Aiming Headlights

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Old Dec 27, 2004 | 08:42 AM
  #1  
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Aiming Headlights

Hey,

I just recieved my car back after being repaired from an accident. The repairs the body shop did came out great but the right headlight is aimed a little low. Can anyone tell me how i can adjust them. In the manuel it says take it to the acura dealer or a mechanic but i really don't want to go through that hassel. Any info on how to do it myself would be a great help.

Thanks in advance
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Old Dec 27, 2004 | 09:18 AM
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I remember reading a thread about that here....just do a Search and I'm sure you'll find it...I think I even remember someone posting a .pdf from the Service Manual showing how to do it...
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Old Dec 27, 2004 | 09:28 AM
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From: NOVA
Originally Posted by justlooking
Hey,

I just recieved my car back after being repaired from an accident. The repairs the body shop did came out great but the right headlight is aimed a little low. Can anyone tell me how i can adjust them. In the manuel it says take it to the acura dealer or a mechanic but i really don't want to go through that hassel. Any info on how to do it myself would be a great help.

Thanks in advance
search on it, but the gist is you stick a phillips head screwdriver into a hold on the top of the headlight (pop the hood and look next to the black knob on the outside of the grill trim. turn the screwdriver and the head will turn the dial there and it'll change the trajectory of the headlight. make sure ot match both, you'll want to do it at night.
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Old Dec 27, 2004 | 04:34 PM
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really simple, just pop the hood like xizor said and youll see a black knob with a U and a D on it for adjusting the elevation of the beam. To the left of that theres a black philips head adjuster that changes it from the left to right.
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Old Dec 28, 2004 | 12:04 AM
  #5  
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But it really is very simple, when you pop the hood you can't miss the alignment hole. Park in front of flat surface (garage wall, etc) and point the right headlight just slightl higher than the left...
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Old Dec 28, 2004 | 01:26 AM
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like everyone says, it is simple. also do a search because i uploaded a picture of exactly how to aim your headlights.
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Old Dec 28, 2004 | 07:46 AM
  #7  
fraga's Avatar
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Originally Posted by TdotSSTSX


and point the right headlight just slightl higher than the left...
And why would you do this again....I would imagine you would want them parallel/even....but then again....I know jack sh!t about this stuff....so please as to clarify...
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Old Dec 28, 2004 | 09:02 PM
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from the factory, the left headlight is set lower than the right headlight so as not to blind oncoming traffic.
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Old Dec 28, 2004 | 09:08 PM
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From: NOVA
Originally Posted by tehCOW
from the factory, the left headlight is set lower than the right headlight so as not to blind oncoming traffic.
actually its not the left headlight, the cutoff on both headlights which is lower on the left part of the light
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Old Dec 29, 2004 | 07:14 AM
  #10  
fraga's Avatar
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Oooh...I see...good info....
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Old Dec 31, 2004 | 07:30 PM
  #11  
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Originally Posted by xizor
actually its not the left headlight, the cutoff on both headlights which is lower on the left part of the light
So Euro-R headlights can't be aimed to match OEM headlights?
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Old Dec 31, 2004 | 07:36 PM
  #12  
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Originally Posted by patch
So Euro-R headlights can't be aimed to match OEM headlights?
nope, its not possible. the cutof will be reversed no matter how you adjust them
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Old Jan 1, 2005 | 02:22 PM
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Originally Posted by patch
So Euro-R headlights can't be aimed to match OEM headlights?

In the USA, the left driverside headlight is aimed lower and towards the middle of the car, while the passengerside headlight is aimed straight ahead.

It will look somthing like this: //// ||||

Overseas right hand drive cars are the very opposite, however they CAN be reaimed to US Specs.

The best way to reaim headlights is to find a shop with a headlight aim machine. Any shop that provide State Inspections should have one.
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Old Jan 1, 2005 | 02:32 PM
  #14  
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From: NOVA
Originally Posted by TechSX
In the USA, the left driverside headlight is aimed lower and towards the middle of the car, while the passengerside headlight is aimed straight ahead.

