Infiniti AFS system

[Mohanad35x]

Hi all
I have a have a question, i own a 2006 infiniti m35x and all of a sudden the vertical movement of my headlamps had stopped moving up/down but yet they still move left and right?? And also the driver side projector is now pointing lower than the driver side??
Please advise!!
Thank you

[pedsemdoc]

Most likely aiming motor for light is starting to fail/failed - costly to replace, unless you have an Elite warranty.
Many guys have described hearing a "whirring/whining" noise coming from somewhere at the front of the car when those motors are dying.

You could just turn off the AFS, so the lights don't move and re aim them.

[Six_Legs]

Wait... my lights go UP and DOWN!? I thought it was just left and right.

[BlackCat81]

Does the AFS light about the fuel gauge flash when it happens? My right headlight motor is bad, and the only way to fix it is to replace the whole headlamp.

[ericthered]

Is the problem the same on the left and right side?
It could also be a sensor... (versus a motor for one light or the other)
if the car doesn't know the angle has changed, then it won't change the leveling of the lights.
Happily I never had this problem on my M35x

[Mohanad35x]

But if have a fault in my afs system, would the AFS light blink if lets say i have a bad leveling motor or it wont?? i was thinking of a blown fuse that is responsible for the leveling motors of both sides!!
thanx

[Larz]

I don't believe there is a 'warning light' or any light on the dash indicating malfunction, etc with the AFS system. Perhaps a code is stored when they stop working, but i doubt it.

Try this test. Park your car in your dark garage, or with the front end pointing to a wall at night.
When my the starts and the headlamps come on, the bulbs move up/down and left/right in the first couple of seconds.
After that, they move only when the steering wheel is turned, and only the lamp on the side of the turn. I have never noticed them move up or down whilst driving.

I am also pretty sure that you cannot replace / repair any part (motor or sensor) of the headlamp assembly - you must buy an entire new headlamp unit. They run about $1500 each side at the dealer and about $1000 from Infiniti Parts USA and the like.
You can find them cheaper on Ebay (used) but then you have no idea how long a used unit will last.

[BlackCat81]

I don't believe there is a 'warning light' or any light on the dash indicating malfunction, etc with the AFS system. Perhaps a code is stored when they stop working, but i doubt it.

Try this test. Park your car in your dark garage, or with the front end pointing to a wall at night.
When my the starts and the headlamps come on, the bulbs move up/down and left/right in the first couple of seconds.
After that, they move only when the steering wheel is turned, and only the lamp on the side of the turn. I have never noticed them move up or down whilst driving.

I am also pretty sure that you cannot replace / repair any part (motor or sensor) of the headlamp assembly - you must buy an entire new headlamp unit. They run about $1500 each side at the dealer and about $1000 from Infiniti Parts USA and the like.
You can find them cheaper on Ebay (used) but then you have no idea how long a used unit will last.

Yes, the AFS light blinks if the system malfunctions. And absolutely a code is stored. The headlights operate based on input from the steering angle sensor. The right headlight will move while stopped, the left headlight will work at speeds over 15mph.

[The00Dustin]

Hi all
I have a have a question, i own a 2006 infiniti m35x and all of a sudden the vertical movement of my headlamps had stopped moving up/down but yet they still move left and right?? And also the driver side projector is now pointing lower than the driver side??
Please advise!!
Thank you

When my the starts and the headlamps come on, the bulbs move up/down and left/right in the first couple of seconds.
After that, they move only when the steering wheel is turned, and only the lamp on the side of the turn. I have never noticed them move up or down whilst driving.

Here's some anecdotal information relating most directly to the two quoted posts above:
1) My left driver side light has always been lower than my passenger side light
2) I've never had an AFS warning
3) My lights have always worked with steering while driving

I bought my 06 M45 in 2009 and have put over 150,000 miles on it with those three points being true the entire 5.5 years and 150K miles so far.

