GUIDE. Headlamp Aim. A Guide to Help Your Vehicle Pass the Headlamp Aim Check. Saving lives, safer roads, cutting crime, protecting the environment

Transcription

1 GUIDE Headlamp Aim A Gide to Help Yor Vehicle Pass the Headlamp Aim Check Saving lives, safer roads, ctting crime, protecting the environment

2 Backgrond Headlamp aim is the most common failre item at Annal Test for both HGVs and PSVs. As a reslt of research carried ot in 2008, VOSA implemented changes designed to improve consistency and simplify the test. VOSA sites are eqipped with electronic aim measrement devices and these can be sed in a variety of ways: Initial centre point alignment visally or electronically Aim measrement visally or electronically Headlamp aim adjstment visally or electronically Yo shold check with VOSA or the ATF/DP where yo present yor vehicles which system is operated make sre yo se consistent methods of inspection. General checks before yor annal test There are a nmber of things operators and vehicle repairers/presenters can do to improve the likelihood of their vehicles passing the test. Is the headlamp free of condensation, the lens clean and the reflector in good condition? If the beam pattern is blrred and the examiner cannot determine a distinctive ct off point, this is a reason for failre. Try leaving the headlamps on for a short time to brn off the condensation. If the reflector is deteriorated or corroded, consider a replacement. Has the headlamp blb been changed? Make sre that the blb is correctly aligned with the location lgs in the headlamp nit After a blb has been changed, it may be necessary to re-aim the headlamp (a different blb may alter the headlamp aim). It is recommended to always se good qality blbs. Is the headlamp & its internal reflector secre? Tap the headlamp with yor hand and assess if the headlamp nit or the internal reflector is insecre. Is the headlamp adjster free? A check of the adjsters (and a drop of penetrating oil) while preparing the vehicle for test can make all the difference. Is the vehicle fitted with headlamps that dip to the right? Vehicles with UK registration plates shold have headlamps that dip to the left to comply with the Road Vehicle Lighting Reglations. However, headlamps that dip to the right are acceptable at the MOT test providing beam converters are fitted. 2

3 General checks before the headlamp aim is checked Ensre that the tyre pressres are correct, the sspension is correctly adjsted /settled inflated and always check the headlamp aim in the condition that the vehicle will be presented for test i.e. laden or nladen. Are the headlamp adjsters easily accessible? It may be easier to remove the headlamp srrond before presenting the vehicle for test. Be carefl however that the removal of these srronds doesn t leave sharp edges. Does the in-cab headlamp adjstment device work? If yor vehicle is presented nladen, yor in-cab headlamp adjster mst be set in the nloaded position. This device may be sed to enable the headlamp alignment criteria to be met. This said, both headlamps mst comply with the device set in one position. Setting yor headlamps Always set yor headlamp aim in accordance with manfactrer s instrctions or at mid point between the pper and lower standard If yo se test eqipment Ensre staff are flly competent Make sre yor staff are p to date with the standards and know how to se the eqipment. They shold be eqipped with the necessary tools to carry ot minor adjstment and try to ensre yor headlamp aim is set sing as few staff as possible. Monitor annal test fail rates VOSA annal test fail cards record the reason for failre. Use this information to investigate headlamp aim test failre featres and investigate what is going wrong and take action to rectifiy where possible. What do I do if I don t have a headlamp beam checker? Yo can always take yor vehicle to a garage that has calibrated headlamp aim eqipment or to a VOSA test station for a volntary check of the headlamp aim. If this is not practical, there are a cople of straightforward checks that can be ndertaken which may help yo. The checks below rely on the srface the vehicle is standing on being flat and level. Either a) Drive the vehicle to within approx. 600mm (24 ) of a wall, and with the headlamps on dipped beam: Do both headlamps aim at the same height? If they do not, the best yo can do is ensre the adjsters are free and then adjst one to match the other. Refer to the diagrams in the centre pages of the handot to see which part of the patterns mst be aligned. 3

4 Does the in-cab adjsting device work? Do both headlamps go p and down together? Do both headlamps dip to the left? If yo have changed a headlamp nit, yo may have been spplied with one designed for se on the continent. OR b) Hold a black board approx. 600mm (24 ) in front of one headlamp, and with the headlamps on dipped beam: Mark the beam height. Move the board in front of the other headlamp and compare the image. Follow the steps described in method a) above. 4

5 VOSA/TESTING/2529A/NOV 13 Visit or websites: for commercial cstomers and private motorists for corporate information Contact s: National Nmber * Monday to Friday am ntil 6.00pm (normal working hors) *Calls provided by BT are charged at a low rate. Charges from other providers may vary.