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

[BigTDogg MA]

Clockwise lowers the light. Just in case anyone wanted to search before adjusting.

[biggreen96]

Just got an XT, drivers headlight seems odd. Passenger headlight has the distinct ..../'''' low and high arc but the drivers doesn't. Should it?

[MiniStiGuy]

make sure the bulb is put in flush and not angled at all.

[I3eXa]

make sure the bulb is put in flush and not angled at all.

 

 

 

Yep. PO on my OBS didn't line up the tabs. Took me forever trying to figure out what the heck was wrong and kept trying to adjust the lights to no avail.

[BLBostonLegacy]

I have a headlight question for ya’ll. On my 05 Legacy 2.5i, The 3 wires from the bulbs to the vehicle harness were all rotted and squirrel bitten so I cut em out and replaced them. Now, my low beam is worse then DRL. My high beams I’m not even sure are low beam strength. I’ve tried replacing bulbs, no change. Advice?

[BLBostonLegacy]

I have a headlight question for ya’ll. On my 05 Legacy 2.5i, The 3 wires from the bulbs to the vehicle harness were all rotted and squirrel bitten so I cut em out and replaced them. Now, my low beam is worse then DRL. My high beams I’m not even sure are low beam strength. I’ve tried replacing bulbs, no change. Advice?

[BajaTim]

Great, detailed, well thought out and documented post ! #rare [emoji12]

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[fedaykin]

I have a headlight question for ya’ll. On my 05 Legacy 2.5i, The 3 wires from the bulbs to the vehicle harness were all rotted and squirrel bitten so I cut em out and replaced them. Now, my low beam is worse then DRL. My high beams I’m not even sure are low beam strength. I’ve tried replacing bulbs, no change. Advice?

 

No idea if you fixed this, but I'd throw a fresh relay (wiring) harness on. Get them electrons straight from the battery, and use the existing headlight plug as a trigger source for the relay.

[Jon_Slider]

The DOT standard for headlamps alignment is as follows

 

Thank you for this outstanding effort. I has helped me a great deal.

 

A recent installation of new headlights left me with some very worrisome dark shadows in my beams.

 

here is a visual aide

 

I did call the mechanic to ask if they want to try and adjust the lights better, they said "contact the manufacturer of the lights."

 

waiting till dark...

 

===

 

update.. Fail

the left beam is U shaped, the right beam has straight horizontal pattern.I had hoped the shadows could be covered by raising the left beam, but it did not work.

 

here it is on the pavement

each lens produces a pair of illuminated petals, with a dark shadow in-between.

 

Im negotiating with the vendor to return the lights. I asked them if they would pay for the installation and removal, since I paid a shop to do the job.. we shall see...

Edited February 16, 2018 by Jon_Slider

[fedaykin]

What headlights are they? Left side bulb isn't seated properly.

They obviously should've have those dark lines in the middle.

 

Aim them properly though, that left beam will be hitting oncoming traffic in the face.

[Jon_Slider]

Thanks for the info. You really know your stuff, to recognize that the left lamp was not seated properly.

 

Problems solved, after swapping the two bulbs left for right.

I learned that the left one had not seated properly, I put it on the right and vast improvement in cutoff shape.

 

the lamp from the right side that had good straight cutoff to begin with, stayed good in the left side, once I made sure it seated all the way.

 

Im happy to have learned that the issues are installation,

and bulb related.

 

fwiw

the dark shadows that divide the single beams are still there when only one side is lit. The shadow line is in the same place as the cutoff line, if you look at the bottom of each band of light, the shadows show on the wall also.

 

But the shadows get overlapped by the beam from the other housing. I would be curious if anyone can duplicate this observation with stock light housings.

 

Im still not sure what differences the Depo housings have, in terms of optics.

thats a 2006 outback, I cleared the rear corners and now also the front corners

 

 

low beams:

 

I notice my right beam, has a larger dark shadow, on the wall, more than the left beam.

The right is now also dimmer than the left (reverse of before, iow, the dim bulb just moved to the other side). I checked with my light meter and the right now reads 22, while the left reads 37!

 

 

the bulbs were brought over from my OEM housings.. time for new ones..

 

these housings or bulbs, not sure which until I buy new bulbs, do produce a dark line in the middle of the beams, but the other beam sits on top of it, and mostly cancels it out

 

 

 

The shadow lines are almost hidden, when both bulbs are lit, now that the bulbs are seated flat..

 

(in my defense, the lamp that was not seated properly was from a shop install).. I at least can take credit for finally figuring it out.

 

Im glad I don't have to return these DEPO housings, that was turning into a very unpleasant interaction. I sent the seller the street photos, but they could not tell the left lamp was not seated… what a mess one cockeyed half dim lamp created.

 

Fwiw, the seller claims they checked their stock, and they ALL have the dark shadow in the middle of each low beam. You can verify this on a dark street, by covering one of the lights.. it should look like the pics I posted of the single beams, even when the bulbs are properly seated.

 

I have never tested a stock light for the dark shadow.. kinda curious..

 

Has anyone tested a stock housing on flat pavement, not shining onto a wall, just along the ground… any dark shadow?

 

post a pic please..

 

Im not impressed with the swirly handlebar mustache artifacts on the out side edges of this beam

 

Now that I know the main issue was an unseated bulb, I have cancelled my dispute with the vendor.

Edited February 19, 2018 by Jon_Slider

[fedaykin]

Yeah depo lights... they use cheap halogen projectors.

Do you still have the old headlights? If so, retrofit them. Fairly easy once you split the housing. Plenty of space for a D2S projector ("black series" basically bolts on, or this, or this with projectors).

 

Or you can retrofit those depo lights as well.

[Floculant]

Thanks for the informative post.

I had a 2000 legacy (Liberty in Australia) which I replaced with HID globes (75w low and 100w high) - absolutely awesome for our country driving.

Although not quite as good as the L series I had before that one, I had 2x 6" spotlights and 2x 8" flood beams mounted on a bullbar which turned night into day with 100w HID globes - had to beef up the alternator though as I had changed the stock headlight globes as well).

Could see the Kangawallbats from miles away. :-)

As the globes are totally different in my 2008 model, I could not fit the old HID kits (until I get some new globes).

But I had some LED globes sitting here which do fit.

So just tried those out and they were a bit hard to get locked in due to the huge base (with a fan), got them in eventually after a lot of fiddling about.

Nice white light but the alignment is a bit low (hits the road about 1.5 car lengths in front) to tell how good they are - had the same problem when changing to HID in the old car.

Seems like just changing the type of globes can sometimes mess up your alignment.

Thanks for the pics of the adjustment screws - saves messing about in the dark trying to figure which is which.

[fedaykin]

HID/LED kits in reflector halogen. Absolutely not awesome for any driving

[ZoeSkinner]

Thanks for sharing. I'm a newbie driver , and this is useful