Headghts too low

[Many brands]

2016 RT-s. Tried adjusting, according to the manulal. Even at max. height - still rather low. (Like at 60mph, i'm riding into the dark) Any one else experience this ?

[Marcy]

Yes, fresh from the dealer went to ride to work at 0430 and the lights went out 20 ft and stopped dead. Returned home got the car and brought it to the dealer that afternoon. They adjusted them and back home in no time. Have your dealer take care of it.

[Many brands]

Your right of course - sepecially since its under warrenty.

[dlby]

Not quite that bad on my 2014

Ride %99 time 2 up which may help.

Also since there really isnt a dim & bright-----
Just a shutter that blacks out 1/2 of the light.

I love R&R put another dime in the jukebox baby!

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

2016 RT-s. Tried adjusting, according to the manulal. Even at max. height - still rather low. (Like at 60mph, i'm riding into the dark) Any one else experience this ?
I have a 2014 RT and it's the same as yours...... I can adjust mine way beyond the normal high and low position for the perfect beam setting...... It can be difficult to turn, remove the nut that holds it in the bracket and take the cable end out. Now do the adjusting until you get it where you want, then put it back in the bracket......tedious but this works .......... Mike :thumbup:

[Larry rt]

Is ther a way to adjust the shutter , only. High beam is ok, would like to get another 10 feet for low beam.

[spyderbitten]

2015 RTS and my headlights perform the same as yours, lights up about 2 white lines as your going down the road. I run with high beams on all the time and never once have been flashed my oncoming traffic so I believe that confirms an issue with aiming. Next trip to dealer I will request they adjust them.

[Jimboregon]

Same issue on my RT-S. I finally ordered the service manual DVD and adjusted the lights myself. My dealership is 200 miles away.

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[Devious56]

The adjuster simply sets the vertical height of the shutter in the low beam position.

If the adjuster knob requires more torque than fingers can apply, you can use an allen wrench slipped into the end of the knob to assist.

if you adjust to the specs and setting range per the owners manual there is little light shown forward and it is easy to outride the lights.

i deviated from the manual and DID NOT release the air to lower the rear end. Rather, at normal ride height, I set the headlights within the range called out. Unless the rear suspension airbag fails, or the compressor fails, the beams will not go higher and blind oncoming trafic.

GREAT answer, and the only good way to get the headlights adjusted so you can see the road. Thanks.

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

The adjuster simply sets the vertical height of the shutter in the low beam position.
You sure? When I adjusted mine the entire beam pattern moved up and down when projected on a building wall. When I had the headlights opened up I saw no connection of the cable to the shutter.

[pegasus1300]

Just out of curiosity is there a country where Spyders are sold that requires a two beam system? I really don't like this shutter system. I find it far too easy to over drive the lights at night especially here in rural Utah where there is almost no extraneous light.

[Bob Denman]

I believe that Great Britain uses the system that you describe... let's see if Geoff or Darren (or others!) can confirm this. :D

[Jimboregon]

Something here isn't connecting! The H-4 bulb is a duel element bulb. So, there's got to be more to the system than just a shutter opening.

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[Snowbelt Spyder]

The adjuster simply sets the vertical height of the shutter in the low beam position.


The purpose of the adjuster is to set the vertical height of the shutter.

I just read through the adjustment procedure in the service manual, and I'm afraid that I have to disagree, also. Plus, if you try this out in the garage, for example, and watch very closely, you can see an increase in light output a split second after the shutter opens. The wiring diagram for US and Canada models, does show the second filament of the bulb connected to the high beam relay, while on European models - that have the two beam system - the second filament is not connected.

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

Something here isn't connecting! The H-4 bulb is a duel element bulb. So, there's got to be more to the system than just a shutter opening.

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Spyder, except F3, uses H7, not H4. It's a single filament bulb. Low beam wire powers the bulb, high beam opens the shutter.

[ThreeWheels]

In other countries, Europe and I think Australia, they use a two beam system.
What we call the headlights are the high beams.
What we call the fog lights are the low beams.

The shutter system is a little lame, but it allows for HID lights using a single bulb per headlight.
I run my fog lights on at night all the time, regardless of high/low beam.

[Jimboregon]

I run my fog lights always. Better to be seen!

