How To Adjust Your Car Headlights

Do You Feel Your Car Headlights Are Too Low for Adequate Illumination?
When driving at night, having a clear view of the road is crucial for ensuring safety. Proper adjustment of your car's headlights not only enhances visibility but also reduces glare for oncoming drivers. In this article, we will share the steps on how to correctly adjust your car's headlights, ensuring you have optimal illumination during nighttime driving. Let's delve into these simple yet crucial adjustment techniques to make your driving experience safer and more reliable.

How to Adjust Headlights

We are aware that not all vehicles come equipped with the "headlight height adjustment" feature, and not every driver has a headlight height adjustment button in the cockpit. How do you adjust them in such cases? Are there alternative methods? Below, we'll share two methods for adjusting headlight height.
(1) Rotate the Interior Headlight Height Adjustment Button
Most modern vehicles are equipped with the "headlight height adjustment" feature, and there is a headlight height adjustment button in the cockpit, as shown in the figure:

The button circled in red in the image is the headlight height adjustment button. Turning it upward lowers the light projection height, while turning it downward raises the light projection height.
Sitting in the driver's seat, rotate the button while observing the headlights. You will notice a noticeable change, making the operation simple.

However, it's essential to note that this button simultaneously controls both the left and right front headlights. If you need to adjust the left or right headlight individually or if your car lacks the "headlight height adjustment" function, meaning there's no dedicated headlight height adjustment button, you'll need to use the second method.
In cases where individual adjustments for the left or right headlight are necessary, it often occurs when one headlight assembly is damaged. After replacing a new assembly, the projection angle may differ from the old assembly on the other side, requiring separate adjustments for the new assembly.

(2) Adjusting the Headlight Assembly Fine-tuning Button
For a few car models without the "headlight height adjustment" feature, there may not be a specific headlight height adjustment button. However, there will always be a fine-tuning button on the headlight assembly itself, as shown in the image:

The two white buttons circled in red in the above image are the fine-tuning buttons. Using an Allen wrench, you can rotate and adjust them to observe changes in the light pattern.
The image depicts the appearance after removing the headlight assembly. Before removal, when mounted on the vehicle, the angles would be as shown.

In general, if you need to adjust the headlight height, using the height adjustment button inside the cockpit is usually sufficient. There's no need to adjust the fine-tuning buttons on the headlight assembly unless you encounter a situation where one side has a new assembly, and the light pattern's height significantly differs from the old assembly on the other side. In such cases, adjusting the new assembly becomes necessary; otherwise, there's no need to touch the buttons on the headlight assembly.
The buttons on the headlight assembly serve a fine-tuning purpose, and the adjustment range is not substantial. Additionally, it's crucial not to force the operation to avoid damaging the headlight assembly.
Adjustment Tool: Allen Wrench
The vast majority of headlight assemblies have fine-tuning buttons controlled by an Allen wrench. Simply use an Allen wrench to rotate and adjust the internal Allen nut. The Allen wrench looks like the one in the image below:

Adjust the hexagonal nut to ensure uniform height for the left and right headlights.
As mentioned earlier, the fine-tuning buttons on the headlight assembly control each assembly individually. For vehicles without a headlight height adjustment button, you can adjust the headlight height by separately adjusting the left and right headlight assemblies.
For cars with the "adjust headlight angle" button inside the cockpit but uneven height on the left and right, you can achieve uniform height by adjusting one of the headlight assemblies. The adjustment method is illustrated in the diagram below:

Through adjustment, you can achieve uniform height for the left and right headlights.

Adjustment Method

(1) Adjusting the Left and Right HeightsWhether adjusting the button inside the cockpit or using an Allen wrench to adjust the nut on the headlight assembly, both adjustments should be done facing a wall.First, choose a flat surface, park the vehicle about five meters away from the wall, and ensure the vehicle's body is perpendicular to the wall. Check if the left and right sides are at the same height. It's acceptable if the right side is slightly higher than the left. If the right side is lower than the left, you can use an Allen wrench to adjust the adjusting nut on the right side of the headlight assembly.

(2) Adjusting the Headlight Projection Distance
After ensuring that the heights on both sides are consistent, the next step is to adjust the headlight projection distance, meaning simultaneously adjusting the height of both headlight assemblies.
Drive the car to a flat and open area, measure a distance of 30 meters. The cut-off line of the low beam light should be approximately at the 30-meter mark. If adjusted too high, causing the light to project too far, it may affect the visibility of oncoming drivers.

Certainly, the situation may vary for different headlight assemblies. If adjusting the low beam to 30 meters results in the high beam being too high, it's possible to lower both the low and high beams slightly. However, individual preferences may vary, and adjustments should be made based on specific circumstances.