I have auto level LED headlights, but they don't seem to be auto adjusting (which I believe they should on low beam). I have tried slowly approaching a hump-back bridge and expected the lights to rise a little and when I was on the middle of the bridge (i.e. above the level of the road ahead of me), I thought they would lower onto the road to avoid dazzling oncoming traffic. They didn't seem to move at all. 

Is there a reliable way of checking whether they are working correctly? They DO do the up and down 'dance' when I switch the car on. The cornering lights left and right (dependant on steering wheel position) work very well.

As far as I know they 'Auto Level' based on the weight and load distribution inside of the vehicle, not on the road conditions. Driving over speed bumps is unlikely to have any affect.

This is the difference between auto-levelling and 'adaptive' headlights.

Auto levelling is set just once at the start of the journey.

Adaptive headlights continually adjust throughout the journey.

On 1/2/2024 at 2:58 PM, TomsFocus said:

Auto levelling is set just once at the start of the journey.

I was beginning to suspect that.

I had assumed (something I tell my children never to do!) that being LED with motorised reflectors they would adapt to the contours of the road like our 10 year old Mitsubishi Outlander does. But it appears not.

So can I tweak them up just a little? Are these the adjusters?

(appears to be one per side)

 

10 hours ago, alanfp said:

So can I tweak them up just a little? Are these the adjusters?

Yes.  But be careful not to go too far.  Beam height will (or at least should!) be checked at MOT.

Thanks.

I'll just try a tiny bit at a time. At the moment the beams generally don't even reach the rear tyres of the car that I'm following so I think I've got some scope to raise them a bit.

Am I correct in thinking the lights "self level" just at the time you switch the lights on. Our drive has quite a slope on it. The lights seem poor at best. In fact the cornering lights are better. I have just bought some new Osram bulbs but cant notice any  difference.

33 minutes ago, ian1gail said:

Am I correct in thinking the lights "self level" just at the time you switch the lights on. Our drive has quite a slope on it. The lights seem poor at best. In fact the cornering lights are better. I have just bought some new Osram bulbs but cant notice any  difference.

Yes that's right.  Try switching them on on the flat and see if they're any better.

Thanks Tom.  I have just remembered when I fitted new control arm bushes I forgot to disconnect  the self leveling arm. At the time I did  not know what it was for and yes you guessed it I broke it. Repaired with a couple of steel plates and some Araldite. I bet that needs checking out. I think I was quoted £80 for a new one!