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Hyundai Veracruz Lights and Headlights

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Comments

  • lmf4159lmf4159 Member Posts: 6
    Thank you for your quick response. The dealership here told me that they can't be adjusted independently, but yours obviously was. Do you have the name of the person who handled it? Did the adjustment correct the cut off line as well as the issue with others flashing their lights at you thinking you had brights on when you didn't? Others are also writing about switching out bulbs to reduce brightness, did you do this as well? Did the dealership confirm that there is Technical Service Bulletin no. 07-01-012 or did they just fix it without any knowledge of the problem? I appreciate your help on this.
  • xquuzmexquuzme Member Posts: 18
    I was also able to finally get this serious problem resolved. Please refer to message #24. Basically, they had to remove the plastic transmission housing that made the upper and lower beams move together. That way, they could be adjusted independently.

    I have not had anyone flash their brights at me. The only remaining complaint I have is that the low beams have a distinct horizontal cutoff that makes it difficult to read road signs at medium and close distances. I understand this is a common problem with projector beams.

    I would NOT get a dimmer bulb. In fact, I'm waiting for Sylvannia to come out with H11 SilverStar bulbs (they don't make them yet) so I can replace the low beams and make them BRIGHTER. H7 bulbs go in the high beams.

    Good luck! You'll love your car!
  • enrico202enrico202 Member Posts: 5
    Forget the Sylvannia Silver Stars. Go with the H11 Osram Night Breaker from the UK.
    I have a pair in my 07, and they are excellent. Worth every penny.
  • schoolteache1schoolteache1 Member Posts: 7
    Is there any current information on alignment of the high beams?
  • larrymcjlarrymcj Member Posts: 8
    Does anyone know how I can get the Daytime Running Light (DRL) module installed in my new (US) 2008 Veracruz? This is a huge safety issue and should be a law also here in the US, not just Canada. Thanks for any help regarding this.

    Larry
  • konacqkonacq Member Posts: 6
    OK, I finally figured it out. It is so simple, it is stunning the bimbos at Hyundai dealerships haven't clued in.

    There are two separate sets of headlight aiming controls on the Hyundai Veracruz. One set is over top the headlight assembly, and is accessible through small holes near the very front of the top of the engine compartment. They are labeled U-D and L-R. These adjustments control the entire headlight assembly unit, so they aim both the high beams and low beams all at once. One control adjusts the up/down aim, and the other one adjusts the left/right aim. The Hyundai mechanics only know how to adjust these controls.

    The trick is to use this set of controls first to aim the high beams properly, which is dead straight ahead. When you complete this step, the low beams will point downwards at a ridiculous angle.

    The second set of controls is located inside the engine compartment behind the headlight assembly unit. There are two larger white nylon collars, and two smaller white nylon collars. The collars look like hex key fittings, but they are not - they are just protective sleeves. Slip a short, stubby Phillips screwdriver through the upper large white nylon sleeve, and when it engages the bolt inside, you are now able to adjust ONLY the low beam up/down aim by turning the bolt. The left (driver's side) low beam headlight is easy to aim, but the right side is tricky because there are electronic devices too close to the headlight assembly to let you reach your hand down there. You need to use a ratchet wrench equipped with a Phillips screwdriver head, or a flex-shaft screwdriver to reach the right side low beam aiming control.

    To aim the headlights, turn on both the high and low beams, and shine the headlights onto a white surface, such as a garage door. Adjust the high and low beams together, using the top controls as described above, so that the high beams point exactly straight ahead with no upward or downward angle. Next, adjust the low beams, using the controls inside the engine compartment, so that there is NO black line between the low and high beam cut-offs, and so that there is a small amount of overlap between the low and high beams (not too much, or your low beams will aim too high).

    That’s it - you’re done. The whole process takes 10 minutes. The improvement is phenomenal - incredible!

