How to properly adjust car headlights

Car headlights help drivers see more easily and over a wider area when driving at night. However, during use, car headlights often malfunction or have problems such as misalignment, failure to focus, or insufficient beam range.

Many car owners buy replacement headlights to increase brightness, but don't know how to adjust them properly, leading to safety issues... Below is how to adjust headlights correctly.

How to adjust the headlights

Some car models equipped with Xenon headlights can automatically adjust the beam pattern according to the load and speed of the vehicle. These cars usually have a rotary knob that allows the driver to adjust the headlight position based on the load. You simply rotate the control knob to positions 0-1-2-3-4 according to the number of passengers and luggage in the car.

For vehicles equipped with halogen and projector headlights, the adjustment is done using three screws located at the back of the headlight housing. The screw labeled (UD) adjusts the beam up or down, and the screw labeled (LR) adjusts the beam to the left or right.

Steps to adjust headlights

Step 1:Inflate your tires to the correct standard pressure.

Inflate the tires to the correct pressure to keep the vehicle stable before adjusting the headlights.

Step 2:Park the car on a flat surface in front of the test wall and determine the centerline.

Park the car on a flat surface at a distance of 5-7m from the wall or screen used for testing the headlights. Draw a vertical line along the center of the line on the wall or screen, perpendicular to the ground. Align the center of the car so that it faces the line drawn on the wall or screen. This is to accurately determine the position of the headlight beam.

Step 3:Measure the headlight filament and the height from the ground to the headlight filament on the vehicle.

Step 4:Draw a cut-off line on the wall at a height approximately 1-2 inches (2.56 - 5.08 cm) lower than the height of the light fixture.

Step 5:Adjust the lights to the standard settings.

Start the car, turn on the lights, and adjust them according to the instructions so that the beam angle and height meet the standards. The beam height should be balanced with the height of the headlight filament on the car, and the beam angle should be approximately 10-15 degrees.

Step 6:Adjust the driver's side headlight beam so that the height and beam pattern meet the standard.

Step 7:Check the headlights.

After adjusting the beam of light on each side, turn on both lights and observe whether the two beams have the same height and focus. If the two beams are equal, then it's correct.