Headlight Adjustment - Need to raise them up!!!

[axefire]

I know this has been kicked around so many times and there are many threads about headlights but I'm looking for specific instructions on how to raise my headlights, they are WAY too low.

The left/right movement is perfect (when I turn the wheel while moving). my high beams are ok I guess, but again, my low beams only project about 10-15 feet in front of my car. I live on top of a mountain, lots of curvy up/down hills and TONS of DEER to avoid.

Again, I really need to RAISE my headlights - BADLY - I read somewhere that there's an adjustment screw behind the gear for the left/right movement, then someone else said I need to take the wheel well off to get behind the lights to adjust up/down.

Can anyone help? maybe provide some pics or point me to some illustrations? Again, a lot of unclear info out here (I may be a bit stupid too..)

I don't care if I have to raise both low and highs, that's fine -

thanks!

[cruzad3r]

i thought if your headlight has AFS, it auto adjust. i saw my headlights adjusting at night, which is funny.

[EniGmA1987]

There should be an adjustment screw somewhere. I remember other people have done it but dont remember where it is exactly.

[axefire]

i thought if your headlight has AFS, it auto adjust. i saw my headlights adjusting at night, which is funny.

Yup - the AFS is what points the lights in the direction you're turning - left when you turn left, and right when you turfn right - but not up and down - I need to point them up a bit as they currently point too low...

[cruzad3r]

no that's what i'm saying, my lights go up and down too. not lying!

[axefire]

no that's what i'm saying, my lights go up and down too. not lying!

!! Thanks for making me look in the manual - I should have RTFM - you're right - now I just need to figure out how to adjust it:

HEIGHT SENSOR
The height sensor is located on the left side of the rear suspension
member and detects rear vehicle height change by sensing the displacement
of the rear suspension arm. And transmission a height sensor
signal to the AFS control unit.

[cruzad3r]

so after all of this, we've concluded that you can not MANUALLY change the height of your headlights!

Right?

[axefire]

so after all of this, we've concluded that you can not MANUALLY change the height of your headlights!

Right?

Not sure bout that - if you take the driver side rear wheel off you can see the mechanism - looks like I might be able to adjust it and it will still level, just adjust the zero point so the lights are a bit higher...gonna post a page of the manual now -

[SmoovC]

I would LOVE to know if this is possible!

[axefire]

Here's the page from the PDF:

[About Tree Fiddy]

Sure you can. Just look here:

headlight-adjustment-sorry-to-beat-a-de ... m#p4374636

Be sure and read through the whole thread first and use a phillips screwdriver and not the flat blade shown in the first post. I did mine when I got the car and it makes a big difference. The only down side is now the high beams light the trees tops but since I rarely use them it isn't big deal to me. The high beams are also adjustable but it requires the entire headlight assembly to be removed and disassembled. Way more of a PITA than it is worth to me.

[SmoovC]

i tried this on my M45 with AFS. I went 2 full turns per side, and did not make any difference.

[edwin711]

Have u tried this yet axefire. I hate how my lights dont light up far enough. If this works let me know. Save me some money from taking it to the dealer

[axefire]

Gonna go try now -first I'm gonna try the adjustment from the other thread. if that doesn't work I'm gonna try and adjust the auto sensor behind the rear driverside wheel - but I'll have to wait a day or so for this one cause it's raining outside -

One problem I see with the adjustment that tree fiddy listed - I can't fit my meat claws in there (hands don't fit, it's real tight!!) - standby...

[edwin711]

Keep us posted

[axefire]

Got it - This is from the other thread: "In the very corner where the headlight assembly meets the front fender, take off the rubber cover along the edge of the fender. Look along the back of the headlight assembly and you'll see the low beam adjustment. It has a clear plastic cover over the leveling bolt."

Basically, you need to use the phillips head screw driver tip against the gears of the leveling bolt/adjuster to turn it. This is what I ws missing the enitre time! There's a slot that guides the screwdriver right to the gears. You can even do this without taking the clear cap off first cause the cap will basically come off as you roll the gears with the tip of the screw driver.

I highly reccomend a LARGE phillips head screw driver becuase I used a medium sized one first and wound up stripping some teeth from the adjuster. Not that big of a deal becuase when I rotated it around and got to that part I used a flat head to catch the adjuster and spin it.

