How to Aim and Align your Headlights Correctly

[@1AAuto]

√ *Watch the Video* √ *Buy The Part at 1A Auto* 1aau.to/m/Visit-1AAuto √ *Do it Yourself* √ *Save Money*

[@JDMSMOKEY03]

Wouldn’t u want the headlights at the exact same spot rather than passenger being higher and driver lower to not blind people. I just don’t want my projector headlights even so that at different angles it looks the same and not brighter than the other one. From factory, are the headlights even or one higher than the other like u guys said to do?

[@1AAuto]

+Gerald Martin Thank you for your question. We use UPS for shipping our parts.

[@lialfredcastor4390]

@@1AAuto where are your shops located

[@edwardwaldron7813]

I have a 2008 Hyundai Santa Fe any idea where the headlight adjustment screw is at. It’s been at dealer twice for minor work but they keep forgetting ​@@1AAuto

[@1pcmedic]

Every states motor vehicle departments should have a wall that drivers can pull up to with markings so that ANYONE can adjust their own headlights properly. In the past few years there are so many cars out there blinding oncoming drivers........

[@FrankDracula_]

I'm here specifically because I know im blinding everyone else when I drive lol

[@loveever89]

@1pcmedic Now that’s a genius idea!! 👍🏼

[@dancahill9122]

The blinding that everyone has experienced the last few years is caused by the Type of lights the automakers have been allowed to use, NOT the adjustment of the lights.

[@RattyScorpion]

@@dancahill9122 I think it may be both lmao

[@user-bp4qq7tt1u]

@@FrankDracula_ lol it took me awhile to realize my lights weren't too bright, they're in people's faces and that's why they're flashing their brights at me

[@carrsson]

Excellent video, detailed, clear, and concise. Very professional and to the point...not full of 'camera-time' trivia about personal life, or what gramma, grandpa, or his buddies do. Thank You.

[@jpeknowbody3649]

Shit video

[@satxification]

Never knew the driver side headlight needed to be lower than the passenger. Have not seen any other video that mentions this. This is good to know, thank you.

[@jeff199999]

I just installed new headlights in a 2003 Subaru Forester and aligned them using this procedure. Used a 55” TV box for creating the light beam map. Was easy, fast and accurate. Thank you for creating this superb video. I’m in your debt. “ATTABOY!!!”

[@1AAuto]

+jeff199999 Thanks for watching, we're glad this video helped!

[@nolast3671]

I've watched several on KZbin all day, this is the ONLY one that actually shows it step by step CLEARLY !!!! Thank you so much!!!!!

[@bfpierce]

Also, without a camera being held in one hand-wrench in the other and a lot of ummms and uhhhhhs and repeatedly admiring how nice the lights look, miscellaneous stories about their brother-in-laws truck. Etc

[@JoeB3477]

A1 is the number one source for the best vehicle info and tutorials.

[@Plekteret04]

This is the first video of correct aligment for headlight. This is more professional than most videos I have seen!

[@jesusnieto8007]

Thank you so much. I just bought a set LED bulbs to replace a dead pair of halogens and I noticed that the cutoff was a lot higher than before. I did as you advised and I am very happy with the results. My lights are now well bellow the rear window of the cars ahead, nobody has flashed me when coming the other way, and the illumination I get is way better than before. You got a new fan here.

[@T410ce]

This is absolutely a precise and professional way of aligning headlamps and is not inferior to a headlamp aiming tool.

[@1AAuto]

+T410ce Thanks for checking us out! 1aau.to/m/Shop-1AAuto-c

[@JasonTylerRicci]

I wish I had a garage that was 25 feet long, lol

[@M70ACARRY]

Wish I had a garage.

[@Sebastian.12]

Mark Stewart I feel you bro 😔😥

[@delucerrr]

I wish i had a car

[@PontiacBandit]

You gave me a good laugh! We were all thinking it, but you said it! Lol

[@thomasdaum1927]

I wish my driveway was 25 ft longe !

