Citroen C5 X7 Headlight Levelling

Sunderas · Unread post by **Sunderas** » 09 Dec 2016, 16:20

Can anyone tell me where can I find the headlight tilt regulator? I've checked my manual and it is supposed to be in the steering column, but I can't see it anywhere. Even searched all over the car. Are these automatics or am I really THAT blind?

Thank you all.

Unread post by **GiveMeABreak** » 09 Dec 2016, 16:50

It's here - number 20 on the picture (apologies - it's not clearer). Located on the left of the steering column on a RHD.

Note: This is assuming you have halogen headlights. If you have Bi-directional Xenons, you don't have the switch as the levelling is undertaken automatically by the headlight levellers independently. If you have Xenons, they will be like mine below:

Sorry if you know all this, but yesterday we had somebody that didn't know if they had Xenon's or not.

Unread post by **Paul-R** » 09 Dec 2016, 17:58

You only get the adjusting switch if you have Halogens AND steel spring suspension. If you have wet suspension then there is no manual adjustment for either type of lamp.

Just noticed it's an Exclusive so that'll make it a wet suspended vehicle.

Unread post by **GiveMeABreak** » 09 Dec 2016, 18:16

Paul's quite correct - I forgot to mention that the hydraulic C5s are of course self-levelling load-wise, leaving the headlight motors to adjust for the pitching, which the suspension can't compensate for quickly enough, so as not to dazzle oncoming traffic. Thanks for clarifying Paul.

Sunderas · Unread post by **Sunderas** » 09 Dec 2016, 21:41

Sorry for the ignorance. I really think this forum is quite an eye opener.

My car has halogens in it but I thought the only xenon models had auto tilt adjustment. It was something that was scratching the back of my head since forever.
Thank you all for your input.

Unread post by **GiveMeABreak** » 09 Dec 2016, 22:14

The Xenons have adaptive directional lighting that allows the headlights to turn left and right as an aid to driving round bends for example. The standard halogens don't do this, the headlight motors just adjust for pitch to keep the beams level, but they don't turn with the steering.

Sunderas · Unread post by **Sunderas** » 09 Dec 2016, 23:01

Exactly. But I've only seen the auto tilt adjustment (not direction) on the xenon not on the halogen ones.

Unread post by **GiveMeABreak** » 11 Dec 2016, 20:56

The Headlamp beam correction unit is either under the left hand light unit or under the battery housing (depending on engine).

Sunderas · Unread post by **Sunderas** » 11 Dec 2016, 23:38

I'll definitely will give it a look just to get to know it better. In the meantime I am glad that at least this is automatic and I haven't been blinding anyone on the roads.

Xantippa · Unread post by **Xantippa** » 12 Dec 2016, 11:32

Only adjustment on X7 with halogens and real suspension is screws on the headlights. The electric motors - even if they're present in the headlights - don't do anything.

Unread post by **GiveMeABreak** » 12 Dec 2016, 12:37

Xantippa wrote:Only adjustment on X7 with halogens and real suspension is screws on the headlights. The electric motors - even if they're present in the headlights - don't do anything.

I don't believe that is correct - the physical screws adjusters are for calibrating / adjusting the beam after replacing the headlamp or if it is out of alignment and requires a beam setter such as a Facom Lux or other regloscope. On hydraulically suspended models - yes the height correction of the car is undertaken by the suspension so doesn't need a load leveller switch (operated from the dash on non-hydraulic models), but this does not react quickly enough to adjust the beam when driving, hence the reason why there are automatic 'Beam correctors' to make the small and quick adjustments needed when driving.

Xantippa · Unread post by **Xantippa** » 13 Dec 2016, 18:01

According to finnish main stealer it's impossible to retrofit xenon headlights on C5 X7, because there's no system for headlight leveling installed. For example headlight leveling ecu is absent on car's with halogens. And I think those leveling motors on halogens aren't fast enough for "real-time" headlight leveling. They're just ment for cars with steel suspension that have that control wheel inside cabin.

And btw, why would there be that adjustment wheel on any C5 X7, if those motors would do leveling automatically?

Unread post by **Paul-R** » 13 Dec 2016, 18:39

Xantippa wrote:And btw, why would there be that adjustment wheel on any C5 X7, if those motors would do leveling automatically?

The X7 with coil springs does not have self levelling suspension. When fitted with HID lamps the lamps themselves has fast acting levelling motors which will cope with both he fast temporary changes when driving along and the slow change from carrying a load.

When fitted with ordinary halogens the alignment of the lamps is fixed and so they need the manual adjustment facility to allow for a car carrying a heavy load.

Xantippa · Unread post by **Xantippa** » 14 Dec 2016, 17:13

Paul-R wrote:
Xantippa wrote:And btw, why would there be that adjustment wheel on any C5 X7, if those motors would do leveling automatically?
The X7 with coil springs does not have self levelling suspension. When fitted with HID lamps the lamps themselves has fast acting levelling motors which will cope with both he fast temporary changes when driving along and the slow change from carrying a load.

When fitted with ordinary halogens the alignment of the lamps is fixed and so they need the manual adjustment facility to allow for a car carrying a heavy load.

Yes that's right. But there's no automatic headlight leveling in halogen headlights with self leveling suspension, because it's not needed. Neither Xantia nor MKI/II C5's (with halogens) have anykind of headlight adjustment - apart from those screws.

Unread post by **Paul-R** » 14 Dec 2016, 21:30

I didn't say there was - this was specifically about coil sprung cars.

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