Rx400H Dip Beam Headlights

[Crowtree]

Hi guys can anybody tell me if they have had an issue like mine ? sometimes not always the dip beam only reaches about 8 to 10m in front of the car ? its almost like they are pointing down ? any ideas and any cures ? (im not talking about the side to side movement thats fine)

Thanks JD

[katabrontes]

If the 400h is the same as my RX 350 it is quite easy to do this. If you lift the bonnet and look at the top of the casing for the dipped beam (HID) light (easily seen on the near side, you need to remove the cover over the power steering reservoir for the off side) then turn the cogged wheel using a 8mm ratchet socket spanner until its a bit higher. Hard to judge it on the wall but I lifted it up and then checked on the road and dropped it again until people stopped flashing me! Other wise I think an MOT test station or most garages could do it using their specialised beam setters.

I asked Lexus in Bordeaux about this when I was in France and the answer from them was "it couldn't be done"!

[Crowtree]

I see what you are saying fella but if I were to adjust them like that I fear it will do something else to the way they work ? when you turn them on the beam starts off dim then quickly gets brighter then they go left to right and up and down then settle in what would be the normal level position, but now and again they seem to sag and the beam is only a few metres infront of the car it needs to be twice that reach to be any good. It is very noticeable but this dont happen every time ?

[katabrontes]

Sorry I misunderstood the problem.

The up/down/right/left as you switch on is a normal checking procedure for the HID lamps to confirm that the self levelling and Adaptive lighting system (which swivels the beams as you turn corners)., The adjustment I described will not affect any of this but simply lifts or depresses the HID beams.

If yours suddenly dips after it has stabilised I suspect the self levelling link may have broken or come off its fitting. You will find this under the rear off side of the car where there is a short link joining a ball on the axle to a swing arm on a potentiometer mounted on the chassis. this adjusts the HID lights as the angle of the car changes due to loading in the boot etc. If it has come off you could just refit it (I found the ball joints were pretty tight. if it is broken you will need to get a new one from Lexus (about £30+ I think someone suggested) (or maybe Toyota where it may be cheaper. Someone did suggest there is an after market type which is cheaper in another series of posts about this topic. If the potentiometer is broken I think it costs a few hundred to replace.