 2007
1,996
889
Fife
I don't think that it's the springs to blame as both lights are levelled by the same sensor, normally the passenger light will be a little higher in it's aim than the drivers so that points it being out, lowering the car shouldn't affect mot test since the test machine is aligned with the height of the low level light lens.
My Honda has problem with the sensor for the hid's levelling being faulty and both lights have settled to a "safe' setting i.e. as low the adjuster will go, I/they reckon it needs a new sensor.

Mmmm, just read a post later in the list and it suggest there may be a couple of the causes, try a search on Led lights.
 
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Damo H

Remind me, what's an indicator?
Staff member
Moderator
Oct 3, 2012
4,710
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Car Length In Front
I don't think that it's the springs to blame as both lights are levelled by the same sensor, normally the passenger light will be a little higher in it's aim than the drivers so that points it being out, lowering the car shouldn't affect mot test since the test machine is aligned with the height of the low level light lens.
My Honda has problem with the sensor for the hid's levelling being faulty and both lights have settled to a "safe' setting i.e. as low the adjuster will go, I/they reckon it needs a new sensor.

Mmmm, just read a post later in the list and it suggest there may be a couple of the causes, try a search on Led lights.



All the cars I've had lowered have had both lights level, never had a passenger light higher than a drivers or vice versa, that's on 3 cars I've lowered, but all had front and rear sensors.l to measure the angle of the car.

Lowering the car WILL effect the MOT test, not because the car itself sits lower, but because on the Seat there is only one sensor telling the lights to level, and as its at the back as far as the car is concerned the rear of the car has a lot of weight in it so it thinks the lights need dipping.

Yes the lights not being level seems odd, however if the person that lowered the car didn't adjust the headlights through VCDS/Vagcom and they've just been adjusted using the screws, there is a chance due to the left and right headlight having different internals due to them throwing the light differently to each other, that it's reached it's limit.

If it was my car the first thing I would be looking at would be that rear sensor and seeing if moving it still moves both lights up and down. He said that the car does its autoleveling test at the startup fine so I would bet that that sensor either needs the bracket bending on the car (a cheat way to be honest possible) or just do the VCDS.

If it is that, before doing the VCDS make sure you adjust the screws to the middle ground so you have leeway either way to fine tune it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
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