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Head light Adjustment help

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31K views 13 replies 10 participants last post by  Sweaty BumbleBee  
#1 ·
I wanted to adjust my hi/low s' up just a bit due to settling and I followed the instructions I found in a search

"For adjusting the low beams, there are 2 white plastic 6mm hex nuts above each headlight assemble. The inner nut next to the grill adjusts up and down....counter clockwise adjusts up /clockwise adjusts down.....the outer nut next to the fender adjusts left and right."

Now when I looked there I found the hex nuts and turned the inner one counter clockwise about a turn with no noticeable change on a wall 3' in front of the car. Does it take a lot of turning to get a noticable change? I didn't want to crank on it and wreck something. TYIA

I also am assuming there is only one adjustment for the hi & low together?
 
#2 ·
Back the car up about 15 or 20 feet and you will notice a big change with every turn. Be sure go on a flat surface with a flat wall in front of you. Then adjust as needed. There is a lot of turning space in the B5.5... you can turn that thing like 15 or 20 times before it hits a stop. Be sure not to aim you headlights too high, you will know you have done this when people start flashing thier highs at you. :D
 
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#3 ·
Back the car up about 15 or 20 feet and you will notice a big change with every turn. Be sure go on a flat surface with a flat wall in front of you. Then adjust as needed. There is a lot of turning space in the B5.5... you can turn that thing like 15 or 20 times before it hits a stop. Be sure not to aim you headlights too high, you will know you have done this when people start flashing thier highs at you. :D
 
#4 ·
Back the car up about 15 or 20 feet and you will notice a big change with every turn. Be sure go on a flat surface with a flat wall in front of you. Then adjust as needed. There is a lot of turning space in the B5.5... you can turn that thing like 15 or 20 times before it hits a stop. Be sure not to aim you headlights too high, you will know you have done this when people start flashing thier highs at you. :D
 
#5 ·
Light aiming guide line from Piaa:

http://www.piaa.com/Lamps/LightAimingGuide.html

FOG/FOUL WEATHER LIGHTS
Traditional fog lights are usually mounted under the front bumper about 10-24 inches from the ground. There are two important issues to address when installing fog lights, the first is to minimize the amount of return glare into the driver's eyes, and the other is to minimize glare into oncoming driver's eyes. Both must be accomplished while putting as much light as possible on the road.
These fog/foul weather light aiming instructions are suggestions taken from common practice and the S.A.E. standard J583. Some modifications to these instructions may be necessary to minimize glare.

Visual aim is made with the top of the beam 4 inches below the lamp center at 25 feet with the lamp facing straight forward. (See below.)
Image



DRIVING LIGHTS
Typically, driving lights are mounted above the front bumper about 14-30 inches from the ground to provide extra high beam illumination. Driving lights can be mounted below the bumper, although they will not be as effective because the light will hit the ground sooner and reduce the range of the light.
Visual aim is made with the center of the beam hot spot 1.5 inches below the lamp center at 25 feet with the lamp facing straight forward. (See below.)
Image
 
#6 ·
Be careful!!! Don't overadjust them or you will break the adjustment mechanism - it's happened to others here.

The last adjustment I made was like a quarter turn - put the beams just right. Go easy.
 
#7 ·
InkBlue said:
Back the car up about 15 or 20 feet and you will notice a big change with every turn. Be sure go on a flat surface with a flat wall in front of you. Then adjust as needed. There is a lot of turning space in the B5.5... you can turn that thing like 15 or 20 times before it hits a stop. Be sure not to aim you headlights too high, you will know you have done this when people start flashing thier highs at you. :D
Great .. I got it thanks all .. I was just too close. I made a very *minor* adjustment and I know where my starting point was.
 
#8 ·
can anyone help me...it seems like the left headlight is pointing in a flat beam towards the right side of my car.....i dont really know how to explain it...but the right side is fine, but left is all screwed up...adjustment ideas/suggestions?
 
#10 ·
typically headlight beam regulations require that the drivers beam be adjusted so that the beam does not project significantly to the left of the car, and that it also is slightly lower than the passenger side light so as not to shine directly into the eyes of an oncoming driver. Makes sense, but personally that 's "corrected" the first night I own a vehicle. Now that the kids are asleep, I'm going outside to do just that since i just got my ride out of the shop. My drivers headlight looks like it is pointing at the ground and I watched the mechanic align the beams with the state inspection equipment.