Have you ever been blinded by someone else's car headlights, or your car's headlights don't shine into the road in front of the car properly? If all you can see are leaves on the side of the road, or if drivers from the opposite direction flash their headlights or honk at you, chances are that your headlights are misplaced and blinding drivers from the opposite direction. You can adjust the position of the car headlights easily with just a screwdriver and the height adjustment.
Step
Step 1. Park your car on a level road
Start removing objects from the trunk of the car that give heavy loads. Also, make sure that the entire tire pressure is within the size recommended by the car manufacturer. If possible, ask someone to sit in the driver's seat with the fuel tank half full. Also, check that the headlight beam direction adjustment gear is in the zero position.
Step 2. Position your car
Park your car on a level road, at a distance of approx. 3 m to 4.6 m from a dark wall or garage door, with the front of the car facing the wall. Paved roads or flat parking lots are best.
- Rock the car twice at each angle to make sure the shock absorber springs are level.
- Measure the distance of the two headlights to the road surface to ensure that the suspension is also in a level position.
Step 3. Turn on the headlights
Do not use headlights or fog lights. Mark the horizontal and vertical center lines of the spotlight with tape to make two "T" marks on the wall or garage door.
Step 4. Make sure that the position of the two lights is level
Place the spirit level tool commonly used by builders between the two center line marks to see if the highlight is even. If it's not level, use a tape measure to measure the distance of the bottom mark on the wall and lower the other center line marks to the same height. These two center lines should be even at a height of no more than 1.1 m from the road surface.
Step 5. Back up your car until it is exactly 7.6 m from the wall or garage door
Don't just estimate this distance! Use masking tape to ensure that your car is a proper distance from the wall. Turn off the lights. Open the trim ring of the lights and look for the screws. These screws are usually found near the lamps, although some manufacturers install them on the engine side, behind the lamps. There should be a horizontal and vertical adjustment mark.
- Always follow the specifications in the vehicle manual. Some manufacturers recommend a different setting distance. For example, Toyota recommends a distance of 3 m, the Pontiac GTO recommends a distance of 4.6 m, and Chrysler recommends a distance of 0.9 m on some of its car models. Therefore, it is important to check the vehicle manual and follow the instructions.
- There should be one screw on the top of the headlight to position the lamp vertically and another screw on the side of the lamp to adjust its position horizontally, although some cars may use bolts instead of screws.
Step 6. Position each lamp separately
Cover one lamp with a cloth or other object while you adjust the position and test the other lamp, as the mixed beams of light can make it difficult to distinguish the light from one lamp to another. Ask someone to sit in the driver's seat while you make the adjustments, to turn the lights on and off so you can make the adjustments correctly.
Step 7. Turn the top screw or bolt to adjust the vertical section
A clockwise rotation should raise the lamp's position, while a counterclockwise rotation should lower its position.
Turn on the light once the setting is complete, and look at the pattern on the wall. The top of the brightest beam should be level, or slightly below the center line of the tape you're gluing
Step 8. Turn the side screws or bolts to position the lamp horizontally
Now, you will basically do the same thing with the settings to the right and to the left. The brightest spot of the lamp should be on the right on a vertical line.
Step 9. Test your spotlight settings on the road
Steer your car to make sure that your headlights are set in the correct position. Reset if necessary, repeating the steps above.
Tips
- Shake the car after adjusting the position of the lights and double-check the lights as they shine against a wall or garage door. Vehicle manuals from some manufacturers will suggest this after the lamp settings have been completed. Perform resets if needed.
- If your area of residence requires a headlight adjustment test, make sure you do it and at least meet the requirements.
- Find a flat gauge at the top of the lamp. Some car manufacturers install this small tool to help adjust the position of the lights. Acura and Honda are two car models that usually have a level gauge installed in their cars. If there is, you don't need the spirit level that builders usually use.
- Check your headlights annually to make sure they are in the correct position.
Warning
- Incorrectly positioning your car's headlights can distract you as well as other drivers, which may result in blinding flashes of light from too high a headlights position.
- Take your car to a repair shop for a headlamp position adjustment service if you can't do it yourself, especially if you know that the headlight position needs adjustment.
