Headlight adjustment...EASY

[Dave777]

Split the cost with your dad, and next time go to the dealer.

[The Rigger]

Originally Posted by Krootie

Because my father was an auto mechanic from about 1920 to 1983. He would adjust the headlights by driving the car (with the headlights on) some unknown feet from a garage door. Then aim/adjust the headlights so many feet up from the ground.
Now who's going to fill in those 2 dimensions??

[*raises hand*]
I will...

First you have to take some measurements of the car; specifically the distance from the center of the low beams out from the car's centerline and the distance *on level ground* from the center of the low-beam to the ground...

Park the car facing a light colored wall (white or neutral gray works best), with as close to 25' of space as you can muster lying between the wall and the front of the low-beam projector lens - you'll have to do a bit of guesstimating here because of the clear headlamp cover. Be sure you're parked *square* to the wall; any deviation will mess your aiming up.

Then, sighting through the rear window and front windshield, determine what spot on the wall corresponds with the centerline of the car. I like to use a laser pointer shooting through the car to spot it on the wall. Using something non-marring and removable like electrical tape, put a vertical line on the wall that corresponds to the centerline...

Now measure up from the ground and put up a horizontal tape line ~1.5" to 2" lower than the centerline measurement of the low-beams that you took earlier...

And finally, measuring out either side from the centerline, put up two tape marks that correspond to the measurement you took earlier of the distance from the car's centerline to the low-beam centerline.

Having done all that measuring and marking, you adjust the headlamps so that the top "break" in the brightest part of the projected light just kisses the horizontal tape mark. That'll put the brightest part of the projected light high enough to give you good road vision, but not so high that it blinds oncoming drivers. The point where the right-hand side of the light "kicks up" (to illuminate the road shoulder) should be right at the point where the horizontal lens center crosses the horizontal center. (I have no idea where the horizontal alignment adjustment on a fortwo is... Anyone?)

Once you've done the adjustments, remove your tape from the wall and go for a spin to see if your work needs any fine-tuning. I like to do the aiming adjustments with a full fuel tank and someone roughly my weight sitting in the driver's seat, so that any suspension compression is taken into account.

The attached diagram (if it comes through) should clarify this. If it's not here, it may be hiding in my gallery.

HTH, HAND, &c.

[Dave777]

Or just go out on a dark street and screw them up or down a couple of turns until they look right.

[Krootie]

Rigger - You get an A+ for that. And Dave's instruction work, too.

[hsterk]

Originally Posted by Dave777

I had noticed a couple of comments about the low beams seeming high, oncoming cars flashing at the smart, and noticed in our car the lows seemed aimed too high also.

The friendly maintenance supervisor at SmartCenterSeattle confirmed to me how to do the adjustment. It's really easy.

I started by marking with masking tape on the garage door where the lights were currently aimed. The upper cutoff is quite sharp, and the bright spot easy to see.

Each light assembly has a single 6mm Allen socket in the top, in white plastic. Stick your Allen wrench in there and turn it clockwise for beams down, counterclockwise for beams up. It's easy to do it one handed while holding the hood up out of the way with the other hand.

Photos for the left and right lights, showing the wrench in the adjuster.

You are a GEM,

Thanks SO MUCH for the info. and great pictures.

[HerrZ]

Originally Posted by bigcritter

Dave777......once again, you come through with something that's truly beneficial to SCOA members! NOW I UNDERSTAND!! I had someone in a white Prius get behind me and ride my **s ALL THE WAY HOME one night with their BRIGHTS on! No matter what I did...this car followed. I'd move over........they'd move over.........I slowed down.....they slowed down. I even sat almost completely through a light after it had turned to green, and they STILL wouldn't go around. I SHOULD have called "911", but I didn't. I just couldn't figure it out. I finally managed to get over and slow down quickly enough to get a look at the driver, and it was an elderly lady!! I could NOT figure out what I had done to made her SO MAD! I KNEW that I hadn't tailgated her or anythiing, so I didn't understand!! Maybe NOW I DO!! Thanks again, Dave! I'll check the adjustment on mine later this evening. I HAD noticed the brightening/dimming at night on the side-streets next to my house, since there's NO streetlights. I had no idea what was causing it.........until now!! So SHE thought I was flashing my brights at her!!

that's what the PARKING brake is for.... either a gentle pull, or a nice yank, while the foot is on the gas of course...

[vgreva]

Good post! I'm going to adjust ours this evening.