Headlights

Headlight Aiming

Headlight alignment changes as the car ages. Numerous factors are involved, with road vibration being a major cause. If your car seems to have a wonderful view of the tree tops or shines only a few feet in front
of the bumper, it's time to adjust.

Headlight low beams do not aim straight ahead when properly aligned, only high beams do. Low beams point down and to the right so oncoming drivers are not blinded.

It is almost impossible to adjust headlights while shining on the garage door with the low beams turned on. As soon as the high beams are switched on, the lights are checking the trees on the left side of the road.

Government standards measure the headlight adjustment at a point only twenty five feet in front of the car, and allow a tolerance of about four inches in any direction from center.

A four inch error at 25 feet becomes a four foot error at 300 feet in front of the car; and 300 feet is considered the critical point of illumination. You should be able to clearly see a man, an animal or a parked car at 300 feet. Aimed just four inches low at 25 feet and you loose about 50 percent of your illumination and four inches high can blind on-coming drivers.

Headlight alignment should be checked about once a year or any time you can't see that car on the side of the road at 100 yards. The length of one football field is not far at 60 miles an hour!