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[Peter Aawen]

Here in Aus (& I suspect in Europe too) we get the '2 light' system, not really a '2 beam' system!! Our High beam is where North American models have their main beam lights (hi & lo) while our Low beam is where you get Fog Lights. Our Low beam lights come on with the ignition, only to go off if you select Hi beam - so we can only have one or the other on, never both!! (altho there is an a/mkt 'mod' that will allow the Lo beam lights to stay on when Hi beam is on too, making for some useful light output & a significant light output improvement over stock!! Thanks Pogo! ;) ) Having headlights set up like this is a bit of a problem, because the fog/low position is generally somewhat lower than most other drivers here tend to look &/or focus their awareness, especially if you are close to them (ie within about 30 yards!) This means that while we might be seen by other drivers when we are further away from them or approaching from a distance, once we get closer we suddenly seem to become invisible! :yikes:

I'm pretty sure that most Spyder Ryders Down Under will have a few 'near miss' stories where the only thing that saved them from some idiot who just 'didn't see you there' pulling out was the great braking or the 'Nanny' enabling a rapid swerve!! And as I come from a few decades of riding & rider training on many bikes, I can assure you that despite its 'bigger' size & supposedly being more easily seen by other drivers, instead our Spyders seem to be somewhat more prone to this 'invisibility phenomenon' thing than most 2 Wheelers!! Running with your lights on High beam all the time during the day can alleviate it a little, as can mounting a pair of 'day-time running lights' above or on the back of the mirrors, while adding even a heap of LED's down low or on the sides of the Spyder makes for very little difference in our 'apparent visibility' during daylight hours once you get close to other vehicles! Any 'improve your visibility to others' lights for daytime use really need to be up high where other road users not only see them at a distance, but also look for them up close! :sour:

So I for one would dearly love BRP to re-consider the silly arrangement we get foisted upon us of splitting the Hi & Lo Lights into the upper & lower housings and instead give us a 'normal' Hi/Lo twin filament globe arrangement in one pair of lights (just below the windscreen) instead!! Heck, even if we got the left light for Low Beam & the Right light for High Beam like many other bikes, it'd be better than what we have now!! Still, once I've got the 'Hi-mount Daytime Running Light' kits sorted properly, I reckon there could be some money in making up a 'conversion kit' for Aus/Europe Spec Spyders; a kit that allows not only both Hi & Lo beams to wired to come on at the same time, but also one that allows the fitting of twin element globes in the upper light housings so both Hi & Lo lights are in the same place, right up high where other vehicles can see them & take notice of us, and also leaving the lower light housings free to run Auxiliary Lights - Fogs or Hi-intensity Spot/Driving lights as you prefer!! Fog lights aren't all that useful here, but at night time, wide spread beam driving lights to light up the verges of our thousands of miles of country roads & give us advance warning/early visibility of Kangaroos, Wallabies, Wombats, or even Cows or Camels could really be handy!! :thumbup:

[derrill]

I add air or decrease air on compressor to raise or lower beam.


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[Snowbelt Spyder]

I respect your efforts, and sorry for the late reply. The Spyder RT series uses a single wattage / single element style bulb. The various part numbers they fall under are commonly the HB3, 9005, and sometimes H9. All are single element.

As for what you found to study for research material, I do know that some Spyders such as the F3 use a dual element Low beam High beam single style bulb without a shutter.


Yep, you're right. Looking at the wiring diagram for the RT. The electrical symbol at the connection coming from the HI/LO Beam Relay represents the solenoid for the shutter. I jumped on that dual-filament bulb thing and thought it was that instead. Sorry.

[Spyydrman]

Here in Aus (& I suspect in Europe too) we get the '2 light' system, not really a '2 beam' system!! Our High beam is where North American models have their main beam lights (hi & lo) while our Low beam is where you get Fog Lights. Our Low beam lights come on with the ignition, only to go off if you select Hi beam - so we can only have one or the other on, never both!! (altho there is an a/mkt 'mod' that will allow the Lo beam lights to stay on when Hi beam is on too, making for some useful light output & a significant light output improvement over stock!! Thanks Pogo! ;) ) Having headlights set up like this is a bit of a problem, because the fog/low position is generally somewhat lower than most other drivers here tend to look &/or focus their awareness, especially if you are close to them (ie within about 30 yards!) This means that while we might be seen by other drivers when we are further away from them or approaching from a distance, once we get closer we suddenly seem to become invisible! :yikes:

