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How to Align your headlights! if you don't know now you do.


MiniStiGuy

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sorry for the long wait, but it just finally got fixed, i bought new dustcaps from another dealership, then took my car to the dealership i was referred to go to, they ordered a new headlight, took the old one out, put the new 1 in and that was it... EVERYTHING WAS FREE.. they warrantied everything.. very happy cuz now my lights work great...
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  • 2 weeks later...
So I just installed and HID kit and used your steps to align them. The passanger side was very easy, had a nice defiant line between the upper and lower arc, and was able to get it right on the mark. I covered that light up and looked at the drivers side and its just a big blur. Theres no defiant line on that side so you cant quite really tell where to stop. Is there soemthing wrong with that projector/lens/blub?
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  • 3 months later...

Very nice right up mini! I put some HID's in a few weeks ago and had a few people flash me. Decide to do the alignment and yeah they were shinning a little high :rolleyes: I have the vertical adjustment good but decide not to mess with the horizontal but after doing the vertical adjustment the horizontal angle on the end of the light output does not look level. I assume doing the horizontal adjustment would resolve this?

 

I took some pictures of what I am trying to describe but am too lazy tonight to figure out how to post pictures. Also I noticed some orb like glare above the cut off is there a way to resolve / adjust this. I am sure this is partially the reason people balk about putting HID's in halogen projector housings.

 

thanks again for the excellent DIY :D

Edited by LGT>WRX
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O.K this is my first attempt to try an post some pictures so hopefully it works. I am going to try and get some better pictures as these were done with a crappy iPhone. The angle of the picture really changed the look of the color but you get the idea. At the time when I adjusted it seemed the glare was more prominent but the pictures don't really show much. But then again I was looking at where the wall was a tan color and really seemed to reflect the light.

 

Looks like the horizontal needs some adjustment so I am going to go back and hopefully get better pictures too. I left my tape on the wall last night on the loading dock just so I could go back and adjust more :p.

 

One question that I had about the procedure is when you measure from the centerline of the car to the projector to get your mark wouldn't that be standard for all Legacy's (2ft was my measurement)?

 

Can't figure out how to post images, I tried the IMG icon and entered the link but it didn't work so lets try this:

 

http://picasaweb.google.com/spoolinU/Pictures?authkey=NWZqVbkwTSc#5244444232343640882

http://picasaweb.google.com/spoolinU/Pictures?authkey=NWZqVbkwTSc#5244444071771002242

 

http://picasaweb.google.com/spoolinU/Pictures?authkey=NWZqVbkwTSc#5244443991371722146

 

http://legacygt.com/forums/%3Ctable%20style=%22width:auto;%22%3E%3Ctr%3E%3Ctd%3E%3Ca%20href=%22http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Pwhcsazb4mHS826B5vcEXA?authkey=NWZqVbkwTSc%22%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://lh3.ggpht.com/spoolinU/SMgCBh4kraI/AAAAAAAAAEM/5zjE9Kc6viY/s144/hid2.jpg%22%20/%3E%3C/a%3E%3C/td%3E%3C/tr%3E%3Ctr%3E%3Ctd%20style=%22font-family:arial,sans-serif;%20font-size:11px;%20text-align:right%22%3EFrom%20%3Ca%20href=%22http://picasaweb.google.com/spoolinU/Pictures?authkey=NWZqVbkwTSc%22%3EPictures%3C/a%3E%3C/td%3E%3C/tr%3E%3C/table%3E

 

 

http://picasaweb.google.com/spoolinU/Pictures?authkey=NWZqVbkwTSc#5244444071771002242http://picasaweb.google.com/spoolinU/Pictures?authkey=NWZqVbkwTSc#5244443991371722146http://picasaweb.google.com/spoolinU/Pictures?authkey=NWZqVbkwTSc#5244444232343640882

Edited by LGT>WRX
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from those shots your cutoff is fine and aligned correctly. The slight ghosting above the cutoff is from the gap in the shields. you can reach in the back of the headlamps and stuff some quicksteel or something in there to cover them if you'd like but they are designed to light up road signs.
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Yeah after reading your diy for the Rx330 retro I understand better.

 

Question: So with the Rx330 is the reason the light pattern is changed due to the Rx330 bowl being used and not the stock one or is it the DS2 bulb, or is the result a combo of both? Just curious since the stock lens and housing are used. Also with the people putting the washer mods in for colour effect couldn't you just go with a different kelvin to achieve that?

 

I am currently using a Kaxien HID kit but might go the retro route in the future. Only draw back was I had to drill through the caps since the wires were to short and fat to fit through the stock gromit. I might be able to live with the slight glare but my concern is if I am blinding other people still. I guess time will tell if I get some flashes from other drivers.

 

Question: So looking at my pictures do you agree that I should make some adjustments to the horizontal pattern as well.

Edited by LGT>WRX
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the lens is what determines the color and sharpness. Inorder to get those effects though you have to figure out what spacing the lens needs to be at so thats why you add washers to space the lens further out.

 

The pattern of the beam is determined by the bowl of the projector not the lens so the Rx330's bowls are wider and give a spread beam vs the central focus'd stock bowl (typical for halogen setups).

 

Your horizontal aim seems to be on just fine. You want the lower step to just start going up at the line that marks the projectors location. Yours both match up to those lines just fine.

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^^^ Yeah thought about it but don't really want to tear the bumper off and all. Also if you clear them can you later put the reflectors back in? My other thought would be if I had problems or when it comes time to sell can I revert back to stock. Not sure kind of like the classic 'amber' look a little too.

 

Not sure either if I want to do the washer mod my kit is a 6000k and looks decent already imo but maybe the benefit would be the sharpness.

 

Wow adjusting these I think the lights are very pleasing for plug&pray HID kit. The cutoff looks real clean imo just like an OEM. With that said I do still understand the advantage of going with the wider bowls and that could still be in the works too. Now with all that said might be good enough for me at this time but I am no light snob either. ;)

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...As an individual who had the HID kit and then spent the money for a full retro with Mr Luv...!

 

All I can say is it is night and day!

 

Unless you do full retro the stock halogen set-up is the best IMO!

 

J

 

Wow, that sounds promising. Before I made the adjustments I would agree that stock halogen lighting was better and I almost made the decision to revert back. Once I made the adjustments per Mini's walk through here thought the lighting is completely different and slightly better than the stock halogen, IMO.

 

Now with all that said I am sure there is no comparison to the full retro and in time I am sure I'll be headed that route ;)

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