Also, it will take many many turns to see a difference. like they said in the other thread, turn your lights on while parked in front of a wall, mark where your lights aim on the wall with a piece of tape, and then adjust. I just parked in front of my garage... I noticed a big difference on the drivers side, definitely raised it up. But the passenger side didn't seem to raise that much. Tonight when it's dark, I'm gonna go for a spin and see if I notice a difference. I know I will from the driver's side at least which is a big help for me.

here are some pics:

Drivers side - Notice the guide for your screwdriver - the white cap in the cricle is where the gears are:


Passenger side (fuzzy, sorry but you get the idea):

[SmoovC]

I guess I am confused from the pic in the other thread; I was turning the one behind the high beam, based on the picture and this post:

"Okay, I remembered how to take apart the wheel well and change out my headlight bulbs; I went ahead and just took one side apart yesterday just to see how these bulbs move. Great news. The adjustment screw that is above the HIGHBEAM does move both low and high beam together. 'You guys were right'. However, the mechanism that turns the gear for the highbeam also has a very small wire/cable that is connected to the low beam. It moves them at the same time. You have to turn you screw driver many time because of the ratio size from the screw drive to the gear wheel. I figured that, but wanted to make sure before I went turn crazy. So---Yes, the wheel in the pic above does adjust both. You just have to turn many times to get a great result. Thanks Guys"

From what you can tell, is this not correct?

[axefire]

The adjustment I have in the above pics is just for the low beams. I verified this by marking both my low and highs on my garage door and checking them before and after - I could also see the lows raise as I adjusted them.

I can tell you that before I made my adjustment my low beams were so low that when I clicked the high beams on I actually had a slight black out gap between my low and highs. Now there's no gap, and my lows are better. Not quite as high as I'd like them, but definitely better...

I got what I did from the very last post in that other thread - at the very bottom from tulsadavid... he was correct, I just had to look harder and also figure out that the phillips head screw driver tip acts like a gear turning the leveler gear...

[SmoovC]

I can see the adjuster on the vehicle for the low beam only, as you stated. I am thrilled to know that you have verified that this works for the low beams only, as they are way to low to be of any use, especially after lowering the car.

I am still wondering what the relationship between the high beam adjuster and the cable that runs out of that adjuster actually does. One can see gears on the cable, and then the cable runs to an unknown location, presumably to the low beam?

I would be curious as to how many turns you made on the low beam adjuster, and if losing the white plastic cap has any negative effects on staying in adjustment. I don't think the auto leveling would be adversly affected, as it still see 0 degrees as it is calibrated from the Factory, and adjusting the low beam mechanical "0 degrees" reference point actually results in the car thinking the beam is lower than it is physically.

Also, how do they look and feel on the road? Thanks for your input, axefire.

[mgokool]

Here's the page from the PDF:

I've always wondered what this sensor by the back wheel was for...thanks axe for this post!

[axefire]

I can see the adjuster on the vehicle for the low beam only, as you stated. I am thrilled to know that you have verified that this works for the low beams only, as they are way to low to be of any use, especially after lowering the car.

I am still wondering what the relationship between the high beam adjuster and the cable that runs out of that adjuster actually does. One can see gears on the cable, and then the cable runs to an unknown location, presumably to the low beam?

I would be curious as to how many turns you made on the low beam adjuster, and if losing the white plastic cap has any negative effects on staying in adjustment. I don't think the auto leveling would be adversly affected, as it still see 0 degrees as it is calibrated from the Factory, and adjusting the low beam mechanical "0 degrees" reference point actually results in the car thinking the beam is lower than it is physically.

Also, how do they look and feel on the road? Thanks for your input, axefire.

NP - The lows are MUCH better after adjusting for sure. But again I'd like them a little higher but it's better.

It takes many many MANY turns to see a change. Again park in front of a wall, mark the lights, then start cranking. Use a BIG Phillips head screw driver (again) or else you will strip the gears.

Remember if you're approx. 10 to 15 feet from the wall, 1 inch higher equates to a significant rise at a greater distance. Is all relative...

I actually used a three pronged grabber/pincher thingy to catch the white cap. You can also use a narrow/long flat head screw driver to catch and/or pull off the white cap cause it has 3 notches on the top. but I just shoved my screw driver in there with the cap on and cranked it - the cap came off one side, loosened on the other but didn't come off. When I was done I just pushed them back on. Not sure about losing one, I don't think it would matter too much, I think they just protect the metal gear/adjuster from the weather, they may rust or corrode after a few years without the caps???

Oh, and I believe that cable connected to what you're calling the high beam adjuster is not really the high beam adjuster - it's the low beam AFS left/right turning gear. The height gears are within the light housing (I believe). But again, that cable and gear you're looking at are for left/right AFS I believe....

[axefire]

ADDED NOTE for adjusting the low beams - I noticed that everytime I adjusted them up, I heard something within the housing (spinning noise), and they'd lower again! It's the AFS!

So, when adjusting you lights, TURN AFS OFF!! then adjust, then turn then you can turn AFS back on.

Also, the levler for the low beams takes many many turns before you get any resluts, so just keep turning, and turning, and turning, and eventually you'll see them move up!

For those who've lowered your suspension, you may want to try adjusting the AFS sensor behind the driver side rear wheel (in the pic I posted above) because I'm not sure you'll get that much height adjustment from the levelers under the hood.

And finally, I'm wrong about the pic on the other thread - is is most definitely the up/down levler for the HIGH beams, not the left/right AFS.