[Larz]

I don't believe there is a 'warning light' or any light on the dash indicating malfunction, etc with the AFS system. Perhaps a code is stored when they stop working, but i doubt it.

Try this test. Park your car in your dark garage, or with the front end pointing to a wall at night.
When my the starts and the headlamps come on, the bulbs move up/down and left/right in the first couple of seconds.
After that, they move only when the steering wheel is turned, and only the lamp on the side of the turn. I have never noticed them move up or down whilst driving.

I am also pretty sure that you cannot replace / repair any part (motor or sensor) of the headlamp assembly - you must buy an entire new headlamp unit. They run about $1500 each side at the dealer and about $1000 from Infiniti Parts USA and the like.
You can find them cheaper on Ebay (used) but then you have no idea how long a used unit will last.

Yes, the AFS light blinks if the system malfunctions. And absolutely a code is stored. The headlights operate based on input from the steering angle sensor. The right headlight will move while stopped, the left headlight will work at speeds over 15mph.

Thanks for clearing that up, Blackcat !

[Mohanad35x]

thanx for the clarification guys!!

[rxmclaren7]

sorry to drag up an old post...but i remembered from long ago to use the search function...lol...this is as close as i could find to my issue

my issue is i have the AFS light above the gas gauge flashing...i have checked the fuse...its good...i checked all the plugs on the back of the head lamp and all are tightly in place...both head lights were working before i had to replace a line on my power steering...not sure if this could have played a part in this issue...didnt notice anything wrong until a few days later...both headlights are pointing away and down (left light is pointing left and down and the right is pointing right and down)...the left light is new as i hit a deer a few years ago and it had to be replaced and i have never had an issue with it since...the right has never had any issues no motor whine nothing like that...the only things i have not done is check the headlight control module or the steering angle sensor...do you fellas think either of those two could be the issue?

thanks in advance for the replies

[Ilya]

sorry to drag up an old post...but i remembered from long ago to use the search function...lol...this is as close as i could find to my issue

my issue is i have the AFS light above the gas gauge flashing...i have checked the fuse...its good...i checked all the plugs on the back of the head lamp and all are tightly in place...both head lights were working before i had to replace a line on my power steering...not sure if this could have played a part in this issue...didnt notice anything wrong until a few days later...both headlights are pointing away and down (left light is pointing left and down and the right is pointing right and down)...the left light is new as i hit a deer a few years ago and it had to be replaced and i have never had an issue with it since...the right has never had any issues no motor whine nothing like that...the only things i have not done is check the headlight control module or the steering angle sensor...do you fellas think either of those two could be the issue?

thanks in advance for the replies

You're likely right in that it's one of the two latter things.

[EdBwoy]

1. before i had to replace a line on my power steering...not sure if this could have played a part in this issue...didn't notice anything wrong until a few days later
2. both headlights are pointing away and down (left light is pointing left and down and the right is pointing right and down)
3. the only things i have not done is check the headlight control module or the steering angle sensor

1. Not likely unless you had to mess with the suspension in a way to change the steering angle.
2. Damn, that's goofy. I am guessing that's some kind of fail safe. I see an advantage in this, such that it provides the best compromise on illumination and not blinding oncoming drivers.
3. Due to #2 above, I am guessing it's the control module. The steering sensor I believe would throw some ABS/SLIP/VDC codes as well.

Ultimately, I want to say this one is for the pros. The dealership's consult tool can get actual DTC codes that come with the flashing light.

[rxmclaren7]

thanks for the quick response gentlemen! i will contact my dealer tomorrow and see if i can come in and have them scan the computer to see if it is the control module. i did a bit more digging and came to the same conclusion as you EdBwoy...i found a few posts, not on here, that said the steering angle sensor would throw something more than a flashing AFS light...if it is the control module it should be a quick easy fix as i found a few on Ebay for cheap, unplug old one, plug in newish one...boom done!