[@SlavaZone]

I wish I could airdrop this video link to every car passing that has one headlight aimed too high 😂 Thank you for the super clear instructions!! Not it makes sense why the left headlight seems lower after service. But after measuring according to your guide, they were still both too low. I also upgraded to brighter bulbs as I was just using OEM bulbs, so hopefully with new bulbs and better alignment, I'll be able to see better at night!

[@balor6044]

An excellent video that covers it all in a simple straightforward way and leaves nothing out!

[@chrisbenefiel5212]

Perfect, thank you for the clear and concise information. I will share with all my friends and family.

[@1AAuto]

Thank you for the great reply. We love to empower our customers by showing you how-to perform your own auto repairs while installing our high quality auto parts. Have a great day! 1aauto.com +Chris Benefiel

[@ryoumans7780]

He never states use hi or low beams

[@dhtsoaedsdhtnadi9575]

Based on IIHS data and some trigonometry, the following chart should serve well. Back the car 25' away from the wall. First number of each line is headlight height in inches, second number is drop in inches. If you have projectors, measure at the HIGH side of the cutoff. If you have reflectors, measure at the top edge of the "hotspot", and drop the driver's side 2" more than the chart says. 22 1.5 24 1.75 26 2 28 2.125 30 2.25 32 2-7/16 34 2-9/16 36 2.75 38 2-7/8 40 3 44 3.25 48 3-5/8 54 4-1/16 IIHS describes 330" as the optimal distance of illumination for low-beams, and the majority of autos sold in the USA do not shine that far. The chart above should allow your low beam to illuminate the road 330' ahead (assuming your lights aren't embarrassed by a birthday candle). Using the high side of the cutoff as your drop guide will allow you to see the 330' distance in low beam while allowing the low side of the cutoff to do its job protecting oncomers from glare. If you're aimed according to the chart and shining into the passenger cabin in front of you, you're either a tall truck tailgating a pregnant rollerskate, or you forgot to turn off your highs. If you have reflectors, dropping the driver's side a little more than the chart says will accomplish the same goal SORTA. I say sorta because reflectors are scatterbeams and will cause SOME glare no matter what you do. I recommend a retrokit to a GOOD QUALITY projector setup. If that retrokit uses HID bulbs, make sure they have a solenoid cutoff to allow you to switch between high and low beam. In any case, try to get 5500K bulbs, or if you run HIDs with 55W ballasts, the next color temp higher.

[@meliashe1873]

I was doing this all wrong. I was making the two beams meet in the middle crossing over one another (supposedly to make it easier to see down the road farther) which wasnt working. As soon as its dark outside today you can bet im doing this technique you showed. Thank you for showing this video!!

[@herculespoopable]

Thank you! Just got new projector headlights on my Trailblazer and driver side is pointed at the ground about 5 ft in front of the truck lol. I'm not mechanically inclined but feel more comfortable doing this myself after watching your video.

[@1AAuto]

+Slow Down Move Over Thanks for checking us out! 1AAuto.com

[@Ken-zl1jf]

This was worth watching. Other videos on headlight adjustment miss key parts like the passenger light will be higher than the left to elliminate blinding other drivers, and that you need to do this on a level surface. This got my lights finally correct. Thanks!

[@stephenhagen234]

And in states where this is part of the check for Vehicle Safety Inspection for license plate renewal this is very important. The phrase "Watch where you are driving. Keep your eyes on the road" come to mind. You have to see the roadway and conditions in advance to be safe. It's also true, you can 'overdrive' your headlights if the vehicle speed is greater than what you can see in advance to take evasive/precautionary action. All impacted by headlight aim. Thanks for the excellent presentation of this facet of motor vehicle safe operation!

[@roguepetunia]

Your video is the most informative compared to others on same topic on KZbin.

[@1AAuto]

Thanks for checking us out! 1aauto.com

[@guloguloguy]

THANK YOU, FOR DEMONSTRATING THIS VERY HELPFUL TUTORIAL!!! AWESOME!!