It will look somthing like this: //// ||||

Overseas right hand drive cars are the very opposite, however they CAN be reaimed to US Specs.

The best way to reaim headlights is to find a shop with a headlight aim machine. Any shop that provide State Inspections should have one.
absolutely wrong, please read my posts
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Old Jan 1, 2005 | 02:36 PM
  #15  
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Originally Posted by xizor
absolutely wrong, please read my posts

I make a living working on cars, what do you mean I am wrong?
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Old Jan 1, 2005 | 03:01 PM
  #16  
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From: NOVA
Originally Posted by TechSX
I make a living working on cars, what do you mean I am wrong?
no offense, but go check the headlights on your TSX, the jagged line is from the cutoff, not the aiming.
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Old Jan 1, 2005 | 04:05 PM
  #17  
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Originally Posted by xizor
no offense, but go check the headlights on your TSX, the jagged line is from the cutoff, not the aiming.

I still dont get what you're trying to say.....the cutoff on any US car is always lower on the driversside headlight. When you reaim your headlights, the cutoff will change.

If you're talking about the angle of the cuttoff, meaning they're not straight across, rather they're more at an incline/ decline angle, thats just how the projectors are made.

Not trying to flame you nor am I saying you're wrong, but I do know what I am talking about.
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Old Jan 1, 2005 | 04:12 PM
  #18  
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do you know if that's true for HIDs? I can understand that halogen headlights are aimed differently.

but if you go an adjust your headlights, both are at the same level.
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Old Jan 1, 2005 | 05:44 PM
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Originally Posted by xizor
do you know if that's true for HIDs? I can understand that halogen headlights are aimed differently.

but if you go an adjust your headlights, both are at the same level.
Actually xizor, you're absolutely wrong. Re-read what TechSX is saying, the cutoff point can be adjusted and thus the headlights CAN be adjusted to spec.
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Old Jan 1, 2005 | 07:29 PM
  #20  
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Originally Posted by brianlin87
Actually xizor, you're absolutely wrong. Re-read what TechSX is saying, the cutoff point can be adjusted and thus the headlights CAN be adjusted to spec.
if you are saying you can take the cutoff off the headlight and flip it for the JDM ones, then I can believe that. isn't the cutoff sealed inside the headlight though?

hoewver, you CANNOT adjust the headlights up and down to fix the reverse cutoff of the JDM lights. if you believe this to be the case, go out and test your own to see.
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Old Jan 1, 2005 | 09:17 PM
  #21  
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Originally Posted by xizor
if you are saying you can take the cutoff off the headlight and flip it for the JDM ones, then I can believe that. isn't the cutoff sealed inside the headlight though?

hoewver, you CANNOT adjust the headlights up and down to fix the reverse cutoff of the JDM lights. if you believe this to be the case, go out and test your own to see.

What do you mean by flipping the cutoff? All you do is adjust the projector unit up/down and side to side, and the cuttoff will move with the projector. This is how you aim the headlights. If I wanted to, I could adjust my US headlights to JDM spec....but I wont go that far just to prove my point.
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Old Jan 1, 2005 | 09:44 PM
  #22  
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Originally Posted by TechSX
What do you mean by flipping the cutoff? All you do is adjust the projector unit up/down and side to side, and the cuttoff will move with the projector. This is how you aim the headlights. If I wanted to, I could adjust my US headlights to JDM spec....but I wont go that far just to prove my point.
go outside and adjust your headlights to be like the JDM ones, take pic and prove me wrong.
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Old Jan 1, 2005 | 10:02 PM
  #23  
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From: Northern VA
Originally Posted by TechSX
If I wanted to, I could adjust my US headlights to JDM spec....but I wont go that far just to prove my point.

Please believe what you want to believe.....I give up .... I honestly do......go to some S2000 forums and ask how some get their JDM headlights aimed to US specs........however if a mechanic can't convince you, I guess noone can.....
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