Headlight Adjustment - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

sepbradl · 04-19-2006, 12:10 AM

After recently installing a HID Xenon conversion kit (which I really enjoy), I would like to learn how to adjust the aim of the headlighst on a GEN 5 - 2002 Camry LE? The glare of the new HID system is not bad, but I want to bring it down a little bit so that I do not attract too much attention from the authorities. I have heard opinions on how to do it such as a large screw needs to be turned to adjust them, but I am not sure that this is the correct way.

Hawkeye-SE · 04-19-2006, 12:19 AM

Ugh.

There is an adjuster screw on the back of the headlight. Looking from the top down you should see a metal gear. Put a screw driver in the channel that leads to the gears teeth and turn.

The passenger side should be able to be accessed by a ratchet (there is a hex bolt head on the back of the adjuster) to save your wrists some work.

That not withstanding, I want to understand something. You bought an HID kit, presumably to have more output. BUT are now aiming it down, essentially reducing the output. So, what was the point?

sumptimwong · 04-19-2006, 12:33 AM

Some people like kits for their intensity and color output. With halogen bulbs, the only way you can have NEAR comparable intensity and color is with high wattage bulbs, and we all know the havoc that those can wreak on OE 20awg wiring!

That being said, I'm not a fan of kits =X

pk_kk · 04-19-2006, 04:23 AM

^ this has nothing to do with adjusting headlights...

On track with this
be carefull not to Adjust the Headlight too low Cause I got mine stuck. Also you should adjust the headlight with a wall so you can see where your aiming it. The goal is to shine somewhere around a car's bumper from about maybe 10ft away. so you dont blind people. I never had trouble with mine. and one of my headlights point to the floor. My retarded friend adjusted it too low and now it's stuck......................................... * my tip is DO EVERYTHING YOURSELF... lol

fredster34 · 07-12-2006, 12:54 AM

can u adjust the headlights side-to-side on the Gen 5? i remember there were side-to-side adjustment screws on my old Gen 4. i cant find the other screws on the Gen 5...

leasaunce · 07-12-2006, 06:32 AM

just be careful, make sure you don't adjust the headlights way too low........hehehe.

in the future you might wanna retrofit your headlights with Projectors

(like what I did)

LE05 · 07-12-2006, 09:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fredster34

can u adjust the headlights side-to-side on the Gen 5? i remember there were side-to-side adjustment screws on my old Gen 4. i cant find the other screws on the Gen 5...

nope, no side to side adjustment, only vertical.

sn1cko · 11-17-2006, 04:49 AM

I have an annoying headlight problem. It's been like it ever since and I haven't really done anything about it. Well, the low beams weren't even before (the left was higher), so I leveled those out; but the right beam isn't exactly parallel to the ground...

Also, there's an issue with the right high beam...

The right high beam is towards the center and too low. Maybe those who have retrofitted their headlights can help me out; looks like I might have to take the headlight apart and play with the reflector

Any suggestions to fix these?

LE05 · 11-17-2006, 07:11 AM

even if you did take it apart to play around with it, i don't think you'll be able to do anything about it. the reflectors for both low/high beam are one piece and are not really adjustable seperatley. as for the "parrallel-ness", i doubt you can adjust that either, since thats part of the optics of the reflector. i think the only solution is to get a new headlight, so its probably best to just live with it.

however, i can think of two more possibilities: 1) the reflector is broken, hence the uneveness of the pattern and the height of the high beam, or 2) the high beam bulb is not seated properly.

solutions/comments:
1) unfortunatley, if this is the case, you'd have to get a new headlight anyway
2) easy fix! this happened to me too, drivers side high beam was all skewed and uneven with the passenger side high beam. turns out i didn't seat the bulb all the way in...

Webb26 · 11-17-2006, 11:09 AM

^werd

sn1cko · 11-17-2006, 11:30 AM

^^ yeah, I checked all the basics over and over but no luck. Given that the reflectors for low and high beam are one piece, I was wondering if it was possible that the reflector was 'seated' incorrectly; but it looks like correcting the low beam will make the high beam even lower, etc. Guess I'll have to get another headlight and use the junk one for a retrofit. I purchased the car used so I wonder what the other dude did to the car

Webb26 · 11-17-2006, 01:38 PM

Like LE 05 stated it's the way the optics are desgined....if you look closely at the reflector bowls' horizontal line...you'll notice one line bends and is not a staright line...that is the culprit for what you are experiencing as well as i am. Although it'll be elimnated as soon as i get time to work on my retro...i'm projecting a completed project by sunday..but we'll see if time permits.

LE05 · 11-17-2006, 05:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sn1cko

^^ yeah, I checked all the basics over and over but no luck. Given that the reflectors for low and high beam are one piece, I was wondering if it was possible that the reflector was 'seated' incorrectly; but it looks like correcting the low beam will make the high beam even lower, etc. Guess I'll have to get another headlight and use the junk one for a retrofit. I purchased the car used so I wonder what the other dude did to the car

quite frankly, if it was just the low beam problem, i would live with it... they are only halogens after all

however, since you're having problems with the high beam, yeah, i'd recommend getting a new set. i'd even say get both sides... and hid retrofit the new ones (leave the old ones on the car while you work on the new headlights)!

fredster34 · 11-17-2006, 09:30 PM

when i change my low-beam bulbs between brands (philips hi-visibility vs. sylvania cool blue), the right beam shifts vertically. the left beam seems to be fine with either bulb. any reasons as to why that happens? it's not a dramatic shift, but i do have to adjust the aim a little bit, so it doesnt annoy me.

LE05 · 11-17-2006, 11:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fredster34

when i change my low-beam bulbs between brands (philips hi-visibility vs. sylvania cool blue), the right beam shifts vertically. the left beam seems to be fine with either bulb. any reasons as to why that happens? it's not a dramatic shift, but i do have to adjust the aim a little bit, so it doesnt annoy me.

probably the way the filaments are positioned between the different brands. should be nothing to do with your headlight itself, just the bulbs.