[@Ottonic6]

When you were bringing your left headlight down, I would have lowered it to where it was too low, then bring it back up for a better visual. I know that's a little overkill but that;s just my OCD kicking in... Thank you for this, it was very detailed and easy to understand.

[@edwardgilby509]

Good job explaining the system set up an showing how to basically adjust. I never heard about adjustment on passenger side higher then driver side but it does make sense. Thankyou sir.

[@yves9893]

Althought this an awesome video I cannot see how most people will be able to find a floor that is perpendicular to the wall that lights are shinning on. IF you are inside a garage AND you have 25 feet plus the car lenght inside then sure, inside walls are perpendicular to the floor BUT if your are in any driveway, a parking lot, and facing any exterior wall then you are screwed because any ground surface around a building has to have a slope, even if minimal so rain moves away from the building. Been searching for a good location for a while and never found one. Still an excellent video and gives me all I need to know.

[@Hogib35]

Amazing tutorial. I'm going to take these tips and apply then to my arsenal. Thanks always

[@Spfinator]

Best guide for this on KZbin. Thanks a ton.

[@1AAuto]

+Chris Brillhart Thanks for checking us out. Shop here for high quality auto parts: 1aau.to/m/Shop-1AAuto-c

[@williemosier2092]

Watching these videos help me be prepared to do any repair on my van. Very helpful

[@Rocketyt]

What a most excellent video. I was just getting ready to take it to our trusty dusty repair shop and came across this video and I'm sure you just saved me a lot of Moola!! Thanks Bro!! 1A Auto will now be my first Stop to Shop!!

[@ronniewofford8310]

I haven't hit 60 yrs old yet and when I entered the auto repair world we had equipment to aim lights as part of our annual vehicle state inspection. I aimed my share. I can't count how many times I wish I had one available

[@andromeda6937]

Really clear and instructive video, thanks!

[@jamiestamand4840]

Thank you, that just saved my butt big time. I used my garage door as a reference now I can do this for my friends if need be.

[@ryans413]

Jamie St Amand Yea me too back my car in the garage so the front was facing the door closed the door cause I did it during the day but with garage door closed it made it dark adjusted my lights now looks good

[@davidshek606]

@@ryans413 Yeah, but doesn't your car have to be 25 feet from the garage door?

[@damionfritz5881]

Thanks so much your video was very helpful in adjusting the headlines on my 2008 Infiniti qx56 ...I was blinding other drivers and I know its dangerous both for them as well as myself...😢..thanks a million.😊😊

[@arthurgillian7467]

Great video and I used my garage door and works great, best instructional video I have ever seen. Thanks.

[@1AAuto]

+Arthur Gillian Thank you for the great reply. We love to empower our customers by showing you how-to perform your own auto repairs while installing our high quality auto parts. Have a great day! 1aauto.com

[@Daniel-z2j2v]

Nice vid. All I did was park behind one of my cars and adjusted the cut off line just below the door mirrors. No more blinding car in front

[@dillonh321]

My only other car is a truck 😞

[@KO-pk7df]

Thanks. As simple as this sounds your method actually works pretty easy. I remember my 1971 Yamaha Enduro motorcycle had this same method diagramed with instructions in the owner's manual. I must say owner's manuals are not what they used to be.

[@52griz]

Followed your video to aim a new set of Auxbeam GX's in my '01 Sebring convertible. Test drove and everything is right on the money. Thanks!

[@rafaeldiazus]

Thanks! This is one of the best instructional videos I have seen on the subject matter. Well done.

[@1AAuto]

+Rafael Diaz Thanks for watching. Please keep us in mind in the future if you need parts for your vehicle. 1aauto.com

[@videomaniac108]

Thanks, very interesting and informative.

[@nbdysfool3]

Just curious, I weigh 220 how do I factor me being in the car? Won’t that change the driver side?

[@William1866]

@@nbdysfool3 If your car has a front window, you should be able to see the adjustment board while sitting in the driver's seat. Check every day before and after eating.

