Xenon lights - horizon line

[Emgee]

Hi All

When we first got our CX-7 and the Xenon lights kicked in you get that normal distinct 'horizon' line. But as of late, we are seeing a 'stepped' pattern.

The 'horizon' line is broken. It is higher on the passenger side and lower on the driver's side and is quite noticable (i.e. it is a significant difference, not just a few inches, it looks more like a foot or two difference - EDITED).

I called the dealership and the service manager tells me that's normal; it happens because of the lights of oncoming traffic. However, I took my CX-7 down a rural road with no lights and no oncoming traffic and the stepped pattern is there.

Anyone else notice anything like this or do you have a nice continuous horizon line?


Thanks for your time,

Emgee

 

[njaremka]

point the headlights at a wall. if the passanger side has a higher cut-off than the drivers side, then the lights needs to be properly aimed. if they deflect up towards the right, then thats normal.

 

[TheMAN]

the beam pattern is normal.... the right side of each headlight's beam pattern has a up step

 

[Emgee]

When I get a chance I'll try to snap a photo and post it. It's raining today so most likely not.

Thanks for the info.

 

[AWmustang]

If you are parked in front of a wall or garage door, the headlights should have a step or 2 in them.

Actually both projectors send a tiered beam with the right side of each beam being higher. I didn't notice it until my roomate's speed 6 came back from the shop and the lights were badly misaligned. The shop is over an hour away so we just did the adjustment ourselves.

I always assumed that the step was because the left light is aimed lower than the right, but when you have to adjust them individually so it's obvious what is moving. And both lights have a step in the beam pattern. Afterwards i looked more closely at mine and i could see it.

Toss a coat or blanket or something over one headlight and you'll see what I mean more clearly.

 

[Emgee]

AWmustang

How difficult is it (especially in terms of access) to adjust the lights?



Emgee

 

[Talbot]

With Xenon Projectors the driver side headlight is pointed lower than the passenger one as to not blind oncoming traffic.

 

[AWmustang]

Well i haven't tried in my cx-7 but in the speed 6 it was relatively easy. It was a tight squeeze on the passenger side, and on the drivers side we just had to take the air box lid off, IIRC.

After that it was just turning a screw till they were where we wanted them.

On the forum where we found the instructions someone said they adjusted their headlights so that #1 was factory spec and #0 was higher. Not sure why you would need that except to annoy other drivers.

 

[cruzdreamer]

Mine are like that...it does not bother me and my husband felt they were that way so they hit lower as oncoming traffic approaches....not as blinding to them. Not sure this is the reason.

 

[AzMz3]

Bringing back an old thread.

I was just about to ask this as this is the first vehicle I have noticed the step in the lights. I didn't see it with the Mazda3 or the MS3. But having test drove 5 CX-7's they were all stepped with the passenger being higher.
So I take it is normal then.

Thanks

 

[Unit 91]

It is absolutely normal. They're aimed that way so as not to blind oncoming traffic. Japanese beams would be the opposite.

 

[VirginMazdaOwne]

Are the Xenon lights standard? I didn't think we had them but noticed the same thing going on in this thread. So one would assume I have Xenon lights?

Also I think they are still a bit to high, is it normal for them to be out of factory adjustment?

Thanks in advance!

 

[CX-7owner]

Only on GT models, and If they are too high on GT models there is a knob by the TCS button to lower them.

 

[VirginMazdaOwne]

Ok stupid question then I don't have the adjustment but I sware my lights have the horizontal line? So is it possible the standard lights project this way as well?

 

[TheMAN]

yes

 

[VirginMazdaOwne]

ok thank then Im not nuts just slightly slow (eekdance)

 

[AWmustang]

Even though the standard lights are not Xenon, they still have a lens that focuses them and gives you that line.

 

[GL-1970]

The manual seems to imply running at level "0" if you are alone, which gives me the most people flashing me. "1" seems ok except on bumps or if you're coming down a gentle curve at which point I occasionally get flashed. I think the transition on HID is just so dramatic that people assume you're high-beaming.

The adjustment is a great feature, when the road's level and set to "0" it hits at the right height for driving - just is too high for the rest of the time.

 

[CX-7owner]

I Hate flashers, They're breaking the law and not helping at all, I swear I get so temped to get behind them and blind them repeatedly.

 

[AWmustang]

I've never been flashed and I nearly always have the lights at level 0. People around here must be used to HIDs.