Auto levelling headlight issue

[Rilot]

UK 2021 Mustang and so has auto leveling headlights. Not sure whether US cars have this or not.

What's happening is that when I start the car, the headlights do their little dance and level themselves correctly. However, after 20 minutes or so of driving the driver's side headlight drops to its lowest level and stays there. Turning the car off and on again causes them to level correctly.
I suspect that the leveling motor is failing on that headlight.

Does anyone know of a fix other than replacing the entire headlamp unit? Can the leveling be disabled somehow and then I could just set the aim manually?

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[raptor17GT]

not sure if the stock UK Ford warranty will cover that ?

 

[Rilot]

Car is long out of warranty as is 2021.

 

[Keeffa]

The thing that read the level are on the suspension arms front and rear . You could try disconnecting them and see what happens.

 

[Rilot]

The thing that read the level are on the suspension arms front and rear . You could try disconnecting them and see what happens.

I think the sensors are working fine because I see the passenger headlamp moving around when the rear suspension moves. It's just the driver one that moves down but not up.
I've just seen the price of a headlamp unit... ouch!

 

[Alberto_Spain]

Hello. Did you manage to fix the problem? The same thing is happening to me, but with both headlights, and the shop can't find a solution.

I hope we can fix it.

 

[Rilot]

I have not yet. I'm planning to try disconnecting the sensor so that hopefully they just sit at their lowest setting. I can then just adjust them to the correct level with the scews.
I took it to Ford to ask them and they said the motor is part of the headlight unit and would require an entire new unit at a cost of £stupid.

 

[Alberto_Spain]

Muchas gracias. Ojalá tengamos suerte y solucionemos el problema pronto..

 

[Nutkin]

I have the same thing but with the drivers side ? Did either of you fix it?

 

[Rilot]

I haven't got around to dealing with it yet. I'm not paying the price for a new headlamp assembly that's for sure.
Does anyone know is the levelling has its own fuse? If so, I'm just going to pull that. Need to work out which one though as the fuse box layout I've found doesn't list anything for self levelling. There is one in US cars for the manual levelling so it might be the same one.

 

[Btassinari_Bullitt]

Hi there,
the same with my 2020 Bullitt here in Germany. So passenger side (right). Exact same problem as you described. I don't believe that it would be a defective sensor, otherwise both headlights would be out of place. maybe it is an internal problem... ...I assume that the vibration of the road makes the "stepper motor" to lose its position or any damaged gear loses its tooth sync, or ...

If this is the case, then I do like you - take the fuse out!
Cheers

Bruno

 

[Rilot]

Fuse 17 in the passenger compartment is marked as Headlight Control Module. Could be that.
Fuse 68 in the engine bay is marked as Headlamp leveling switch. Might be that too.

I'll try pulling those one at a time and see whether it disables the levelling.

 

[Rilot]

Right, so it is fuse 68. It's a red 10A at the front of the fuse box. I pulled the fuse and the headlights no longer do their dance when the car is turned on. Put it back and they do their dance once again.
So, the procedure is to turn car on and headlights. Let them self level. Turn off car and pull fuse 68. Headlights will now stay at the position they were in.

 

[Btassinari_Bullitt]

Yes, I did the same yesterday. Let them do the "dance", turn car off and remove the red fuse 68. I was also suspicious about defective mechanical internal gears, then I drove to work and back home and the headlights stayed in position. So this might be the electronic control of the specific headlight.
Next I'll try to check the motor connections and try to replace it (if I find a used one on ebay)
Let's see.

Thanks for the tips!!!!

 

[Rilot]

I also drove to work this morning and the lights stayed where I put them.
Not really a fix but it solves the annoyance while we find a proper fix.

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