    It is mind boggling that the morons at Hyundai don't know how to do this.
  • tidestertidester Member Posts: 10,059
    Thanks for that - very clear and detailed! :)

    tidester, host
    SUVs and Smart Shopper
  • ml0126ml0126 Member Posts: 19
    After a 2nd trip, argueing with the techs, showing them this thread, I give up. After my argument, they tried to adj the driver side but made the statement the passenger side was not adjustable. I finally left mad and the right side highs light up the tree tops and now the left side low is so low you can't see 20 feet in front of you...Decided to do it myself. There must be 2 versions of lamp assy beccause unlike post #58, no matter what screw you adj, it turns both adj screws. The only way I see to adj is like I previously read, you need to remove a gear from the transmission connecting the the upper and lower or just cut the rod that runs between them, I'm just wondering if you break this connection, if this will allow the adjustments to change on there own after getting adj correctly because of the lack of pressure from this transmission device connecting them together????
  • xquuzmexquuzme Member Posts: 18
    My dealer removed the plastic housing that connects the two pairs of beams almost a year ago and I've had no problems at all. My high beams work extremely well and are focused on the road -- not the trees.

    I'm just waiting for Sylvannia Silver Star H11 bulbs to be released this fall to replace the low beams. The manual and everything online says they're H7s, but they are NOT (at least on the 2007). Just in case, it wouldn't help for Veracruz owners to email them (Customer.Service@sylvania.com) asking about their release.

    Steve
    My CarSpace
  • jmaulsbyjmaulsby Member Posts: 54
    What tool did you use to make the high/low beam up/down adjustment from the top?

    I believe the same tool will adjust the low beam up/down without going through the center of the white nylon piece. I noticed that there is a small black funnel on each side that probably guides the tool down to the "gears" that move the low beam up or down, but going through the white nylon piece easily works on the driver side. Using the tool through the funnel on the passenger side will be easier than getting the screwdriver into the white nylon piece. What do you think?
  • jmaulsbyjmaulsby Member Posts: 54
    What is the expected difference between H11 and H7 or whatever we have on our 2007 model?
  • jmaulsbyjmaulsby Member Posts: 54
    When you say "no matter what screw you adj. it turns both screws." Are you talking about adjusting the screw inside the white nylon piece? Or one of the screws on the top (L/R, U/D)?

    Did the Hyundai mechanic have a special tool to adjust the L/R, U/D screws on the top?
  • ml0126ml0126 Member Posts: 19
    From the top I used a #2 philips. When you turn using the funnel hole at the top. if you watch the 2 white scews holes behind the light assy, when you turn it, both white screws are turning. If you adjthe low beam using white adj hole, the high beam adj screw turns also. If you use the high beam white adj screw, it will also turn the low beam. This is because if the little transmission unit mounted on the back of the housing mechanically connects both low and high assy. You have to remove the trasnmission or break the connecting rod at the bottom to adj each beam independently. A phillips works fine or a large allen wrench.
  • konacqkonacq Member Posts: 6
    I am the one who posted this message, and I am here to eat humble pie. I was mistaken - the only way to aim the high and low beams separately is to remove the housing that physically connects the low and high beam headlight adjustments together. It is what I did to my Veracruz, Once the housing is removed, you can adjust the high and low beams separately.
  • xquuzmexquuzme Member Posts: 18
    Sorry I'm leaving town for a bit and don't have time to pull up the specs for you, but others on this post and elsewhere have talked about the merits of upgrading your headlights. From what I've read, the difference is like "night and day". While the headlights on the Veracruz are certainly bright, any improvement is a safety advantage from my view.
  • konacqkonacq Member Posts: 6
    Has anybody replaced the 55W high beam lamp with a 100W lamp? I am interested in doing this, but I don't want to fry anything.

