How to adjust lights? (2 Viewers)

[alkaline747trio]

No FSM yet, and don't want to **** with anything that I can't get back right, so here goes.

The low beams suck, the light output is enough, but they point straight at the ground. I was wondering what, if anything, I can adjust (and properly how) to get the beams pointed up a little more hopefully making my night driving experence a little more enjoyable untill I get the HIRs and aux. driving lights.

 

[Vitesse_6]

IIRC....
Park the vehicle close to a wall make a verticle center line for the vehicle and both headlights on the wall with masking tape, make a horizontal line where they line up across the wall, move the vehicle back about 25 feet and turn on the lights, the low beam should be about 2" below the horizontal line.
You do know where the adjusters are....right?
Im not sure if you can adjust the high beams, They all seem to move together.
Hope this is of some use, Good luck

 

[MTNRAT]

The adjusters are a philips head screw you can see just behind the lights when you open the hood. I just park on a dark straight flat road and turn the screw in or out till I get them where I want. Really easy to adjust down in really thick fog. Just find a good place to pull off.
Cheers,
Sean

 

[RavenTai]

If the adjusters seam stuck stop, they have a plastic gear set and wtill strip out.

The fix is to take the headlight out and remove the adjuster and break free the steel input into the headlight of the adjuster with a pair of pliers and then reinstall the plastic parts.

 

[Darwood]

Be very careful to not strip the gear set.

Now what should one do if they happen to strip the gear set? :whoops:

 

[LX_TREME]

And one more thing leave the motor running (P) position while you adjust the headlights so it won't go dim.

 

[cary]

IIRC....
Park the vehicle close to a wall make a verticle center line for the vehicle and both headlights on the wall with masking tape, make a horizontal line where they line up across the wall, move the vehicle back about 25 feet and turn on the lights, the low beam should be about 2" below the horizontal line.
You do know where the adjusters are....right?
Im not sure if you can adjust the high beams, They all seem to move together.
Hope this is of some use, Good luck

Just to clarify, the top of the bright portion of the beam should be about 2" below the horizontal line. Here are some great instructions to follow by Daniel Stern, the god of automotive lighting.

http://danielsternlighting.com/tech/aim/aim.html

 

[RavenTai]

Be very careful to not strip the gear set.

Now what should one do if they happen to strip the gear set? :whoops:

Hopefully you can get the adjusters alone, I don’t think you can, good question for CruiserDan if you cannot you will need to take out a home equity loan for new headlights.

You can still adjust the headlights but have to remove the adjuster and turn the input into the headlight directly, I don’t know if you can do this with the headlight in the vehicle.

 

[Darwood]

Hopefully you can get the adjusters alone, I don’t think you can, good question for CruiserDan if you cannot you will need to take out a home equity loan for new headlights.

I'm pretty sure you can't get these things seperate. I keep forgetting to ask Dan. Guess I need to take out a loan.

I wonder if cruiserparts.net will sell me the part?

You can still adjust the headlights but have to remove the adjuster and turn the input into the headlight directly, I don’t know if you can do this with the headlight in the vehicle.

I've done this and could not adjust the light without taking it out, which isn't as much fun as it sounds. One of my adjusters is still good. I think I might be able to take out the good adjuster and use it like a tool. When I need to adjust the light I would simi install it. I think this would prevent me from having to remove the light to adjust it. Still isn't so much fun, but at least I won't have to remove the light.

I sure wish I had checked first to make sure these things weren't nylon (which they are)

 

[offroadkid]

I have broken headlamp adjusters. I took out the headlamps, pulled the adjuster off the back, opened-up the gear case and found the main drive gear split down the side where the metal rod goes through.

I have been searching the internet to find someone who makes or sells replacements to no avail. I did however find many aftermarket headlamps with the BMW halo style lights and when I see the picture of the back they have brand new adjusters that are all black, so it seems they are out there somewhere?

It's currently dying with superglue and clamped tight and I will attempt to put the case back together in the case and then slide the rod back through it, but I doubt it will hold.

Has anyone found a source that sells replacement adjusters for our headlamps yet?

I do not want depo or halo whatever they are called.

 

[NLXTACY]

Post a pic of what they look like. I really have no idea.

 

[thedoughboy]

Depos on Ebay are back in action. These seem like a viable option.

 

[Squash]

Make sure your bulbs are set in place and not just hanging...