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When I first got my car, it seemed like my headlights were aimed really low. The lights were a lot brighter than my previous TL, so it seemed like the previous owner replaced them. I had my shop adjust them back to factory, and there was a big difference. However, I thought they did it wrong, because it came out looking like 2 discrete steps instead of two steps blending into one.
I bought a long screwdriver and went to do it myself, with the relevant page from the manual in hand. I brought the passenger side down to align it with the driver side, and all was well until I started driving. It looked right, but wrong at the same time. When I parked in the lot for my building, I realized why…the hotspots for my headlights were misaligned…it was basically two semicircles, the passenger side being lower than the driver side. Right away I knew that the shop did in fact do it right, it’s just that they were accounting for whatever discrepancy is making my lights look funky.
After looking some more, the beam actually looks like this:
The right peak is higher than the left, even though both headlights are aimed at the same height. And none of the horizontals are actually horizontal. How can I fix this? Are the bulbs not sitting right?
but it shouldn't have that much of a slope.. it should be fairly horizontal. The only time I've seen this is when I do projector retrofits and have the rotation of the projector off. Recall that you're supposed to aim from about 25 feet away. I would also recheck the bulbs if the hotspots look off. Also a picture of the actual lights would help too (Although I commend you on your visio/paint drawing
When I first got my car, it seemed like my headlights were aimed really low. The lights were a lot brighter than my previous TL, so it seemed like the previous owner replaced them. I had my shop adjust them back to factory, and there was a big difference. However, I thought they did it wrong, because it came out looking like 2 discrete steps instead of two steps blending into one.
I bought a long screwdriver and went to do it myself, with the relevant page from the manual in hand. I brought the passenger side down to align it with the driver side, and all was well until I started driving. It looked right, but wrong at the same time. When I parked in the lot for my building, I realized why…the hotspots for my headlights were misaligned…it was basically two semicircles, the passenger side being lower than the driver side. Right away I knew that the shop did in fact do it right, it’s just that they were accounting for whatever discrepancy is making my lights look funky.
After looking some more, the beam actually looks like this:
The right peak is higher than the left, even though both headlights are aimed at the same height. And none of the horizontals are actually horizontal. How can I fix this? Are the bulbs not sitting right?
that is how my TL beam look at night, nobody ever touch the headlight or light bulb. Oh well it doesn't bother me that much espcially I can see more thing on the side of the road and not worry about blinding on comming traffic.
Well I messed with it some more after it got dark, and completely forgot to get a picture. I lowered the right headlight again to see what it would look like, and I realized that it looked off to me before because I went too low. Now the two steps blend into one and I have just one beam to look at rather than two. Parked right up against a wall, the hotspots are now at different heights (I will never know why), but it's not significant enough to bother me, and not noticeable to someone not paying attention.
If the right cutoff beam is sloped like that all I can think of is the projector itself is slightly twisted.
Most cutoffs I have seen and dealt with have a almost perfectly horizontal lower cutoff, then on some projectors the higher right cutoff slopes down a tad.
My unmolested 07 Type S has perfectly flat and horizontal lower cutoffs with a slight downward slope on the upper right side cutoffs. Both cutoffs should be aimed at same height. Not where the right beam is an additional step up from the left beam like some think it should be.
That very well might be the case. I have neither the time nor the patience to dig my way into a position where I can access the assembly, so I adjusted it as much as possible to where I can sleep easy. Now it's just one uniform beam, with the one step.
I feel so silly making a big deal about such a small issue like headlight cutoff patterns, but I have the bad habit of dwelling on things until they are perfect.
Well I messed with it some more after it got dark, and completely forgot to get a picture. I lowered the right headlight again to see what it would look like, and I realized that it looked off to me before because I went too low. Now the two steps blend into one and I have just one beam to look at rather than two. Parked right up against a wall, the hotspots are now at different heights (I will never know why), but it's not significant enough to bother me, and not noticeable to someone not paying attention.
Are you the 1st owner?
Has your car ever had any front end damage? If you are the 2nd owner than you'll never know for sure.
Reason why I ask is because my car is salvage title and sustained heavy damage to the passenger front fender. Things don't line up right in the front of my car. Bumper and headlights included.
My headlight cut off isn't as bad as yours but at the same time it isn't straight like an arrow.
Here's a output of my not perfect headlight cutoff from my driveway. My driveway is inclined so my car is facing downwards at a slope.