I'm pretty sure that most Spyder Ryders Down Under will have a few 'near miss' stories where the only thing that saved them from some idiot who just 'didn't see you there' pulling out was the great braking or the 'Nanny' enabling a rapid swerve!! And as I come from a few decades of riding & rider training on many bikes, I can assure you that despite its 'bigger' size & supposedly being more easily seen by other drivers, instead our Spyders seem to be somewhat more prone to this 'invisibility phenomenon' thing than most 2 Wheelers!! Running with your lights on High beam all the time during the day can alleviate it a little, as can mounting a pair of 'day-time running lights' above or on the back of the mirrors, while adding even a heap of LED's down low or on the sides of the Spyder makes for very little difference in our 'apparent visibility' during daylight hours once you get close to other vehicles! Any 'improve your visibility to others' lights for daytime use really need to be up high where other road users not only see them at a distance, but also look for them up close! :sour:

So I for one would dearly love BRP to re-consider the silly arrangement we get foisted upon us of splitting the Hi & Lo Lights into the upper & lower housings and instead give us a 'normal' Hi/Lo twin filament globe arrangement in one pair of lights (just below the windscreen) instead!! Heck, even if we got the left light for Low Beam & the Right light for High Beam like many other bikes, it'd be better than what we have now!! Still, once I've got the 'Hi-mount Daytime Running Light' kits sorted properly, I reckon there could be some money in making up a 'conversion kit' for Aus/Europe Spec Spyders; a kit that allows not only both Hi & Lo beams to wired to come on at the same time, but also one that allows the fitting of twin element globes in the upper light housings so both Hi & Lo lights are in the same place, right up high where other vehicles can see them & take notice of us, and also leaving the lower light housings free to run Auxiliary Lights - Fogs or Hi-intensity Spot/Driving lights as you prefer!! Fog lights aren't all that useful here, but at night time, wide spread beam driving lights to light up the verges of our thousands of miles of country roads & give us advance warning/early visibility of Kangaroos, Wallabies, Wombats, or even Cows or Camels could really be handy!! :thumbup:

Where can I get the kit (from Pogo or elsewhere). It is exactly what I want for my 2010 RT? I am running HID's so if you go to high beam instant dark until they warm up [emoji37]. Low beam needs to stay on.

[Jimboregon]

Spyder, except F3, uses H7, not H4. It's a single filament bulb. Low beam wire powers the bulb, high beam opens the shutter.

I finally took the time to look in my RT Operator's Guide. Page 166 in Specifications lists the headlight as an H4. "2 X 60W halogen (type H4)"

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

Spyder, except F3, uses H7, not H4. It's a single filament bulb. Low beam wire powers the bulb, high beam opens the shutter.


I finally took the time to look in my RT Operator's Guide. Page 166 in Specifications lists the headlight as an H4. "2 X 60W halogen (type H4)"
I'm surprised nobody corrected me. The RT uses an HB3 (9005) bulb not H7.

Sorry, but the manual is wrong. Here's a pic of the bulb I removed from my 2014 RTS.

138411

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

Not sure what to point out as incorrect. Not even sure where you came up with H7, kind of assumed you were playing by yourself regarding an F3. One of my posts mentioned the correct RT bulb numbers, and it was discussed and shown to be a single element bulb. I guess it's all good.
Looking back I see you did mention the correct bulb. Where I got the H7 I have no idea. I knew H4 was incorrect as this has been discussed in the past. My memory neurons were asleep and dreaming I guess. Jimboregon either missed your pointing out the HB3, or he was sure the Operator's Guide was gospel.

[Jimboregon]

Obviously, there is something wrong with the operator's guide. A duel element bulb wouldn't be listed as a single wattage (60W). It would be listed with both the high and low wattage (60W 40W) etc.

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[Jimboregon]

That bulb looks very similar to an H7.

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[SpyderCruiser]

I had the same issue with my Spyder and resolved it with some creative engineering. First of all the cable adjusters DO NOT move the shutter, they move the entire reflector up, down, and left and right. Initially I tried just adjusting the beam up. Had great low beams but when high beams were used they were way to high and no longer were on the road (lit up the trees nice though). :p

So back to the drawing board. :banghead: Decided to install hid bulbs in both the headlights and fog lights. While the housings were apart, it was easy to see how the mechanism works. There is a solenoid that moves the white plastic arm which lifts up the shutter to expose more of the reflector and bulb for the high beam. There was no kind of adjustable stop to raise the shutter, So I created one.

In the photo below, the black part on the silver part is one of those wire ties with a mounting lug (the kind you put a screw through to hold a cable in place). That lug was just the right height to lift the shutter a small amount off of the stop. It is mounted with 5 minute epoxy. If there is any interest in this mod, I could measure the height of the lug and post it here. However you would have to glue it exactly where I did, as the shutter control arm is tapered in the rear.