[@glennyparham3848]

Excellent presentation. Good job. Easy to follow instructions. Thanks. G.Parham

[@amjadmlk]

Perfect and precise instructions 👍. I will share with my f&f about aiming headlights.

[@ericmedina8669]

Thanks for the headlight bulb replacement video for my 2003 Alero,did it in under five minutes!

[@wm3293]

Great learning video!! Now only if other drivers would stop high beaming For my LED low beams mine are level and are not aimed high and my light housing is projector type so there's a straight line cut off they learn the hard way when i High Beam them back got the upgraded Halogens in the high beams

[@treal512]

Newer lights have more output and as a result the spill is greater than standard halogens. I blame DOT regulations because ecode > dot

[@sethaliee4370]

You guys are great for helping people ☺️

[@lancecameron9123]

This was an awesomely educational video, thank you for your time and knowledge !!!

[@judgeleeder638]

Many thanks from the UK 😊

[@counciousstream]

Thanks for a great video. You guys are really good at getting to the point while providing both what to do and some background as to why. I've been turning wrenches for quite a long time yet still jump on KZbin for pointers. Glad I came across your channel. Subscribed. I just replaced the headlamps in both a Buick and a Toyota. I'm going to use my garage door as the aiming board. The precision with which to assess and make adjustments is going to pretty much lost on the Buick, meaning I can pretty much do that one with a little bit of winging because it really doesn't project a horizontal transition line. The Toyota on the other hand is a very distinct horizontal line and I'll stick closer to the book, er uh the video.

[@HeliMicky]

Wow best video I've seen on adjusting head lights :-)

[@1AAuto]

+HeliMicky Thanks for watching. Hope this helped you out. Have a great day! 1aauto.com

[@vjmacintyre]

finally, a proper explanation. I'd still like to know the reference height that HIGH BEAMS should be at.. mine look to be right on top of my low beams' focal point..

[@ensarija]

What about % of beam fall, every headlight has is marked down. Shouldn't that be taken in to account?

[@luke_8_17]

Lived most of my life in Texas, where car inspections are mandatory and lights get yearly adjustments. Now I live in Oklahoma, where cars never get inspections. When a drivers lights are misaligned, they never gets adjusted unless the driver feels up to it.

[@fisher9276]

I usually adjust both my headlights high left, Youre welcome people. ha Very informative video

[@1AAuto]

+TPfisher92 P Thank you!

[@JleeA314]

Mines a 2015; pretty much the same. Thank you. Nice voice

[@WR_CTorch]

Very helpful! Thanks for sharing and taking the time to make this video.

[@martywoodlee2939]

You’ve turned that into a cluster dude , come on !!!

[@kfdaddy]

I read somewhere the ideal distance ANY headlight should reach out is 200 feet in front of your vehicle, for your DRIVER SIDE headlight. Using 200 feet is not practical so they settled on 25' as a good practical distance for measuring the drop. The ideal distance for the passenger side, I believe, is 400', but I won't do the numbers on that one since it generally doesn't blind oncoming drivers. If you have an average headlight height of say 32" and you want your beam to reach 200', or 2400", then you have to calculate the proportional drop between 25' or 300", and 200' or 2400". The formula would be as shown below, where you're solving for X, the drop at a distance of 25', or 300" 32"/2400" = X/300", 2400X=9600, X=9600/2400, X=4" drop at 25' distance. An even simpler way to calculate the drop is to take the height of your headlight and multiply by 1/8, or .125. This simplified method is for when the distance is 25 feet to the wall. You can substitute your own headlight height, but the rough numbers are going to be around 4" for an average car.

[@MrBestworkerone]

Well done. I have it down now. Thanks for the video. Again "Well Done".

[@TheAgentAaron]

Excellent demo. Thanks for the video. I feel good about leveling my own headlights after this. Since this video addresses vertical adjustments to low beams are there any specifics to the horizontal adjustments? Specifics regarding high beams? Thank you again & merry Christmas!

