HID Projector Adjustment

[Erni902]

Evening guys,

As you know I have HID projectors fitted inside stock light housings. Recently when driving at night with the headlights on I have noticed that a couple of people have flashed me.

So the question is how do I adjust these so they are pointing away from on coming traffic and not blinding them, which I suspect is why they are flashing me.

I know about the process to go through but its the physical adjustment Im not sure about.

Do I use the stock adjusters on the back of the headlight unit or is there a a separate adjuster for the projectors?

Oh and I did try to search but came up with nothing.

[Erni902]

swinks because your the font of all knowledge ;) adaxo because I vaguely remember you adjusting yours recently?

[Bobby~d]

I have retrofitted headlights and use the original adjustment screws to the back of the headlight. The projectors are mounted onto the original reflectors and the adjustment screws/bolts move this. Good luck 👍
This is how mines are mountedhttp://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/05/20/ed560575be64d18cfc53784d38cacb44.jpg

[Erni902]

Cheers Bobby Ill give it a go tomorrow in that case.

May sound like a stupid question but if the lights are dazzling other road users is it because the lights are pointed too far to the side of pointing too far up? I had 1 truck driver flash me so maybe too high up?

[Bobby~d]

From what you're saying it sounds like it's too high and needs lowering. I usually park about 10-15 feet from a wall and adjust them this way. Also note that there are lhd and rhd projectors. The rhd ones drops off to the right and the opposite for the lhd ones
This is the height mines are adjusted to and also note how it drops lower to the right hand side. This is so that it doesn't dazzle oncoming drivers because we drive on the left hand side of the road and oncoming traffic is on the right hand side of the road.http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/05/20/553240a96509ccdbd91da4049adfe0f9.jpg

[Erni902]

Ok cool cheers, yeah I have read that inside the projectors is like a plate type thing that directs the light accordingly. Hopefully they are the rhd ones. I didnt have any dramas when they were on the purple vr4 so hopefully its just the vertical alignment thats out.

I only use 2 out of the 4 projectors for low beam and the other 2 for high beam so maybe try swapping them over and see if anyone flashes me then lol

[Bobby~d]

Same here. Was the hight of both cars the same? This could also play part in other drivers flashing you.

[Erni902]

May be slight variation in height but both on stock suspension and both used with the same wheels, as in ive swapped the wheels from to the other so they should both be pretty much bang on the same.

[Bobby~d]

If it's a slight variation in height then that shouldn't make much of a difference. Do as you said and adjust them vertically and see if that makes a difference. Good luck. 👍

[adaxo]

swinks because your the font of all knowledge ;) adaxo because I vaguely remember you adjusting yours recently?

Yes but it still doesn't happen, actually I'm not sure if i drive vr4 since.

[Atik]

To work out the light spread and how its affecting other drivers, try parking the car on a road and come in from the opposite direction and feel the glare yourself. If its blinding, then work out where it should be pointing from there.

Its a peeve of mine with other road users using unnecessarily bright lights with a totally rubbish light spread pattern.

[swinks]

Never happened to me, but I've spent some time against brick wall to set them correctly, even bit lower than should be, just in case. Also Mark4 had them set up in MOT garage and it did pass MOT test.
Overall, you do need carry basic setup procedure against the wall. Brick one is the best as you have already some horizontal and vertical lines ready.
Do Google image "headlight adjustment" and you will find a lots of examples.
Here is just one of many:
72416

Remember, it is important to determine cut-off line which should be approx. 10% lower that horizontal line of your headlights.

BTW, been flashed once because ppl thought that I had high beam lights on seeing my 4 low beam spots together. If you remember I had 4 low and 4 high beams light spots.

[Erni902]

Cheers guys, just waiting for it to get dark enough to have a play.

The question is which adjusters are which? There are several posts on the forum that shows pictures of the rear of the lights and some say the top adjuster is the vertical one and others say the top one is the horizontal one!

Does anyone know definitively which adjusters are the horizontal ones and which are the vertical ones?

[swinks]

There are 3 adjuster screws. One of them is fixed, I means shouldn't be adjusted. Other 2 are vertical and horizontal, 2 in vertical line, one above other. Top one is vertical, bottom one is horizontal. That what I remember, done last setting 3 years ago, but may be wrong.
In case that you still can't get right setting, try "fixed" one, but make sure you counted screw turns to carry on reverse action if needed.

[swinks]

Forget about statement above. After some consideration, I think I gave you wrong location of horizontal and vertical adjustment screws. Best way is to remove headlight, put on a bench and then try each screw and observe how reflector mirror is moving. Once you sure which one does what, the rest is just easy-peasy.

[Erni902]

Cool cheers for that Tomasz another question, as if you look at the rear of the lights at the adjusters, turning clockwise raises and anti-clockwise lowers is that correct?

[Nick Mann]

If your lights are on and facing a brick wall you will see the movement anyway. sure that it was obvious when I did it.

[Bobby~d]

What Nick Mann said is absolutely correct. You could also put a marking on the wall where the light beam\pattern is showing first for reference.

[adaxo]

Just remember to switch them on while adjusting, that make it a whole lot easier.















































sorry couldn't resist. :jester:

[Erni902]

Just remember to switch them on while adjusting, that make it a whole lot easier

Nah its cool Adam Ive got a torch app on my phone so I can see what im doing without having the lights on ;) :coat