How to adjust car headlights

Correct headlight adjustment is important for good visibility on the road at night. If the car optics are not adjusted, the field of vision may be significantly reduced, or the headlights will cause discomfort to drivers driving in the opposite lane. To ensure proper safety and comfort when traveling in the dark, it is important to monitor the correct position of the car lighting devices and adjust them in a timely manner.

Consequences of incorrect optical alignment

The number of factors that can lead to road accidents increases significantly in the dark. Therefore, properly working headlights are the main guarantee of driver safety. Automotive low beam optics should illuminate the road 30-40 meters ahead, while capturing a small part of the right shoulder. If this condition is not met, it is necessary to adjust the headlights.

The consequences that can lead to incorrect tuning of automotive optics can be extremely unpleasant.

1. A strong downward tilt of the headlights leads to increased stress on the driver: he has to constantly strain his eyes in order to carefully peer into the poorly lit roadway.
2. If the headlights are directed at a steep angle upwards, it can dazzle the opposite direction and create an emergency on the road.
3. Inadequate roadside lighting can also cause a road accident if the driver does not notice a person or an obstacle on the side of the road in time.

The first adjustment of automotive optics is always done at the factory. Subsequent headlight adjustments are carried out by the owner himself as needed. A motorist can ask for help at a car service or do the work on his own.

In what cases you may need to adjust the headlights

The factory settings of the lighting equipment in the car can be knocked down by prolonged driving on uneven roads. Numerous pits, potholes, and cracks in the roadway cause the settings to fail over time. As a result, the optics begins to direct the beams of light in the wrong direction.

Headlight adjustment may also be required if:

• there was an accident, as a result of which the front of the car was damaged;
• the motorist has replaced the headlights or headlights on the vehicle;
• fog lights (PTF) were installed on the car;
• there was a replacement of tires or wheels with analogues that differ in size;
• the car's suspension has been repaired or the rigidity has been changed.

If oncoming motorists regularly blink their headlights at you, then the optics of your car blinds them and requires adjustment.

It is also worthwhile to tinker with adjusting the luminous flux if you yourself notice a deterioration in visibility when traveling at night.

Finally, car owners are advised to adjust their headlights before going for a checkup or driving a long distance.

Adjustment options: independently or with the help of a car service

The car owner can adjust the headlights either independently or with the help of car service specialists.

The main advantage of self-tuning is that there is no financial cost. However, if you are not sure that you can carry out the adjustment correctly and efficiently, it is better to contact the service.

At the service station, the headlights are adjusted using devices specially designed for this. It is impractical to purchase such a device for yourself: its cost is far from the most affordable, but at the same time you will have to use the device infrequently.

It is recommended to contact a car service first of all for owners of cars with automatic control elements for lighting devices. The adjustment of optics with an automatic drive should only be trusted by specialists, without trying to do it yourself.

Diy headlight adjustment

It is not so difficult to adjust the headlights yourself. However, before starting the procedure, it is necessary to properly prepare the car to avoid incorrect settings. To prepare the vehicle you will need:

• check the tire pressure (should be the same in all four wheels);
• remove all unnecessary things from the trunk and the passenger compartment (except for the spare wheel, first aid kit and motorist's kit), ensuring the curb weight of the car in accordance with the instruction manual;
• pour a full tank of gasoline and pour technical fluids into appropriate containers;
• thoroughly clean the optics from dust and dirt;
• apply WD-40 grease to adjusting screws as they may acidify.

It is equally important to find a suitable place for work. Find a level area without slopes or holes. The selected area should be close to a vertical fence or wall.

Marking rules

After the preparation of the car is completed, you can begin to apply the markings, which will be needed to adjust the headlights. Stock up on a tape measure, long bar, marker, or chalk. The layout scheme is applied in accordance with certain rules.

1. Bring the car close to the wall and mark the center of the vehicle. Mark the corresponding point on the wall, which coincides with the central axis of the machine. Also note the distance from the floor to the lamp and from the lamp to the center of the car.
2. Measure 7,5 meters from the wall and drive the car at this distance (for different models this distance may differ, you need to clarify in the instructions).
3. Using a horizontal line, connect the center points on both lamps.
4. Draw vertical lines through the center points of the headlights and another line through the center point of the car. Finally, at a distance of 5 cm down from the horizontal line connecting the centers of the headlights, we draw one additional strip.

After completing all these steps, the markup will be ready for work.

This scheme is relevant for combined optics. For a separate version, you will need to draw two horizontal lines. The second line should correspond to the distance from the ground to the high beam lamps. Sections are marked on it in accordance with the location of the extreme lamps.

Adjustment scheme

As soon as the markings are applied, you can start adjusting the light flux. While it is better to prepare the markings on the wall during the day, the adjustment work itself is possible only in the dark. For successful headlight correction, you must:

1. Open the hood and turn on the dipped beam (so as not to drain the battery, you can first start the engine).
2. Cover one headlight of the vehicle completely. Start rotating the vertical adjustment screw on the second headlamp. The screw is located in the engine compartment, on the rear surface of the optics. You need to rotate the screw until the upper border of the light beam is aligned with the upper horizontal line.
3. Further, using the same method, it is necessary to adjust the optics in the vertical plane. As a result, the projection point should get into the crosshair of the lines, at which the headlight beam begins to deviate up and to the right at an angle of 15–20 °.
4. As soon as the work with each headlamp is completed separately, the coincidence of the resulting luminous fluxes should be compared.

If the machine is equipped with a remote control of the headlight range from the passenger compartment, the adjusters must be locked in the zero position before starting work.

It is important to remember that driving at night with unregulated headlights is dangerous not only for the driver, but also for other road users. Therefore, you should not save your time and neglect the timely correction of light fluxes. By adjusting the headlights properly, you can ensure the most comfortable and safest ride possible.