    Konacq
  • jmaulsbyjmaulsby Member Posts: 54
    Can you provide details on how to remove the housing and then what to look for once the housing is removed? Thanks.
  • conr2286conr2286 Member Posts: 1
    Konacq,

    Can the housing be re-installed after the high/low beams have been independently adjusted to eliminate the gap? Or would that bring the gap back again.

    And... I suppose no one has found an improvement/adjustment in the 2008 model headlights.

    conr2286
  • konacqkonacq Member Posts: 6
    Yes, you can put the housings back after you have finished aiming the headlights. I did not put them back, but I did keep the housings in case I decide to re-install it some day.

    No, putting the housing back in will NOT force the aiming back to its old position.

    If you do re-install the housing, then the housing will lock-in the relative high-low beam headlight aiming that you had set at that point. In other words, after you put the housing back in, when you adjust the high beam aim up or down, the low beam will also adjust correspondingly, and vice versa. Presumably this is not a bad thing.

    I speculate that the housing is there to support motorized headlight aiming, the way upscale cars are built in Europe. It makes sense that all you have to do is attach a drive motor to the housing, and you can remotely adjust the headlights up or down using a switch inside the car. Upscale european cars have this so you can adjust the headlight aiming based on the weight loading of the car, so that if the rear end is loaded down, and the headlights are now pointing too high, you can lower them manually.

    If someone can tell me how to post a picture on this forum I can show you what the housing looks like.">
  • xquuzmexquuzme Member Posts: 18
    I saw no need to replace the housings (my dealer removed them). I have kept them, however. They've been off for almost a year with no problems whatsoever.

    Steve
  • konacqkonacq Member Posts: 6
    Here are the instructions to remove the Hyundai Veracruz headlight aiming linkage housing. This should only be attempted by people who are comfortable and experienced in working on their cars. If you don’t want to do this yourself, print this out and show it to your mechanic.

    NOTE - I am not a mechanic - so use this entirely at your own risk.

    1. Aim your headlights (with the housing attached) so that the LEFT low beam is at the desired position, and the RIGHT high beam is at the desired position. You will need to calibrate the headlights this way so that you have a proper reference to aim the headlights later. You can aim both high and low beams at once using a short #2 Phillips screw driver on either the high beam or low beam adjustment screws.

    2. Locate the driver side headlight assembly inside the engine compartment. At the back of that assembly, you will see a black housing with four white holes aligned in a vertical pattern. This is the low beam part of the housing that you will remove.

    3. Use a #1 or #2 Phillips screw driver to remove the 5 screws on the perimeter of the housing that fasten the housing to the headlight assembly unit. When you remove all five screws, the housing will come loose, but will not pull away, because there is a shaft at one end of the housing that is still connected to the headlight assembly unit. You can now pull the housing free, and twist it so it is out of the way, but DO NOT force, bend, pull, dislodge, or break the shaft.

    4. Trace the shaft to the other end, and you will find a smaller housing, which is the high beam part of the housing. Use a Phillips screw drive to remove three screws from this part of the housing. One of the screws will be hidden from view, and you must feel for it with your finger, but all screws are easily accessible.

    5. When all 8 screws are removed (5 from the low beam housing and 3 from the high beam housing), pull the housing away entirely, and store it with its screws for safe keeping.

    6. Turn the ignition switch to ON (but do not start the engine) and use a #2 or #3 Phillips screw driver to adjust the LEFT high beam headlight to match the RIGHT high beam headlight, which you calibrated in step 1.

    7. Turn the ignition switch to OFF.

    Note: The passenger side headlight assembly is not accessible, because there are things blocking it. You must remove these first.

    8. Remove the screw holding the upper neck of the windshield washer reservoir. Pull the neck off the reservoir, and safely stow the reservoir neck and screw for later retrieval.

    9. Unlock and then unplug both connectors from the Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS) module. Use a long piece of electrical tape to loosely fasten the connectors upwards to the engine hood strut so that the connectors to do not fall into the engine compartment and get dirty or damaged.

