94 replies to this topic

[fordy1]

Hi All.

Wasted journey to dealer this morning .......... bank holiday

weekend in IRL so it'll be Tuesday before I sort the lights ...5h1t.

[fordy1]

Hi All.

Just thought I'd post a pik of the labels on the lamps:

 

LEFT HAND LIGHT

 

 

RIGHT HAND LIGHT

 

 

 

 

[MondeoCat]

cheers Fordy !

 

Once you get lights readjusted it will be interesting to see how long / high the beam pattern seems and whether this is any different to your first experiences with the left setting.

 

I'm happy enough with the close to the wall pattern, looks how it should do to be honest with the flat cut off etc.

 

For me it's like they must be angled slightly up or something because the further away you are the light seems to project higher, rather than a typical "dip" where you'd think the light would point down and end. Similar to the (now agreed incorrect right traffic setting) where it clearly points down and hence the forward light pattern is short.

 

This seems exaggerated even worse if you are on an upward gradient.

 

In our town we have a long straight in a 30mph limit that runs past a school - and i'm sure my lights were illuminating road signs some 150m + away. Was busy at the time so couldn't stop and take pics but I'm going to play about tonight when it gets dark.

 

Of course I'm now so conscious of it that i'm maybe getting paranoid. For comparison I'd better nip out with the Fiesta  lol

 

I'm so busy at work at the moment it's a pain to have to try and find time to get to a dealer - but I'll see if i can get a while u wait appointment or something in the next couple of weeks too.

[MondeoCat]

OK. Firstly apologies for quality of these pics. They are very poor but I couldn't get camera to work well in the dark !

Anyway - hopefully this still illustrates my set up and issues.

 

This one is slightly zoomed in from where I was parked - I'm actually further back than it looks but anyway this is on left traffic setting and you can see all the road signs well down the road reflecting back at me.

 

This one is the same shot but in right hand traffic mode (sorry it's blurry) but the point is you can see the traffic signs not reflecting

 

This is the right hand traffic setting along the wall and you can see this is flat, maybe even pointing slightly down.

 

In comparison this is the left hand traffic setting where you can see the beam line on the rise and thus hitting all the signs well above me down the road in pic 1.

 

Just outside my town. Right hand traffic as you can see pics up the reflective cones etc

 

Left hand traffic setting - again maybe not the most convincing pic but if you notice the right side of the picture I'm picking up the fence on that side and half way up lamposts, plus really hitting the sign in the distance (which is right on a junction) and I think I must be blinding people coming the other way.

[MondeoCat]

Spoke with my supplying dealer this morning too.

They confirmed the cars are all set up at factory - there is no local UK adjustment done at PDI or listed in Etis or anything.

 

Helpfully explained they've had a few similar queries - and even had cars lined up against the outside walls themselves (concluding left is correct) - but acknowledge the beam pattern is much brighter / longer etc.

 

Suggest to phone the tech helpline for any more specifics.

[fordy1]

Hi All.

So finally today I deselected RHT and selected LHT and got

my lights adjusted while in LHT mode. Tonight I am going down

the country and am anxious as to observe how the lights behave.

Stay tuned for an update either very late tonight or first thing in the morning.

 

I just hope I dont' have to go back with my tail between my legs

to have the adjustments undone.

[fordy1]

Hi All.

Just back and have to say it was a totally different experience driving

with LHT. Until you have the beams correctly adjusted, the real difference

cannot be experienced. The patterenof the dipped lights on the road

surface is more evenly distributed .......... if I'm making sense.

The full beam is a little farther as well. On the contry roads there's plenty

of light thrown onto the left side so potential hazards are well iluminated

when meting oncoming traffic.

I am looking forward to read what the rest of you think after you get yours sorted.

Again thanks to all contributers for phone calls and pictures etc., which gave me

the little push to go and have the change over done. I have no regrets.

 

[woz099]

Fordy1 - what did you say to your dealer to get them adjusted?

I am assuming you went to a ford dealer and asked for them to be checked and aligned with the MoT style test equipment?

[fordy1]

Hi woz099.

I just explained to the mechanic that my lights were set to RHT and were aligned and adjusted

with that setting as default. I went on to explain that I should have had LHT selected

and now wanted the beams aligned with LHT selected.

I drove the car into the garage onto a level groung and I went into the settings and selected

LHT, (Left Hand Traffic). He then brought a regular, head light alingment tool, (pictured),

and sorted it. It took no more than 5 minutes.

 

 

In relation to MOT, I think that is what is used. Here in IRL we have what is called a National Car Test,

NCT for short, and was only introduced in 2000 to get some of the crap that was being driven, off the

roads.

Also I see, woz099, that you have listed on your profile a MK4. All this "rigmarole" above only applies to the MK5 led adaptive lights. For standard MK5 headlamps, I'm not

sure if they can be adjusted from the settings menu.

[rdc49_uk]

 

For standard MK5 headlamps, I'm not sure if they can be adjusted from the settings menu.

 

I have normal lights on mine, I have no settings in the menus to adjust for left/right traffic. 

 

Unfortunately, now the nights are drawing in and I'm traveling in the dark more that the auto main beam sometimes takes several seconds to dip again when a someone is coming the other way.  I've been running on manual lights recently until I can get back to the dealer to see if there are any updates for this.