My 1990 Golf Country  (Imported from Germany) has adjustable headlights, as
do every vehicle in Europe from 1990 on I think.  On the dash there is a
rotary switch that has the numbers 0 through 5 on it, this switch looks
almost identical to the headed seats switch.  The numbers represent the
"additional grade" of the angle for the lights.  On the radiator there is a
picture of a light with "3%" next to it.  So, with the switch set to "0" the
lights will be at their highest in the air setting and the light should be
aimed manually (at a shop) to 3% down, so for example if the headlights are
1000cm (10m) from a wall, the center of the beam on the will be 30cm lower
than the center of the lights on the car.  If you move the switch to "1"
then the lights will be dipped to 4% down (40cm at 10m), 2 is 5% etc.  The
reason for these adjustable lights is to compensate for additional load on
the vehicle, if your fat friends sit in the back the lights will go up in
the air... if you put a trailer on, the lights go up in the air.  The switch
is so you can bring them back down and not blind on coming drivers.

David Marshall

Fast Forward Automotive Inc.
4356 Quesnel-Hixon Road
Quesnel BC Canada  V2J 6Z3

http://www.fastforward.ca    mailto:sales@fastforward.ca
Phone: (250) 992 7775        FAX: (250) 992 1160

- Vanagon Accessories and Engine Conversions
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-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com]On Behalf
Of Jeff Oxroad
Sent: September 17, 2005 9:10 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: adjustable headlights was.Re: rare LLE vanagon for sale on
samba

Yeah I'm all for the slow down a little for some of us slower folks, and
even slower for me. I've rented cars in Europe with the adjustable
headlights,
but can't quite remember the deal. The lights or reflectors can be adjusted
to
do what? They allow you to focus more light on the road right in front of
you
 or down the road a bit, is that ?

What's the downside: You have the potential to blind on-coming drivers if
you're not conscientious?

Why are the illegal in the USA?

And Why are the hella H4 without sealed beams illegal? What could the beam
being sealed possibly matter?? I've gotta say my H4s are far less offensive
than  a Benz with halogens or whatever the bluish beam is, as the Benz pops
over
a  speed bump blinding every on-coming driver for 100 miles. Although I
think
my  H4s are only 55w/65w.

And while we're on it, seems to me yellow headlights were all the rage in
europe about 20 years ago. What happened to them and why was yellow better
than
"white".

Illuminate me.

Thanks,
Jeff
83.5
Westy
LA,CA

In a message dated 9/17/2005 8:48:25 PM Pacific Standard Time,
kimbrennan@MAC.COM writes:

Roll  that one by me again? My Corrado's Euro headlights don't have
adjustment  motors. What are you talking about?