You might be wondering How to Adjust Aftermarket Headlights if you just bought a car with aftermarket headlights and you don’t know how to set them up. The good news is that adjusting the aftermarket headlight is not as difficult as it may appear. In just a few minutes, you’ll have everything you need to get started.
This article will teach you everything you need to know about adjusting aftermarket headlights.
How to Adjust Aftermarket Projector Headlights?
The following are the 10 easy steps that will assist you in adjusting your Aftermarket Headlights.
- Parking Light Adjustment
- Headlight Adjustment
- Headlight Beam Adjustment
- Headlight Aiming
- Aiming for the First Time
- Maintaining Your Headlights Properly
- Using an Automated Electrical Adjustment Device
- Headlight Height Measurement
- Headlight Height Adjustment
- Bulb Replacement
Parking Light Adjustment
You have to get used to the level of the parking lights first before you can move on to adjusting the headlights. First, get used to the level of the parking lights. Therefore, first flip the switch for the parking light, and then flip the switch for the headlights.
Now, adjust the angle of the parking light in the same way that you would the angle of the headlights in a regular car before driving at night. After you have adjusted the angle, you should then turn off the parking light.
Headlight Adjustment
When you have finished adjusting the parking lights, you should move on to adjusting the headlights. To make the necessary adjustments to the headlights, you are going to need either a wrench and an adjustable wrench or a socket wrench and an adjustable socket set.
It is possible that you will require the assistance of another person in order to successfully loosen and then retighten the bolts.
Headlight Beam Adjustment
There are two patterns of headlight beams available for your selection: a wide beam, and a narrow beam pattern. Narrow beam patterns are better at focusing light because they scatter less light than wider beams, but wide beams are brighter because they illuminate a larger region.
It is necessary for you to switch on your headlights and then make use of the adjustable wrench, just as you did in the previous step, in order to change the headlight beam pattern.
Headlight Aiming
The three-point method is a technique that can be used for the purpose of aiming aftermarket headlights in the correct direction. If you want your aftermarket headlights to be properly aimed, then you should use this method.
It is a standard that automakers follow when aiming the headlights of their newest vehicles, which they do using this standard. You are going to need to make use of a tape measure, after which you are going to have to place it on the screen or the headlight lens holder.
Using a tape measure, check that the center of your headlights is aligned with the highest part of the screen or lens holder. This will ensure that your headlights are functioning properly.
Aiming for The First Time
If this is your first time aiming your headlights, there is a specific process that you will need to go through in order to get the desired results.
For instance, if you are currently utilizing one headlight that is aimed at an angle of 15 degrees and the other one has an angle of ten degrees, you need to use a tape measure to determine the difference between the two angles.
You should also be aware that the minimum angle at which your headlights must be aimed in order to comply with the law is thirty degrees.
Maintaining Your Headlights Properly
Whether or not you properly adjust the aftermarket headlights, you still need to maintain them in order to ensure that they will last as long as possible. This is the only way to guarantee their longevity.
Therefore, you will need to have your car’s battery replaced on a regular basis and clean the headlights as often as possible using a cloth or wipes that are specifically designed for the purpose of cleaning headlight lenses.
Using an Automated Electrical Adjustment Device
You won’t have to go through the trouble of manually adjusting your headlight if you are driving a vehicle that is equipped with an electrical adjustment device that is automated.
Even if you already have aftermarket headlight kits installed, it is still worthwhile to give these a try because they should function normally with aftermarket headlights as long as the factory headlights remain in place.
Headlight Height Measurement
The height of your headlights can be measured in a number of different ways, the most common of which are using a standard ruler, taking measurements with both feet planted firmly on the ground, and then employing an aiming rod to take the measurements while sitting inside the vehicle.
Use the approach that provides you with the best possible fit in terms of comfort and convenience.
Headlight Height Adjustment
In order to adjust the aftermarket headlights you have installed, you will need to use a wrench or an adjustable wrench to loosen the nuts that are located on the mounting bolts for them.
You will need to use either an adjustable socket wrench or a socket set in order to make the necessary adjustments as soon as they are loose enough to do so. After that, give them one final twist, and you should be good to go.
Bulb Replacement
Since not all of the aftermarket headlight kits include headlights in the package, you will need to have the bulbs in your existing headlights replaced if you choose to use kits that do not include headlights.
To ensure that the new bulbs fit correctly in their sockets, you will need to remove the grille from your vehicle using a special tool designed for that purpose.
Then, take the old light bulbs out of their sockets and replace them with the new ones by removing the necessary wires from the old bulbs with a pair of pliers.
Why Are My Projector Headlights So Dim?
Headlights that are dim, dead, or fading are terrifying for drivers and dangerous for other drivers on the road. If you don’t get your vehicle properly repaired, you run the risk of encountering a wide range of issues, from the annual car inspection being failed to more serious accidents on the road.
These four primary causes are responsible for the dim light.
