How To Adjust Headlight Beam Height

[MyHarpoon]

agree to disagree.....the ''cutoff'' can still be way too high and blind on coming traffic ....so height is very relevant. I completely understand the situation you describe, but the lights still need to be ''aimed'' otherwise , why have an adjustment screw at all?

You misunderstand my post. I'm saying that if you adjust the cutoff using the method I described (checking the height from different distances), your lights will always be perfectly level. It doesn't matter what vehicle you're driving or if you're lowered or lifted. Caveat: If you're really jacked up (headlights above 36"), this method doesn't apply (you will have to aim your lights downward to not blind oncoming traffic).

 

[MerlintheMad]

I've never understood the need to use different distances, or get back from the measuring wall. If your lights are back a few feet and you mark the top of the lit up area with tape, then raise them an inch, go out and see where your lights hit the vehicle in front of you, then come back and make adjustments up or down, that works for me. Why complicate things?

 

[5tinger]

Has anyone noticed how high the cutoff is on SUVs from Mazda, Toyota & Subaru?

 

[MyHarpoon]

I've never understood the need to use different distances, or get back from the measuring wall. If your lights are back a few feet and you mark the top of the lit up area with tape, then raise them an inch, go out and see where your lights hit the vehicle in front of you, then come back and make adjustments up or down, that works for me. Why complicate things?

The problem with doing it from just a few feet back is that if you set the cutoff too high or too low by just a few millimeters, the effect is magnified by distance.

The distance to the vehicle in front of you can vary from 5 feet to 500 feet.

 

[rocket23]

The problem with doing it from just a few feet back is that if you set the cutoff too high or too low by just a few millimeters, the effect is magnified by distance.

The distance to the vehicle in front of you can vary from 5 feet to 500 feet.

my point exactly

You misunderstand my post. I'm saying that if you adjust the cutoff using the method I described (checking the height from different distances), your lights will always be perfectly level. It doesn't matter what vehicle you're driving or if you're lowered or lifted. Caveat: If you're really jacked up (headlights above 36"), this method doesn't apply (you will have to aim your lights downward to not blind oncoming traffic).

see above ^^^ But I stand corrected, if done correctly it doesn't matter how far away the vehicle is.....But the reason behind doing it at a set distance is to ,again, aim the beam(s) to not blind oncoming traffic...look at it as as if the beams were rifle barrels shooting lasers....if they are just a smidgeon off at 5 feet then you ain't hitting crap at fifty, lol

 

[rocket23]

Has anyone noticed how high the cutoff is on SUVs from Mazda, Toyota & Subaru?

yup, there are a few out there that are driving spot lights.......I see 'em every night , and I'm in a semi !!

 

[MerlintheMad]

The distance to the vehicle in front of you can vary from 5 feet to 500 feet.

That is my point: take the car out, pull up behind someone at a traffic light, and as you close the distance watch their side mirrors: if your cutout is too high, you'll know instantly. I adjusted my raised headlights down about half of where I set them higher. If you don't reach the side mirrors at five feet, you're certainly good to go any distance further back.

 

[rocket23]

yes, but the lights need to be adjusted to achieve this wonder of physics......thats all I'm saying.

 

[MerlintheMad]

And all I'm saying is that you don't have to set the parking brake 25 feet back from the wall. Adjustment is relative to the distance. As I recall, I parked c. six feet back, laid my tape, raised my beams, went out, came back and lowered them halfway, went back out and it looked good and I've left them there.

 

[rocket23]

And all I'm saying is that you don't have to set the parking brake 25 feet back from the wall. Adjustment is relative to the distance. As I recall, I parked c. six feet back, laid my tape, raised my beams, went out, came back and lowered them halfway, went back out and it looked good and I've left them there.

all right lets just say when it comes to sighting a rifle.......I'd be a lot better than the ''it looks good from there crowd''
lol

 

[MerlintheMad]

all right lets just say when it comes to sighting a rifle.......I'd be a lot better than the ''it looks good from there crowd''
lol

I don't get that analogy at all. How is raising and lowering headlights like sighting in a rifle?

 

[rocket23]

I don't get that analogy at all. How is raising and lowering headlights like sighting in a rifle?

well light reflected..is pointed, for lack of a better term....when you shoot a rifle it to is pointed is it not? so point your headlights at the second panel of a garage door 25 feet away.........and lets say we put this thread to bed.