3-5 feet from the wall.
~15 feet from the wall.
~30 feet from the wall + zoomed in with the camera settings.
I am the second owner. There were supposedly no accidents, but like you said, I will never know. Yours still looks better than mine ever did before I made today's changes.
What I think happened is that the entire headlight was disassembled at some point (both sides) when the headlights were replaced. I say this because on two occasions, I found condensation on the inside of the headlights, which tells me that someone opened it up and didn't reseal it correctly. Also, the bulb outputs are typical to brand new bulbs, not original bulbs from 8 years ago. So these new bulbs were put in, and sometime during the reassembly or reinstallation, something got unseated or misaligned, resulting in my diagram above. The left headlight is a touch misaligned, but nothing like the right headlight.
Has your car ever had any front end damage? If you are the 2nd owner than you'll never know for sure.
Reason why I ask is because my car is salvage title and sustained heavy damage to the passenger front fender. Things don't line up right in the front of my car. Bumper and headlights included.
My headlight cut off isn't as bad as yours but at the same time it isn't straight like an arrow.
Here's a output of my not perfect headlight cutoff from my driveway. My driveway is inclined so my car is facing downwards at a slope.
3-5 feet from the wall.
~15 feet from the wall.
~30 feet from the wall + zoomed in with the camera settings.
Is it just me, or does 3-5ft cutoff look like the 06+ "sloped" cutoff, but the
15ft cutoff looks a lot like the 04/05 "stepped" cutoff?
I have step shield upgrade on my 08 TL base headlights in case you were wondering.
Those bulbs are also morimoto 3five 5k behind a authentic zkw (not replica) lens.
My rotational axis alignment is off. Car was previously wrecked so I can't do much about it.
I thought they looked stepped. My aunt has 12 TL with the sloped shield which I personally don't like at all.
I have the same bulbs in my 04 now and soon I'll be getting some zkw lenses too (replicas though). I was also thinking of upgrading to the xb35 bulbs, but I'm not complaining about the 3five's though
Coincidentally, my car just had a minor wreck also that busted my bumper, driver's fender, fender liner, headlamp and mounts.
I thought they looked stepped. My aunt has 12 TL with the sloped shield which I personally don't like at all.
I have the same bulbs in my 04 now and soon I'll be getting some zkw lenses too (replicas though). I was also thinking of upgrading to the xb35 bulbs, but I'm not complaining about the 3five's though
Coincidentally, my car just had a minor wreck also that busted my bumper, driver's fender, fender liner, headlamp and mounts.
If you ever have money to spend I recommend osram CBI. I was using 5k 3five for about a year and switched to CBI within the last 3 months and the difference in brightness is very noticeable
If you ever have money to spend I recommend osram CBI. I was using 5k 3five for about a year and switched to CBI within the last 3 months and the difference in brightness is very noticeable
Yeah, I actually want the Philips 85122XV. Supposedly, they're even better than the CBI's, and the Philips are only 4800k which is better than the 5500k of the CBI's particularly in inclement weather.
I prefer function over form when it comes to lighting. That's why I haven't put re-based hid bulbs or those ridiculous LED's with the worst hot spots and zero cutoff in my fogs, but instead use 9012 bulbs that actually help in the fog.
Yeah, I actually want the Philips 85122XV. Supposedly, they're even better than the CBI's, and the Philips are only 4800k which is better than the 5500k of the CBI's particularly in inclement weather.
I prefer function over form when it comes to lighting. That's why I haven't put re-based hid bulbs or those ridiculous LED's with the worst hot spots and zero cutoff in my fogs, but instead use 9012 bulbs that actually help in the fog.
Nothing can touch the CBIs. And the actual specs on those bulbs are 5000k at 3500 lumens. It tops any other HID because the bump in color temperature usually translates to lower lumens, but these actually are brighter than stock bulbs by 300 lumens.
Nothing can touch the CBIs. And the actual specs on those bulbs are 5000k at 3500 lumens. It tops any other HID because the bump in color temperature usually translates to lower lumens, but these actually are brighter than stock bulbs by 300 lumens.
Actually, the CBI's are now rated at 5500K. Also, the Osram Nightbreaker put out the same 3500lu.
In addition, both the links comparing the Lux of the different bulbs all rate the Morimoto's the highest Lux. Most importantly in the projector not at close range in kLux.
That is unless you plan on buying them purely for bench testing?
01-28-2015, 01:54 PM