[@bigcarlherdt4681]

Same question I had.

[@richardbristol452]

Exactly what I was looking for. Thank you!

[@smack9299]

Excellent video guys. Just upgraded my bulbs to the new Philips x-treme Vision Gen 2 and was unimpressed...until i adjusted them. Thank again

[@1AAuto]

+Steve Mackenzie Thanks for watching. Keep us in mind in the future if you need parts for your vehicle. 1aauto.com

[@ryans413]

With reflector housing people say you can’t use LEDs and you can you just have to re adjust the headlights to the new bulbs

[@SMOKEATER850]

@@ryans413this was true a year or two ago, but you can use LED as long as they have the correct beam pattern, most modern LED bulbs have an adjustable base so it's not really an issue any more. Its HID that shouldn't go into regular reflectors. You'll see better with HID bulbs, but you'll be emitting tons of glare and blind oncoming traffic. HID bulbs should be in projectors, LED bulbs perform poorly behind a projector, so for the most part, a standard reflector is the only sensible option for an LED bulb. I recently heard these 4 sided LED bulbs do well in projectors but have not tried them because the 55w HID bulbs I'm running are amazing.

[@satishbahuriya3334]

This video very helpful to me thanks sir, you doing great work thanks once again.

[@woodrow7201]

Yes, excellent and thorough. thank you

[@justme.174]

Thank you, to all at 1A Auto

[@jimmystecher5214]

This rally helped me out, thank you so much.

[@riconaka]

Thank you for this video! Very thorough!

[@DeGENERAL936]

Great tutorial… thnks man

[@MrKen59]

What’s interesting is I’ve noticed when replacing a headlight bulb, if it’s not seated perfectly, the beam will be off. Just replacing a bulb should not change the position of the beam. This was something I noticed and wonder how many people have poor beam position simply because the lamp isn’t installed right.

[@richarddavidson9768]

Thank you. Appreciate the thought behind the actions. Excellent!

[@phillipanderson2607]

I like how all Toyota tundras trucks come standard with electric up and down aiming lights for carrying loads so you can push a switch on the dashboard to aim the lights down if you have a heavy load. I wish other trucks had this standard option 😕.

[@ronwedmore5637]

Great help u just saved me a lotto money

[@tomparker7126]

Great information........now to adjust my headlights

[@1AAuto]

+tom parker Thanks for checking us out! 1aau.to/m/Shop-1AAuto-c

[@thanosp.8140]

Nice and detailed! Now to calculate these in metric... 😅

[@BC-je4ym]

12:25 sometimes animals are on the sidewalk and pedestrians come out of the woods!

[@misterman124]

What about horizontal adjust ment

[@markstephan2304]

Excellent presentation, thank you!

[@1AAuto]

+Mark Stephan Thanks for the feedback!

[@oscarcuevassn95saleemzr12]

Thanks a lot for the vid. And also for A1 parts , I'm a customer, a happy one thanks a lot .✌

[@1AAuto]

+Oscarcuevassn95 Saleemzr1 Thanks for checking us out!

[@ncflores210tx]

This is some great info. Do you have one that shows adjusting headlights and fog lights on a 2009-2018 Dodge Ram 1500?

[@royantillon6786]

Exelent video!! great explanation works great for my vehicle 👍 thanks for sharing!!

[@Michael-pl6tf]

Very nicely done. It was clear and precise. I had No unanswered questions THX

[@1AAuto]

+Michael Thank you for the great reply. We love to empower our customers by showing you how-to perform your own auto repairs while installing our high quality auto parts. Have a great day! 1aauto.com

[@foxfordcatguy2283]

1A Auto Parts What about horizontal adjustment?

[@QuentinQuatermass]

Excellent video, thank you!

[@baptistedfr2734]

Excellent explanations thanks

[@thatstrami]

Excellent video Thank you very much

[@johngalt1931]

Excellent video. I've book marked your site. If your part sales are handled as complete and professionally as this video I'm sure I'll find satisfied when I come back to purchase parts.

