Headlight Adjusters Busted

[snapdragon]

I have just tried to adjust my headlights up slightly, and found a screw on top that has plastic cog teeth which engage on another cog at 90 degrees there is so much slop that the teeth skip and also the nylon cog seems to move without the metal shaft in the centre. What a rubbish design. Has anyone addressed such a problem?

[KeithS]

I have just tried to adjust my headlights up slightly, and found a screw on top that has plastic cog teeth which engage on another cog at 90 degrees there is so much slop that the teeth skip and also the nylon cog seems to move without the metal shaft in the centre. What a rubbish design. Has anyone addressed such a problem?

Yes this is apparently a known design fault with the headlights. The metal shaft corrodes over time and seizes up. You might want to try a bit of WD40 but I had to replace both of my headlights as its not possible to just replace the shaft.

[Mike McKinstry]

Hi Mate,

I removed headlight and araldited cog onto rod etc and although adjuster seemed to work once i refiited to car and fiddled it broke again resulting in me having to get a new headlight.
Lessons I learnt-
1.Get new h/light from gsf not vw -half price which will allow you to buy a pair-I replaced one and other one looks really shoddy in daylight(yellow) and dim at night compared to new.
2.Also as always when changing headlights change all bulbs as difficult to change once refitted and saves some future hassle.
3.look also at replacing bulbs with Philips extreme to improve on VW candlelight.

Mike.

[snapdragon]

Thanks for the replies, I have looked there and at other sites, Hella ones seem about £120 each and Astrum or DEPO seem about £60 each, If you got the cheapo jobs, did they seem OK (not that the Hella ones seem very good quality anyway)

[KeithS]

Thanks for the replies, I have looked there and at other sites, Hella ones seem about £120 each and Astrum or DEPO seem about £60 each, If you got the cheapo jobs, did they seem OK (not that the Hella ones seem very good quality anyway)

I don't know, I got VW ones which were about £100 each as the car failed its MOT a couple of years ago and I had to get them at short notice... ridiculous price really as they don't even come with bulbs!

[Mike McKinstry]

Dont know mate-as I say i paid £100 for VW OE.