2007 S60 Headlight double trouble.

gcha8e · Post by **gcha8e** » 19 Sep 2020, 11:32

My 2007 salvaged S60 is nearly state approved and ready, now for the nuisance issues.

#1 - The left headlight is aimed roughly 30 degrees up reaching for the sky. The worm drive was not engaging, I screwed it fully in, and it is now stuck, I am considering forcing it to turn, but concerned I might ruin my chances to get inside and get it to work. Should I remove the whole headlight and examine the bits and pieces? -OR- attempt to force the worm drive to turn?

#2 - The headlights are continuously on at all times when the car is on - at both 9:00 and 12:00 on the switch. The high beams work manually, but they never turn on as DRL (My 2005 S60 did). Is my light sensor bad? Or has the previous owner modified the computer? What is my next move?

.....As a daytime light, the low beams are less visible in day than the high beam/DRL, correct? So why would someone modify this setting to keep low beams continuously on? This makes me think the sensor is bad.

Post by **darrylrobert** » 19 Sep 2020, 21:24

you need VIDA to change headlight settings.

Post by **SuperHerman** » 19 Sep 2020, 22:06

Take the headlight out - it is super easy. Remove the bulb and see what you have access to from the back. On my 2004 S80 I had a similar issue and was able to repair it from the bulb access. As it is so easy to remove it makes no sense to force anything without looking first.

Better safe than sorry.

No clue on your other issue. VIDA or a competent code reader may provide the information as to a fault.

Post by **BlackBart** » 19 Sep 2020, 23:19

gcha8e wrote: ↑19 Sep 2020, 11:32 #2 - The headlights are continuously on at all times when the car is on - at both 9:00 and 12:00 on the switch. The high beams work manually, but they never turn on as DRL (My 2005 S60 did).

.....As a daytime light, the low beams are less visible in day than the high beam/DRL, correct? So why would someone modify this setting to keep low beams continuously on? This makes me think the sensor is bad.

The headlights (LOW beams) should be on both at 9:00 & 12:00. The high beam stalk works at 12:00, just flashes at 9:00. You can switch to just parking lights at 10:30.

You don’t want high beams as DRL - they’ll be in peoples eyes and cause glare and blind them if you forget to change to 12:00 and drive off at night. The low beams make plenty of light to be seen - that’s all they’re there for.

Post by **darrylrobert** » 21 Sep 2020, 00:41

I believe the headlights on at 9oclock and 12oclock is US Canada setting. all lights off at 9oclock is EU setting, changable in VIDA. as for DRLs most people just leave the switch at 12oclock but i have fitted white switcback LEDs to the "city lights" and rewired them to activate with ignition. doing this saves my halogen headlights for when needed at night

gcha8e · Post by **gcha8e** » 22 Sep 2020, 14:21

darrylrobert wrote: ↑21 Sep 2020, 00:41 I believe the headlights on at 9oclock and 12oclock is US Canada setting. all lights off at 9oclock is EU setting, changable in VIDA. as for DRLs most people just leave the switch at 12oclock but i have fitted white switcback LEDs to the "city lights" and rewired them to activate with ignition. doing this saves my halogen headlights for when needed at night

I guess the high beams operated on the 2005 with Xenon just to save life on the Xenon. With Halogen low beams I guess the setting is for DRL to just use those instead. I was just used to the high beams being the DRL, and I think the car looks better that way in the daytime and the high beams are more visible in full sun and yet far from blinding anyone in the daytime. The sensor was pretty generous on activating the low beams in the evening. Not sure it is worth changing this setting or if it's possible to get this same setting on my 2007 Halogen using VIDA. I'm going to look into it!

Thanks for all the help, I'll try to remember to post the results of unsticking the worm drive as soon as I get in there.

gcha8e · Post by **gcha8e** » 26 Sep 2020, 19:20

Update.

I performed surgery on the torn ball joint connection.

I have removed the headlight and found that the whole internal lamp housing is loose. The ball joint on bottom is broken, the two threaded adjustment posts were disengaged. The external frame does not seem to have tabs that pop free without damage and breakage, so I was stuck trying to jimmy a repair by peeking inside. Here is the result.

Here is the broken ball joint connection - Needs to be shoved back to reconnect it to the back of the frame
(I had to undo this to engage the horizontal worm gear drive first, which requires side to side freedom of movement, then redo the screw)

: view of broken ball join from back before fix

1. peg it to the frame with a wood screw inserted from the bottom.

: a handy wood screw should do the job!

Here is an internal view of a broken ball joint from inside taken using a busted light.

: another busted ball joint from the inside (using a smashed headlight on hand)

2. Here is the mounted worm drive on the top which adjusts the vertical

: Vertical adjust on top side looking from back

3. Here is the glue I used (I'm concerned this glue is not going to be hard enough to withstand the heat from the bulbs over time and will fail soon (I did not have any JB Weld on hand and proceeded without it! )

: It's what I had on hand

4. The glue was squeezed in from back

: Clear Goop used to surround the screw squeezed in from back of frame