Headlamp Alignment
Discussion
My Tuscan is due its MOT soon and I know (from looking) that one of the headlamps (dip beam) is out of alignment but I don't know which one or by how much. Does anyone have details of the distances that beams should be from the headlamps? The sort of dimensions I am after are the ones where you can put tape on the wall and move the car away xx feet etc. Anyone to my rescue please?
Thanks to the MOD that moved this, however, headlamp alignment is a general topic and should not be Tuscan specific (just cos my car is). Any chance it can be moved back please?
Thanks to the MOD that moved this, however, headlamp alignment is a general topic and should not be Tuscan specific (just cos my car is). Any chance it can be moved back please?
Edited by S6PNJ on Wednesday 10th October 19:58
Hi Phil, try this company,they sell a headlight adjusting kit for tuscans www.clever-trevor.net
you may have to search the site for it,but it most definitly is there,costing £10.28 inc vat.
Good luck Dave
you may have to search the site for it,but it most definitly is there,costing £10.28 inc vat.
Good luck Dave
Thanks, adjusting them isn't a problem, the screws are reasonably loose and I can get my hands in there. What I need to know is how high, wide etc to point them. There always used to be a line diagram on a website somewhere showing the distances but I can't find it. This time Google isn't my friend.
Dip beam has to point downwards by between 0.5% and (I think) 2.5%. I know the 0.5% is right - I like my headlights as far up the road as I can aim them. 0.5% is equivalent to half an inch downwards, if the car is 10 ft from a wall.
(If the headlights are higher they have to point downwards at a steeper angle but since it's a Tuscan we're talking about, let's leave that bit!)
Park the car on a bit of level ground against a wall and mark the headlamp centres onto the wall. make sure you have the horizontal AND vertical centres right.
Then move back and park say 10 feet from the wall, but still at the same level, and put on dip beam. The dip pattern is like a half circle of light with a horizontal cutoff and with a "peak" to the left to light up the verge. The peak joins the horizontal line at a distinct angle. That point where the angle joins is the centre of the beam. That should line up with the centre marks you made, but half an inch (or maybe slightly more) below.
It's very important that the car is at right angles to the wall and still in line with the original marks.
(If the headlights are higher they have to point downwards at a steeper angle but since it's a Tuscan we're talking about, let's leave that bit!)
Park the car on a bit of level ground against a wall and mark the headlamp centres onto the wall. make sure you have the horizontal AND vertical centres right.
Then move back and park say 10 feet from the wall, but still at the same level, and put on dip beam. The dip pattern is like a half circle of light with a horizontal cutoff and with a "peak" to the left to light up the verge. The peak joins the horizontal line at a distinct angle. That point where the angle joins is the centre of the beam. That should line up with the centre marks you made, but half an inch (or maybe slightly more) below.
It's very important that the car is at right angles to the wall and still in line with the original marks.
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