Hella Headlight beam

[chrisdcapri]

Please bear with me, this gets complicated, and I think I've messed up. My pick up has twin round Hella headlamps and when I took it for an MOT it failed on a headlamp beam pattern being off to one side. I noticed there were two different styles of markings on the headlights so I swapped them over so that the inside two matched and the outside two matched as I assumed one type was main beam and one was dipped, I think this was my first mistake, it failed the retest again on the same headlight but this time it was pointing to the floor. Now I'm stuck
Now I've just remembered that it had a mixture of halogen and the old fashioned round bulbs in when I got it, most were blown so I replaced them all with the old round type as per the manual. This may have also been a mistake.
Also it's Romanian built with two of the lamps saying made in Romania
So
- Is it possible to tell if the lamps are for the main or dipped beam pattern from looking at them - or the markings?
- Is it possible to tell if it's intended for a halogen bulb or not and does it make a difference to the beam pattern?
- Is it possible that the beam pattern(s) may be designed for left hand drive and would this make a difference?

Confused? - I am and would be really grateful if anyone could offer any advice.

[steveo3002]

usualy have the bulb type like H4 molded on the glass , along with an arrow to show if lhd or rhd

[colnerov]

Hi, the bulbs won't make a difference to the pattern, that is controlled by the prisms moulded into the glass. As steve3002 says it may have an arrow in the glass. The glass patterns for dip/main and main are different. If you look at the headlight glass you will see the top half of the glass will have the prisms closer together, there will be a distinct line across the middle which will dip down at an angle one side, that is the way the light dips and should be towards the kerbside of the road. That is an asymmetrical dip, if the pattern dips both sides then it's a symmetrical dip. The symmetrical pattern or a glass with vertical prisms grouped around the middle of the glass is the inner main beam unit.

As far as the light pointing at the ground. Is the light unit located in the carrier properly? is it the right way up? Is an adjuster broken? Is the bulb located properly? ISTR the "old fashioned" bulbs were DuploD which I think will go in modern 472 triple pin units anyway up, is it the right way up?

Colin

[chrisdcapri]

Thanks, I can't remember what the bulbs are called but they have three pins and spurs to locate into the headlight so should be in correctly, the lights are all the right way up. I'll have a look when I get home it's nice and dark so I should be able to get a better idea of what he means, it was a bit too sunny to tell earlier. The whole truck is a bit bashed up so I'm hoping the light hasn't been knocked out of line.

[chrisdcapri]

Right, I've checked the lenses and as you look at the dipped beam units head on the arrows both point to the kerbside, is this as it should be?