aiming headlight
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From: clevelnad
aiming headlight
does anyone know the proper procedure for aiming headlights on the X-Type? Like how far from the wall should be away from the car, how high off the ground should the beam from the light be? ect.ect.ect. Is there somethng the techs use like a guide for this?
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From: clevelnad
RE: aiming headlight
i don't get it? I have the after market HID's and don't want to blind any one. How does the dealer aim the headlights? Not what screw to turn but what are the other steps?
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RE: aiming headlight
Well I dont know the "official" procedure, but consider this.
1) Light travels in straight lines. that is the most basic fundamental thing to consider.
2) The high and low beams are not independantly adjustable.
THEREFORE>>>>
the adjustment needs to be done with the HIGH beams, and the low beam position will be a function of that.
The high beams must not go "uphill" The light will only go into outer space.
So what I do is unplug or pull fuse to kill one side of the headlights. (left or right) park on flat level ground with a wall a few car lengths ahead.
put the light on high beam, Take a yard stick a few feet in front of the car andmeasurewhere the brightest part of the beam is. then walk to the wall and make sure that the same bright spot is about an inch lower that just in front of the car.
adjust the beam so it points straight ahead of the car.
If you have euro style beam patterns use the notch in the cut off for the measurement.
now you can turn on the other side and match the two beams.
The low beam will fall into position and cant be moved.
If you find the low beams are too low.. TOO FREAKING bad.. do not be tempted to raise them. This will cause the high beams to go way to high, and they wont work well and will blind uncoming traffic.
Also same idea for the fog lights.
they cannot go uphill.... they start low and must continue low to work properly.
1) Light travels in straight lines. that is the most basic fundamental thing to consider.
2) The high and low beams are not independantly adjustable.
THEREFORE>>>>
the adjustment needs to be done with the HIGH beams, and the low beam position will be a function of that.
The high beams must not go "uphill" The light will only go into outer space.
So what I do is unplug or pull fuse to kill one side of the headlights. (left or right) park on flat level ground with a wall a few car lengths ahead.
put the light on high beam, Take a yard stick a few feet in front of the car andmeasurewhere the brightest part of the beam is. then walk to the wall and make sure that the same bright spot is about an inch lower that just in front of the car.
adjust the beam so it points straight ahead of the car.
If you have euro style beam patterns use the notch in the cut off for the measurement.
now you can turn on the other side and match the two beams.
The low beam will fall into position and cant be moved.
If you find the low beams are too low.. TOO FREAKING bad.. do not be tempted to raise them. This will cause the high beams to go way to high, and they wont work well and will blind uncoming traffic.
Also same idea for the fog lights.
they cannot go uphill.... they start low and must continue low to work properly.
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From: Oak Ridge, TN
RE: aiming headlight
When I did my 'HID project' to the Jeep, my final test, aside from the wall measurement, was to take it on my residential street at night and use the parked cars along the road for a go-by. I would make sure that the cutoff would not enter the back glass of an average sedan...you know, hit the trunk, but not over it. If it's a miata-laden street, obviously move to another road. lol
In 5 years, i've never had a problem, never been questioned at inspection times, and only been flashed a few times, but all those were when I had the factory fogs on...and I've never even touched those things before! (nor lifted the vehicle).
In 5 years, i've never had a problem, never been questioned at inspection times, and only been flashed a few times, but all those were when I had the factory fogs on...and I've never even touched those things before! (nor lifted the vehicle).
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