Headlight adjustment on lowered cars
01-15-2008, 10:16 AM
#1
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Headlight adjustment on lowered cars
I have been meaning to start this thread for a while. Do lowered cars need headlight adjustment? Since they are lower, sometimes by several inches, I would think it would have a huge effect on headlight beam placement.
01-15-2008, 10:18 AM
#2
Ive seen this topic several times and while they may need adjustment I believe our cars only have one adjustment. Side to side not up or down so it was difficult. I think someone took the car to the dealership and it was confirmed. Quick review on page lt-39 for the lights only shows one screw but adjustment points for both vertical and horizontal.
Last edited by redls1; 01-15-2008 at 10:23 AM.
01-19-2008, 09:54 PM
#5
Never had a chance to play with the adjustment screws on the headlights but there is a whole TSB for it.
Since our cars are lowered more in the front then in the rear the headlights are definitelly pointing more down then before, potentially loosing the great benefits our HIDs provide.
Since our cars are lowered more in the front then in the rear the headlights are definitelly pointing more down then before, potentially loosing the great benefits our HIDs provide.
01-19-2008, 10:50 PM
#7
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Never had a chance to play with the adjustment screws on the headlights but there is a whole TSB for it.
Since our cars are lowered more in the front then in the rear the headlights are definitelly pointing more down then before, potentially loosing the great benefits our HIDs provide.
Since our cars are lowered more in the front then in the rear the headlights are definitelly pointing more down then before, potentially loosing the great benefits our HIDs provide.
01-20-2008, 01:24 PM
#9
Wink. I'll do the rest.
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Coral Springs, FL
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I have only been able to find the screw that adjusts the headlights vertically. Do you remember where exactly is the screw that adjusts them horizontally?
Last edited by larsim; 01-20-2008 at 01:45 PM.
01-20-2008, 01:32 PM
#10
Dues, I'm going to throw this idea out there since you're the only one probably willing to do it. Basically the Murano has very similar HIDs to ours (I have one) and on the Murano there is a dial that lets you point the headlights up/down. The idea is if you've got a heavy load you are towing or a lot of weight in the back the switch helps aim them down again. Would be a cool mod to take the Murano parts and put it in a Maxima. Its just a dial over by where our heated steering wheel button is...
01-20-2008, 02:22 PM
#11
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When my '04 SL was new, I could not meet a hundred cars (about a mile of driving in the Atlanta area) without being flashed. I have a large, flat garage, and checked the beam pattern on my garage wall and it seemed to be correct. I took it to the dealer, he checked the pattern, and said it was correct.
I told the dealer I couldn't live with that. Drivers get shot in Atlanta for 'disses' as small as blinding other drivers (and also get tickets). I told the dealer to lower the beams BELOW SPECS. He did, and I have had no further trouble in the following three and a half years.
Lowering the beam essentially affects ONLY THE DIMMED beam pattern, as the high beam pattern lights up planes and helicopters ahead of you (VERY high beam pattern).
My suggestion; after lowering, you might be far better just letting the beams stay a tad low, as it is really only noticable with dimmed lights. When the beams are on high, they have such a tall pattern that lowering the front of the car will have essentially no effect.
I told the dealer I couldn't live with that. Drivers get shot in Atlanta for 'disses' as small as blinding other drivers (and also get tickets). I told the dealer to lower the beams BELOW SPECS. He did, and I have had no further trouble in the following three and a half years.
Lowering the beam essentially affects ONLY THE DIMMED beam pattern, as the high beam pattern lights up planes and helicopters ahead of you (VERY high beam pattern).
My suggestion; after lowering, you might be far better just letting the beams stay a tad low, as it is really only noticable with dimmed lights. When the beams are on high, they have such a tall pattern that lowering the front of the car will have essentially no effect.
01-20-2008, 02:34 PM
#12
Wink. I'll do the rest.
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The other day I was coming home on one car and my wife was driving the Maxima behind me, and I noticed that he driver's side seems to be brigher than the passenger's..... I did some research on this site and did not find a conclusive answer.... The lights seem to be perfectly aligned when I drive up to the garage door.... You can only notice the difference in the brightness from a far distance 
01-20-2008, 04:13 PM
#13
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The other day I was coming home on one car and my wife was driving the Maxima behind me, and I noticed that he driver's side seems to be brigher than the passenger's..... I did some research on this site and did not find a conclusive answer.... The lights seem to be perfectly aligned when I drive up to the garage door.... You can only notice the difference in the brightness from a far distance
01-20-2008, 04:17 PM
#14
The other day I was coming home on one car and my wife was driving the Maxima behind me, and I noticed that he driver's side seems to be brigher than the passenger's..... I did some research on this site and did not find a conclusive answer.... The lights seem to be perfectly aligned when I drive up to the garage door.... You can only notice the difference in the brightness from a far distance
01-20-2008, 10:20 PM
#15
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xoomer is right. The top cutoff for the correctly adjusted beam pattern of the left headlight is slightly lower than the cutoff for the right headlight.