If you look at the fulcrum, (the gold pin with the e clip) a very small movement back here (where the lug is) causes a very large movement of the shutter. So the modified stop does not lift the rear of the shutter a great amount. Someone who has access to a machine shop could fabricate a nice adjustable stop and make a fortune. My wire tie works and it cost a whole 10 cents.

Take Care,
Louie


http://www.spyderlovers.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=138464&d=1475609994

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

So back to the drawing board. :banghead: Decided to install hid bulbs in both the headlights and fog lights. While the housings were apart, it was easy to see how the mechanism works. There is a solenoid that moves the white plastic arm which lifts up the shutter to expose more of the reflector and bulb for the high beam. There was no kind of adjustable stop to raise the shutter, So I created one.

Great idea. So I take it what you accomplished was adjusting the headlamps so that high beam lit the road like you wanted, and then raised the shutter a bit so that you have decent coverage on low beam. Right?

During my aiming efforts I noticed it sure seemed like low beam was really short when high beam was good and it was near impossible to get a good compromise between high and low. I think this difference is accentuated with LED bulbs.

[SpyderCruiser]

Great idea. So I take it what you accomplished was adjusting the headlamps so that high beam lit the road like you wanted, and then raised the shutter a bit so that you have decent coverage on low beam. Right?

During my aiming efforts I noticed it sure seemed like low beam was really short when high beam was good and it was near impossible to get a good compromise between high and low. I think this difference is accentuated with LED bulbs.

You have it exactly correct, I was satisfied with the high beam, the low beam sucked and also the shutter bounced when going over bumps. Experimented with how far to lift the shutter by placing tape marks on my garage door, on low beam. Then found the right amount to lift the shutter up off the stop.

I agree with your opinion of the led bulbs. HID bulbs have light emitting 360 degrees around the bulb, led technology, at this point in time does not.

[SpyderCruiser]

Another easy method to achieve this and have adjustability, would be to drill and tap the white plastic part. Install a 10-32 bolt and lock nut and it would ride against the silver part (the solenoid frame). You could adjust the height with the screw, once set, tighten the locknut against the white frame to lock the screw from moving.

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

Another easy method to achieve this and have adjustability, would be to drill and tap the white plastic part. Install a 10-32 bolt and lock nut and it would ride against the silver part (the solenoid frame). You could adjust the height with the screw, once set, tighten the locknut against the white frame to lock the screw from moving.
I was wondering if that may be a feasible way to go. With drilling and tapping the plastic you might not even need to use a lock nut. But first, I need to decide what new LED bulbs I want to use. See this. http://www.spyderlovers.com/forums/showthread.php?98366-Side-by-side-comparison-of-LED-headlights.

[UtahPete]

GREAT answer, and the only good way to get the headlights adjusted so you can see the road. Thanks.

I know how to adjust the lights up and down (thanks to the tips on this thread). Is there a guide to how best to aim them? Like "20 inches off the ground at 10'" or something to that effect?

[stillriding]

I know how to adjust the lights up and down (thanks to the tips on this thread). Is there a guide to how best to aim them? Like "20 inches off the ground at 10'" or something to that effect?​If memory serves, there are instructions and a diagram in the owner's manual.

[UtahPete]

​If memory serves, there are instructions and a diagram in the owner's manual.

You are correct. Thanks. The low beam should fall between 25" and 29" from ground level, when the front of the headlight is 33' from the test surface. BRP also suggests the air shock should be at lowest level, but some others on this thread have suggested a higher setting....

154202

[irvin48]

after initial adjustment just simply take it down the road and adjust how you want them.
[stopped of course ] . if you ride 2 up take your s o along. also helps if you do this
in the dark. ive been doing this for years at the shop federal regulations are too low.

[UtahPete]

Just out of curiosity is there a country where Spyders are sold that requires a two beam system? I really don't like this shutter system. I find it far too easy to over drive the lights at night especially here in rural Utah where there is almost no extraneous light.

Yeah, I'm thinking some powerful driving lights may be the solution. The Spyder lights seem more designed for urban / suburban use. But, I also think the A-arms are too low to the ground for driving lights location; should be up as high as possible to get furthest light throw.

[irvin48]

i just got rid of my led's and put in 2 philips vision plus bulbs. between these and the stock
fog lamps there is way plenty of light on dim, bright, and to the side. like above statrments,
its also good to make sure your shutter opens all the way. --irv

[UtahPete]

i just got rid of my led's and put in 2 philips vision plus bulbs. between these and the stock fog lamps there is way plenty of light on dim, bright, and to the side.

The LEDs have an unusual light pattern compared to the naked halogens.