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Failed NCT miss aligned headlights.

  • 21-02-2024 11:39am
    #1
    Lilmiss82
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 124 ✭✭


    Hi all,


    My NCT Failed on the headlights being misaligned, I have a 181 Passat. Is this something I can re align myself or am I best to go to a mechanic to get it done. If the latter, would you know the cost to have them realigned. I know I should have got this checked prior to my test etc but I managed to get myself an app in the NCT centre the next day so I wasn't very prepared prior to the test. I've done the check against the wall thing but i've no idea what I'm looking for. Any advice?

    IMG-20240221-WA0001.jpg




Comments

  • #2
    User1998
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,704 ✭✭✭User1998


    Its around €20 in a mechanics. They’ll have a machine that shows weather to higher them or lower them. Whereas you have no idea if they are too high or too low.



  • #3
    GavPJ
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,209 ✭✭✭GavPJ


    Get a garage to set them and make sure they are on the low setting when going

    for the retest. I always switch to low setting on any car I bring for NCT.



  • #4
    Uncle Pierre
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,617 ✭✭✭Uncle Pierre


    Yes, garage is a quick and simple fix. My own mechanic even did it for me for free one time when I had same result at NCT. Then again, we're neighbours in a rural area who often do each other favours anyway. But still, if it wasn't quick, simple, and normally relatively cheap, he'd have charged me something anyway, just as I normally get charged "friend rates" for other stuff!



  • #5
    Akrasia
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 22,799 ✭✭✭✭Akrasia


    Before you drop 20 quid, just make sure that the bulbs are installed correctly. If you're the kind of person who changes headlamp bulbs, it's possible one of them wasn't seated correctly the last time you changed them (Just saying this because that happened to me once)



  • #6
    Gary_dunne
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 667 ✭✭✭Gary_dunne


    As has been mentioned by a few previous responses, it's a cheap and easy fix at any mechanics or even the likes of FastFit etc. My car failed twice on mis aligned headlights (after getting them done) and it turns out that the bulbs themselves were becoming loose when hitting potholes so they needed to be replaced and then flew through.



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  • #7
    cnoc
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 789 ✭✭✭cnoc



    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121798370#Comment_121798370

    Will you not fail the NCT if the lights are low?



  • #8
    GavPJ
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,209 ✭✭✭GavPJ


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121798476#Comment_121798476

    I've never had a car fail on lights too low.



  • #9
    User1998
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,704 ✭✭✭User1998


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121798495#Comment_121798495

    I have a few times.

    The NCT testers set the lights to the lowest setting before doing the test, so its good practice to do the same when getting them adjusted



  • #10
    greasepalm
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,584 ✭✭✭greasepalm


    Looking at height on the shutter drivers side should be down more as up its in oncoming drivers face.

    Yes to get it set correctly in a garage with a beam setter.



  • #11
    GSBellew
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 789 ✭✭✭GSBellew


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121798521#Comment_121798521

    I think you have that backwards? they are supposed to set them to the normal setting, which puts the lights to the upper end of the normal range, the adjuster on your dash is there to compensate for a load in the back which would raise your headlights which you can manually lower, but they are supposed to test at the 0 setting which has the headlights at their highest.



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  • #12
    User1998
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,704 ✭✭✭User1998


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121798571#Comment_121798571

    Sorry yes I thought zero was the lowest setting.



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