 

[Ozstung]

I lowered my car about 3 years ago and used the tried and trusted measurements used here in a thread. The beams looked lower enough and all was good but i kept gettting high beamed. I took the car to the local mechanic who had some device to set the correct distance. He asked me if i had fiddled around with the slot with the gears where a screw driver fits ? I said "Yes" he said all you've done is loosened the light fitting which was then wobbling up and down and blinding people.

This explains why some random old guy pulled me over to say my drivers side light was flapping up and down. In my ignorance i mistook this for the autobeam side ways movements. At the time i thought what a senile old coot lol.

I maybe wrong but im now led to believe its the hex bolt that does the hiring and lowering. Anyway no more fiddling from yours truly.

 

[MyHarpoon]

I lowered my car about 3 years ago and used the tried and trusted measurements used here in a thread. The beams looked lower enough and all was good but i kept gettting high beamed. I took the car to the local mechanic who had some device to set the correct distance. He asked me if i had fiddled around with the slot with the gears where a screw driver fits ? I said "Yes" he said all you've done is loosened the light fitting which was then wobbling up and down and blinding people.

This explains why some random old guy pulled me over to say my drivers side light was flapping up and down. In my ignorance i mistook this for the autobeam side ways movements. At the time i thought what a senile old coot lol.

I maybe wrong but im now led to believe its the hex bolt that does the hiring and lowering. Anyway no more fiddling from yours truly.

The funnel where the screwdriver fits is indeed the proper way to adjust the beam height. However, because your vehicle was lowered, the measurements that were given are no longer valid. The proper way to set the height is the method that I have described above (i.e. Checking the cutoff height from multiple distances - if the height doesn't change, it is perfectly level).

 

[MyHarpoon]

The plastic funnel is indeed the correct way to adjust the beam height. The problem is that your vehicle is lowered, thus rendering any official beam measurements moot. The proper way to adjust the height is the method I have described above (i.e. Checking the cutoff from different distances - if it doesn't move, the headlights are perfectly level).

 

[Samanosaurus]

I just did my headlights, they were too low. I asked the dealer at every service for the last 2 years (3 or 4 times) and they scanned the system and said that it was nothing wrong with my lights. As I am planning a long trip from Sydney to Brisbane, I decided to take action and with a few turns here and there of the adjusting screws, I got a perfect alignment using a PH 2 screwdriver only and some tape on the wall. Now I am happier with the car, after 2 years of ownership and disappointment, always wondering how a decent GT as the Stinger has no front or rear fog lamps, and overall very poor headlights, now they are not too bad - still missing the fog lamps though.
Now I only need to correct the quietness of the exhaust.

 

[rocket23]

yeah, the mia fog lamps are a bummer ....but where would the design actually allow for them ?! after all how many F-1 cars have fog lamps ??

 

[ldusseau]

After installing my springs my headlights were aimed lower. This has been an easy fix on other cars I’ve owned but the Stinger is slightly different.

First the headlight adjustment is behind the headlight on each side under where the fender and hood meet.

Generally there is a screw to adjust the height, and this hole that’s circled has a marking saying U<—>D, seems like a logical place.

The other hole says L<—>R but there is nothing in the hole. I’ve never had a reason to adjust a headlight left to right though.

I have the K&N intake and I just had to unbolt the heat shield and remove the filter to get to the adjustment. The stock system should be easy as well as you would just need to remove the air filter box which I think is just 3 bolts and a hose clamp.

View attachment 7459


This is what is down that hole. Glad I just purchased an WiFi endescope to get this picture. Obviously that’s not a screw.
View attachment 7458

Luckily on the back side of this “gear” is a 12mm nut. It’s marked by the arrow in the top picture.
View attachment 7460

Park the car in front of a wall/garage door and turn on the lights, mark your starting location with something. I like to use painters tape.

Rotate the nut using a crescent wrench (ratcheting makes this much easier) and see which way the beam moves. If it goes up, keep going. If it goes down, go the other direction. It’s a tight fit so you’ll only get maybe 1/10 a rotation before hitting the frame and it’s a fine adjustment so the 1” I moved the beam took 1 - 1 1/2 rotations of the nut.
View attachment 7457

Your headlamps have left-right "swivel" adjustment as well as "up/down" pitch.

 

[pilotbdub]

Recently installed Eibach springs and the lights were way too low.
Just wanted to confirm that the long Philipps screw driver in the hole works perfectly. Took me 5 min to adjust against the garage door

 

[nagisa]

how do you fit a wrench down there tho lol

a screwdriver makes more sense for fitment but can't imagine how it'd turn