[@1AAuto]

+John Galt Thank you for the great reply. We love to empower our customers by showing you how-to perform your own auto repairs while installing our high quality auto parts. Have a great day! 1aauto.com

[@TheAgentAaron]

I'm happy to have this knowledge so that I can level my own headlights. But, I still haven't figured out who John Galt is. Who is John Galt?

[@speedwayman100]

what about side to side do you want to keep the beam width as wide as the gap between headlights?

[@user-pb2vo4pt3t]

Good information. Thanks!!!

[@miriamremington0851]

Don't you also want the right headlight shining somewhat to the right so it's easier to see the righthand lines on the road? My dad is a master mechanic and that is what he always told me to do.

[@Elephantine999]

Great job!

[@paulcarter2907]

Great video thank you..Clear and concise...

[@drizzy9126]

I love these guys!

[@1AAuto]

+Drizzy Thanks for checking us out! 1aau.to/m/Shop-1AAuto-c

[@Saturika]

What about horizontal alignment ?

[@PatricksDIY]

Thank you for this, I knew I was right that my passenger side needed to be higher, I had someone telling me that they needed to be the same height, but that did not make sense to me, I would have blinded oncoming traffic!

[@davidrobins4025]

Clear information and directions. Thank You

[@1AAuto]

+David Robins Thanks for the feedback!

[@chilledoutpaul]

I have been a (UK mot test assistant) exactly the same thing as your (american) health test. when er do our headlight checks we have to use a beam setter and we do not have to set the o/s down 2". In our beam setter box we have a red line and provided the center of the beam "just where it kicks up" is below the red line the light is set okay, but we are allowed to pass the car provided it does not go more than 1" (2.5cm) below the red line. there is more adjustments that we can also preform with the beam setter

[@durgeshnandansingh9004]

Wonderful video, full of knowledge

[@neojoneswd]

great example and video

[@klancimcavoy7307]

Good explaining and showing can u say y its set at that height and is there any info on high beam headlamps also horizontal? Thx appreciate ur vid and info.

[@xecophinhodiyer7797]

Thank you for your video. I have never known before!

[@dwoodog]

clear and to the point. Thanks.

[@stealthslide]

Excellent video .... thanks...... I will be using the tape on my garage door method to do this....

[@1AAuto]

+James Stahl Thank you!

[@orbnitsky]

Nice video, thanks for educating myself and the masses! I recently gave up on my yellowed lenses and continuous polishing, so my aim could well be off. I wanted to learn, not so much "how" to adjust but rather the specifications to at least "aim" for. I wish police would have a way to enforce and judges heavily fine those who have no concern for others. As one ages, the visual purple in their eyes is not as responsive to changes in intensity of light and the irises to not close to compensate quickly enough. They get the spots before their eyes that everyone is familiar with and recover to see in darker situations much more slowly. Throw in a road hazard like a car without tail lights, a black cow or feral hog and you have a great potential for somebody getting badly hurt and property damage while the fellow with misaligned lights goes on, never seeing the results of his misdeed to humanity. It happens. Realize also that some medications tend to dilate the eyes (marijuana for example), some health issues affect the iris, and I used to get migraines of varying degrees, like many others, and the light can actually be painful. Often these would occur on my way home from work at night. Anyone who believes I am being "holier than thou" or a "stick in the mud", arrogant or whatever please understand this how most thinking and decent people feel. If you are not among the "decent" people you may be offended by this writing. It is OK to be offended we all are at one time or another and there is no civil nor God given "right" to not be offended. I am offended by some people's bright and misaligned lights so this is all I can do and I choose not to be angry, rather hopefully enlightening.

[@mrfester42]

This covered the up & down adjustment but how about the left and right adjustment?

[@gghhhgghhh3037]

Guess you didn't notice the left and right cross hair dials on both sides of the center line that he uses to adjust the height with... same concept to adjust left and right....

[@bbstacker70]

Well done. Thank you.

[@marvindavid2713]

Very helpful 😊