C5 M3 Exclusive 'dazzling Xenons'

[mflynn1971]

Hi Folks

I'm curious if some of you have this problem...I have a 2012 C5 exclusive saloon since May. Love it so far. My wife drives is occasionally as well. One thing we both noticed over the summer was whenever it got dark we were regularly getting flashed by other drivers that thought we had our full beams on.Its obviously getting worse now as it ets darker earlier and soon i will be driving morning and evening in only darkness. There is no height adjustment on Xenons apparently only automatic levelling. They are brilliant lights especially on country roads but I now find my self driving with by left hand on the stalk ready to flash back other drivers before they get too aggressive..Any of yo had to fix this yet?

 

Regards

Mike

[Johndouglas]

My previous C5 was an Exclusive and in nine years of driving, never had trouble with the headlamps causing dazzle - even when driving on Continental roads.   Is your car sitting at the correct height?   Obviously if the rear end was lower than prescribed, the beams would be wrong.

[mflynn1971]

Hi John 

I'm guessing your previous was a mark 1/2 with Halogen bulbs. I reckon its the Xenons that are doing the dazzling. You might however be right about the height difference between rear and front though i thought their supposedly 'self leveling' would sort that out.

Cheers

Mike

[Johndouglas]

I'm guessing your previous was a mark 1/2 with Halogen bulbs.

No it was a Mk2 with xenons. My car spends four months of every year on the Continent so I was concerned when I got it in 2005 about using beam bender masks. Citroen UK told me that I didn't need to modify xenon lights. Even with a loaded car and a caravan on the rear end, the headlights were still level. Yes! the self levelling suspension should maintain the level but not if the height corrector is slightly out of position.

[mflynn1971]

Thanks John

Car does seem to sit correct.

I think it has a service coming up.  I found a good Citroen specialist so will get him to have a look. I'm new to the Citroen suspension.

 

Regards

Mike

[paul.h]

You can usually get a good idea if your lights are pointing too high by stopping on a level road with a brick wall several metres in front. See what height the beam is on the wall and check that it is a bit lower than the centre of the headlights. If you move the car back a bit more the height on the wall should lower.