Have you noticed lately that oncoming traffic is signaling to you? Or do you notice that your own headlights do not properly illuminate the road directly in front of you? If you mainly see the undergrowth next to the road or if other road users keep honking at you, then your headlights are most likely not adjusted properly. Fortunately, they are easy to adjust with some measurements and a screwdriver.
Steps
Step 1. Make sure your car is level
Start by removing heavy things from the trunk of the car. Then check whether your tire pressure corresponds to the manufacturer's specifications. Ask someone to sit in the driver's seat and make sure your tank is half full. In addition, make sure that the headlight adjustment knob (if equipped) is set to zero.
Step 2. Put your car in the correct position
Park your car 3 to 4.5 meters away from a dark wall or garage door, on a level surface, with the front facing the wall. A paved parking lot or flat driveway works best.
- Push the car up and down a number of times on the four corners, so that the shock absorbers are straight.
- Measure the distance from the headlights to the ground, so you can check whether the suspension is straight.
Step 3. Turn on your headlights
Don't use your high beam or fog lights. Mark the horizontal and vertical center lines of the headlight beams with painter's tape, now you get two T's on the wall or garage door.
Step 4. Make sure the lamps are straight
Place a spirit level between the two marked center lines to make sure they are straight. If not, use a tape measure to measure the distance from the ground to the lowest mark. Then move the other centerline marker to the same height. These center lines must not be higher than 1 meter from the ground.
Step 5. Back up your car to 7.5 meters from the wall or garage door
Don't estimate this distance! Use a tape measure to measure the correct distance from the wall. Turn off your headlights. Remove the ring from the headlights and locate the adjusting screws. These screws are normally found next to the headlight, but with some brands you will find the screws in the engine compartment, behind the headlights. The horizontal and vertical adjustment screws should be marked properly.
- Follow the specifications mentioned in the owner's manual at all times - some manufacturers specify different distances for correct adjustment. For example, Toyota lists 3 meters as the distance, Pontiac gives 4.5 meters and Chrysler recommends 1 meter for some models. That is why it is always important to check your user manual and to follow the instructions carefully.
- Usually there is one screw for vertical adjustment above the headlight and another screw on the side for horizontal adjustment, but some brands use bolts instead of screws.
Step 6. Adjust the headlights separately
Cover one of the two headlamps with a sweater or something else while adjusting the other, as the light leak from the second headlamp makes it more difficult to adjust. Have someone sit in the driver's seat while you adjust the headlights so you don't have to turn your lights on and off yourself while adjusting.
Step 7. Adjust the top screw or bolt to adjust the vertical field
By turning clockwise you adjust the headlights up, by turning counterclockwise you adjust them down.
After adjusting, turn on the headlights and observe the light pattern on the wall. The top of the brightest part should be level with or just below the marked line
Step 8. Adjust the screw or bolt on the side to adjust the vertical field
Now do the same with the left-right adjustment. Most of the bright piece should be to the right of the vertical line.
Step 9. Test the adjustment on the road
Take your car for a drive to check that the headlights are correctly adjusted. If necessary, you can readjust by repeating the above steps.
Tips
- After adjusting the headlights, shake the car and check the wall or garage door again. This is prescribed in some car manuals. Readjust if necessary.
- In the Netherlands, both the law and the MOT regulations stipulate that the drop in the light beam must be between 5 mm and 40 mm per meter.
- Look for a small spirit level attached to the top of your headlights. Some car manufacturers confirm this to help adjust your headlights. This applies, for example, to cars of the brands Acura and Honda. This means you don't need an extra spirit level.
- Check your headlights for proper adjustment once a year.
Warnings
- If your headlights are not properly adjusted, it will not only affect you. You can dazzle other road users with headlights that are set too high.
- Take your car to the garage to have the headlights adjusted properly if you can't manage it yourself, especially if you know the adjustment is not correct.