LS460 Headlight Bulb replacement problems

[RoyBatty]

Hi All,

I've recently replaced the main beam headlight bulbs on my '07 LS460 using a guide on youtube to go in through the wheel arches. They're working fine but I've just had an MOT failure because both headlights are aimed too high and to the right.

Has anyone else had issues with the beam pattern after replacement and how did you fix it? I'm wondering whether I made a mistake when fitting the bulbs - I can't remember whether they could only go in a certain way or whether they could be rotated and maybe I got the rotation wrong. Or maybe this is normal and I now need to play with the adjustment screws to get them back into spec?

Very grateful for any advice on this - it's an expensive job in labour at the dealership that I was trying to avoid - thanks

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[steve2006]

Hi Ross and welcome to the LOC.

The bulbs do need to be fitted in a specific position and the lugs normally prevent them being fitted incorrectly but worth rechecking as this is the most likely cause if all OK before replacing.

Has it failed the MOT on just the main beam pattern or both dipped and main?

 

[RoyBatty]

Thanks Steve- appreciate you replying

The MOT failure certificate is vague - just says 'headlight aim too far and to the right. Nearside {4.1.2(a)}

And then the same for offside. But I haven't touched the main beam bulbs so I assume it's the due to the dipped beam bulbs I replaced.

One thing I should have mentioned is that I went with aftermarket bulbs to save money - Phillips at about 60 quid a pair.

Having read some more about the awkwardness of adjusting them using the screws accessed from the top of the engine compartment, and the need to adjust both mains and dipped when doing that, I'm now thinking I should have just bit the bullet and replaced with OEM which were what were on the car before (if both lamps on a headlight need to be adjusted the same amount of turns which is what I've read, then fixing the dipped beams will surely throw the mains out of whack)

I say that because I don't have any precise way of measuring whether the lights are in spec, and any work by the garage will blow through the cost difference of OEM vs aftermarket pretty quickly - and reading around the internet it sound like AFS and the whole setup is difficult to calibrate once you need to start fiddling with the adjustment screws.

So I think I'm going to go with OEMs after all and see if that does it. WIll post back after retesting in case it helps anyone else.

Thanks

[LenT]

 

7 hours ago, RoyBatty said:

The MOT failure certificate is vague - just says 'headlight aim too far and to the right. Nearside {4.1.2(a)}

In case it’s any help - (and it may not be!)- this is the MoT regulation 4.1.2.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/mot-inspection-manual-for-private-passenger-and-light-commercial-vehicles/4-lamps-reflectors-and-electrical-equipment#section-4-1-2

But as Steve points out, it should not be possible to fit the bulbs incorrectly.  I wondered if you were able to get back to the Testing Station and ask the Tester which bulb was in error.

The chances are that if the headlamps passed previously then it is more likely that the new dipped bulbs are the culprits.

7 hours ago, RoyBatty said:

One thing I should have mentioned is that I went with aftermarket bulbs to save money - Phillips at about 60 quid a pair.

You mention that these were aftermarket versions.  It is the case that there are a lot of counterfeit branded bulbs sold on, for example, eBay.  They tend to be poorly manufactured and pretty wayward in beam control.  So they could be the cause if the new bulbs are correctly located.

Incidentally, it’s a common error but the genuine brand name is Philips.  

[scudney]

Any good garage/mot tester should be able to tell you the cause of the problem,furthermore the aim can be adjusted/corrected

[steve2006]

I’m confused here as in the opening post you say “I've recently replaced the main beam headlight bulbs on my'07 LS460” but then go on to say in your reply you “haven’t touched the main beam bulbs”

 

[BigBoomer]

Yes, Ross should have used Low/High, Dipped/Main but we understood him. 😁
Why do people call it "Main" when it only gets used occasionally. I would have thought Low beam should be the "main" since it is used for the majority of the time.

I also get confused every time people start talking about nearside/offside, since it changes depending what country you are in.
WTF is wrong with left/right as viewed from the drivers seat? That is the same regardless of the country/car.

I have the same problem with LHD/RHD. Who cares where the steering wheel is? What matters is what side of the road you need to drive on.
LHD should mean drive on the left, not steering wheel on the left.
What is a Mclaren F1 ? MHD? 🤣

[Tulpen]

This might sound a bit silly but..........the 460 has AFS (what I call 'looking round the corner' headlights). Whenever I come across to the UK I have to switch the system off and and apply a mask to the dip beams. Is it possible that, because of the AFS, the bulbs are different for left or right hand drive?  That might explain why the beams in the poster's car are pointing to the right. The bulbs he bought are meant for Europe or America.

I am quite prepared to have my theory shot down in flames.  :) 

[BigBoomer]

3 hours ago, Tulpen said:

This might sound a bit silly but..........the 460 has AFS (what I call 'looking round the corner' headlights). Whenever I come across to the UK I have to switch the system off and and apply a mask to the dip beams. Is it possible that, because of the AFS, the bulbs are different for left or right hand drive?  That might explain why the beams in the poster's car are pointing to the right. The bulbs he bought are meant for Europe or America.

I am quite prepared to have my theory shot down in flames.  :) 

Possible but unlikely. The differences that cause the light pattern will be in the reflectors, not in the bulb itself.
It's far more likely that he ended up with fake bulbs that were poorly made so the arc in the bulb was in the wrong place.

When I replaced the bulb on my GTR1000 with an LED I had to adjust the headlight quite a lot because of the difference between an LED and a halogen H4 bulb.
The pattern itself was perfect but was aimed way too high because the LED emitters were not in the same place as the halogen filaments.
Once adjusted they are perfect. I have followed friends in their cars and even my friend who has an MX-5 (very low car) says my headlight is not too bright.

AFS turns the headlight into the corner when travelling above 10Kph/6Mph.
I believe it only turns the right headlight when turning right, and the left headlight when turning left.

You are supposed to switch the AFS off because otherwise the stickers would not be effective when you go around corners.
Personally I have never used the stickers on my UK LS430 when driving in the EU and nobody has ever flashed me or told me that my headlight was too bright.
The facelift LS430 headlights are REALLY well designed and work very well. They put light where you need it and don't blind other road users.
I can't comment on any other models as I have never owned them.

[Supafly]

Similar to the above this can also happen when the bulbs haven't been correctly fitted/seated.

Worth double checking to see if they have been located correctly, often there is a tab that sits in a particular location.

If you can't get your head in the correct place you can use your phone to record a video and check.

[Malc1]

The rarity need to fit replacement bulbs would have me running to the hills, or at least maybe, just maybe letting the Lexus Main Dealer deal with the bulb issues and me being prepared to maybe pay an extra £200 maybe to just know it's all done tickety boo 

But there we are, if I had the wherewithall to buy a Ls460 I'd be thinking that at some stages in it's maintenance schedules I'd be having to rely on the Main Dealer for it's expertise

The Main Dealer will inevitably have some good use to owners ......

Malc