    10. Using a ratchet wrench with an extension shaft, remove the three bolts that fasten the ABS mounting bracket to the body of the car. These three bolts are at the bottom of the bracket. Safely stow away the bolts for later recovery.

    11. The ABS module and mounting bracket are still connected to the car frame with a nylon tie – you do not need to remove this tie. Carefully lift out and twist the ABS module out of the way so that you can now access the headlight assembly.

    12. Repeat steps 3 thru 5 for the passenger side headlight assembly unit.

    13. Turn the ignition switch to ON (but do not start the engine) and use a #2 or #3 Phillips screw driver to adjust the RIGHT low beam headlight to match the LEFT low beam headlight, which you calibrated in step 1.

    14. Turn the ignition switch to OFF.

    15. Re-seat the ABS module in place, and use the ratchet wrench to secure it using the 3 bolts you removed in step 10.

    16. Remove the tape from the ABS connectors, and firmly re-seat and re-lock the connectors onto the ABS module.

    17. Re-seat the windshield reservoir neck in place, and use the screw you removed in step 8 to secure it in place.

    Note: When you turned the ignition switch to the ON position in step 13, the main computer sensed the ABS module was disconnected. Even though the ABS is now connected and working, the computer will activate the engine trouble light since it has historical data showing the failure of a critical system.

    18. Disconnect the main car battery, wait for about 5 minutes, and then reconnect it. This will reset the main computer so the engine trouble light will not come on.

    19. Test drive the car to ensure: (1) proper headlight aiming; and (2) proper ABS functionality.

    Note: Once the housings are removed, you do not need to remove the ABS module to aim the headlights. You can use a flex shaft screw driver, or someone with small hands, to access the low beam aiming screw.
  • ml0126ml0126 Member Posts: 19
    After 4 trips, 240 miles and still at square one on trying to get my dealer to adj the headights correctly....lows are to low and highs are good for spotlighting wildlife in the top of trees. Service Manger finally made me mad when he told me there is nothing wrong with the adj and Hyundai will not allow the lights to be adj any other way. Looks like an accident waiting to happen because you can see in front of you. Sure looks like a law suit just begging to be file....It is the most ridiculous thing I have ever seen.
    Maybe someone will start a class action suit????? I love my VC, but when driving on a dark wet night on a dark highway, it's a gamble, better hope the road is straight!!!!
  • xquuzmexquuzme Member Posts: 18
    Per my previous posts, I had the same problem and had to go to another dealer to get the job done (Vaden in Savannah, GA). Hyundai just doesn't seem to be very helpful in the customer service department, even with a critical safety issue. You'd think they'd bend over backwards to keep customers in today's economic climate!
  • ml0126ml0126 Member Posts: 19
    I will not buy another Hyundai which is a shame because with the exception of the headlight aiming issue, we love the car. Hyundai refuses to fix the issue, and told me if I broke the connection between the high and low beams and adj it myself, I would void the warranty on my car. I have asked them to put that in writing and also put in writing that the refuse to fix the headlight issue. So far they have refused that also. I guess it's time to file a complaint with the BBB, our state attorney generals office and the NHST.
  • jmaulsbyjmaulsby Member Posts: 54
    What should the high beam pattern look like on the garage wall when it is properly adjusted?
  • xsubaruonrxsubaruonr Member Posts: 4
    The lights were not calibrated before they put the gear on the high and low beam.

    image

    You have to remove the 8 screws on the transmission and then you can adjust them indiviudually. Pull the transmission unit out and then adjust with the phillips screws still there. This is the only way to adjust low and high beams individually.

    When adjusted they are fabulous!
  • reg331reg331 Member Posts: 2
    Does anyone know who to activate the Daytime Running Lights (DRL) for a 2008 Veracruz? Is it a module or an activate in the computer system.
    Thanks
  • chumochumo Member Posts: 7
    I would like to get DRL for my 2008 VC. What did you find out regarding your quest?
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