The temp here went down to 14 Saturday night, with wind chill of zero, and the temp will teach the teens again here on Monday morning. If the Atlanta area temps ever get back somewhere near normal, I am going to play around with my Maxima and see exactly where each headlight's beam hits my garage wall (by having my wife stand alternately in front of each beam). Then I will get various distances in front of my car and see how each headlight looks. Maybe we can figure out why the driver's beam is more noticable from a car traveling in front.
The temp here went down to 14 Saturday night, with wind chill of zero, and the temp will teach the teens again here on Monday morning. If the Atlanta area temps ever get back somewhere near normal, I am going to play around with my Maxima and see exactly where each headlight's beam hits my garage wall (by having my wife stand alternately in front of each beam). Then I will get various distances in front of my car and see how each headlight looks. Maybe we can figure out why the driver's beam is more noticable from a car traveling in front.
01-21-2008, 12:49 AM
#16
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I did mine a while back after lowered, hugh difference.
01-21-2008, 06:56 AM
#17
xoomer is right. The top cutoff for the correctly adjusted beam pattern of the left headlight is slightly lower than the cutoff for the right headlight.
The temp here went down to 14 Saturday night, with wind chill of zero, and the temp will teach the teens again here on Monday morning. If the Atlanta area temps ever get back somewhere near normal, I am going to play around with my Maxima and see exactly where each headlight's beam hits my garage wall (by having my wife stand alternately in front of each beam). Then I will get various distances in front of my car and see how each headlight looks. Maybe we can figure out why the driver's beam is more noticable from a car traveling in front.
The temp here went down to 14 Saturday night, with wind chill of zero, and the temp will teach the teens again here on Monday morning. If the Atlanta area temps ever get back somewhere near normal, I am going to play around with my Maxima and see exactly where each headlight's beam hits my garage wall (by having my wife stand alternately in front of each beam). Then I will get various distances in front of my car and see how each headlight looks. Maybe we can figure out why the driver's beam is more noticable from a car traveling in front.
I'll definitely adjust it as soon it gets a bit warmer.
01-21-2008, 07:33 AM
#18
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When my '04 SL was new, I could not meet a hundred cars (about a mile of driving in the Atlanta area) without being flashed. ..........My suggestion; after lowering, you might be far better just letting the beams stay a tad low, as it is really only noticable with dimmed lights. When the beams are on high, they have such a tall pattern that lowering the front of the car will have essentially no effect.
The other day I was coming home on one car and my wife was driving the Maxima behind me, and I noticed that he driver's side seems to be brigher than the passenger's..... I did some research on this site and did not find a conclusive answer.... The lights seem to be perfectly aligned when I drive up to the garage door.... You can only notice the difference in the brightness from a far distance
01-21-2008, 09:27 AM
#20
here is the link to the image http://www.geocities.com/cpt_jimbo/2005Maxima.jpg
Here are the adjustment screws
http://img143.imageshack.us/img143/1...board01dm4.jpg
01-21-2008, 02:52 PM
#21
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The other day I was coming home on one car and my wife was driving the Maxima behind me, and I noticed that he driver's side seems to be brigher than the passenger's..... I did some research on this site and did not find a conclusive answer.... The lights seem to be perfectly aligned when I drive up to the garage door.... You can only notice the difference in the brightness from a far distance
I figured out the position where you're looking at from affects how bright it is. In other words, if you had a rear view mirror on the passenger side, the left will look brighter and the same happens on our cars since we're sitting on the left side. Scientists may have a name for this, I have no idea what that might be
12-08-2008, 08:02 PM
#27
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So what about the horizontal adjustment?
I found the vertical adjustment screw on the passenger side, but there has to be a horizontal adjustment but I cannot see it!
Anyone have a picture of this? The diagram only shows the vertical one.
My horizontal adjustment is WAY off.
Anyone have a picture of this? The diagram only shows the vertical one.
My horizontal adjustment is WAY off.
12-08-2008, 08:18 PM
#29
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Well it's in there right as best as I can tell but the thing points WAY too far to the driver's side.
I've read about the horizontal adjustment screw but have never seen a diagram showing where the thing is located and I sure can
t find it from above, and I'd rather not have to remove the tire and cover again if I don't have to!
12-09-2008, 07:26 AM
#34
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12-09-2008, 10:47 AM
#35
12-09-2008, 01:00 PM
#37
Unfortunately, that auto-leveling headlights is availabale only in Q45 and latest FX(sport package)