- Burnt Out Bulb
- Lens Oxidation
- Wiring Troubles
- Setting Configuration
Burnt Out Bulb
The most common issue that can affect headlights is bulbs that are dim, dying, or completely burned out. Fortunately, this also comes with the least complicated solution, which is to simply replace the bulb. The light bulbs in your headlights, much like the lightbulbs in your home, will eventually burn out and need to be replaced.
Lens Oxidation
Some motorists are taken aback when they learn that a dimming headlight is not necessarily the result of a burned-out bulb in every instance. Your lenses may become oxidized over time, which may result in a cloudy, yellowed, or foggy appearance to the lenses.
The cloudy appearance that oxidation gives lenses means that they do not allow as much light to pass through as clear lenses do.
Wiring Troubles
A number of different electrical components are responsible for lighting up the bulb in your headlight. In the majority of vehicles, this component consists of a wiring harness in addition to a fuse. Problems with the wiring in your vehicle can make your headlights less bright, cause them to misfire, or cause them to stop working entirely.
Setting Configuration
These days, drivers typically have a selection of various lighting options from which to choose in their vehicles. Take a moment to double-check your settings if you discover that your headlights are functioning improperly or have completely stopped working.
How do I make my projector headlights brighter?
Here are 10 Proven Methods for Brightening Projector Headlights
- Upgrade to HID or LED headlights
- Adjust the Headlight Aim
- Clean Your Headlights
- Replace the Headlight Lenses
- Add a Headlight Cover
- Replace Your Headlight Bulbs
- Upgrade Your Headlight Housing
- Install a Headlight Relay Kit
- Adjust the Alignment of Your Headlights
- Use a Headlight Restoration Kit
Upgrade to HID or LED headlights
Changing the bulbs in your projector headlights to ones that use HID or LED technology is one of the most efficient ways to increase their brightness.
These bulbs produce a significantly higher amount of light compared to standard halogen bulbs, giving the impression that your headlights are significantly more illuminated.
Adjust the Headlight Aim
Adjusting the headlights’ aim is yet another method that can be utilized to give the impression that the projector headlights are brighter than they actually are.
The headlight mounts of most automobiles are adjustable, allowing the driver to aim the headlights higher or lower to achieve the optimal amount of illumination.
Clean Your Headlights
It’s possible that your projector headlights are simply dirty, which would explain why they have such a muted appearance. The lenses of your headlights are susceptible to collecting dirt and other debris from the road over time, which can make them appear less bright.
It is important to clean your headlights on a regular basis in order to keep them looking clear and bright.
Replace the Headlight Lenses
Changing the lenses in your projector headlights is yet another option for achieving a brighter output from these lights. If the lenses of your headlights are cracked, yellowed, or damaged in any other way, they will not permit as much light to pass through. As a result, your headlights will appear to be less bright.
Add a Headlight Cover
Putting on a headlight cover is yet another fantastic option for making your projector headlights look as though they have more illumination. A headlight cover can help to focus the light coming from your headlights, giving the impression that they are brighter to vehicles that are approaching from the opposite direction.
Covers for headlights are typically manufactured from transparent plastic or glass, and they are available for purchase at the majority of auto parts retailers.
Replace Your Headlight Bulbs
If your headlight bulbs are old or have burned out, you should replace them with new ones for the best visibility. If you want to make a significant improvement to the brightness of your projector headlights, upgrading to a brighter bulb may be something you want to consider doing.
Because there is such a wide variety of bulbs to choose from, you should have no trouble finding one that is suitable for your purposes.
Upgrade Your Headlight Housing
The brightness of your projector headlights can be significantly increased by installing headlight housings that are made from reflective materials such as aluminum or other metals.
Therefore, if you want your headlights to be as bright as they possibly can be, you should think about upgrading the housings that they are housed in.
Install a Headlight Relay Kit
Putting in a headlight relay kit is one more thing you can do to make your projector headlights look like they have more illumination. Instead of drawing power from the car’s electrical system, your headlights will be able to draw power directly from the battery if you have a headlight relay kit installed. This will give your headlights more power, causing them to appear to have a higher level of brightness.
Adjust the Alignment of Your Headlights
If your headlights are not aligned correctly, they will not give off the impression that they are as bright as they actually are.
Headlight alignment can typically be adjusted by loosening the bolts that hold the headlights in place and then moving the headlights around until they are pointing in the appropriate direction.
Use a Headlight Restoration Kit
You can get your projector headlights back to their original brightness with the help of a headlight restoration kit, even if they have become cloudy and yellowed over time.
It is common for headlight restoration kits to include a cleaner as well as a polishing compound. These two components work together to remove the buildup of grime and debris that can cause your headlights to have a less bright appearance.
If you follow these guidelines, you should be able to make your headlights as bright as possible, which will make it much easier for you to see when driving at night.
How to Adjust Aftermarket Led Headlights?
LED headlight bulbs have many advantages, but they can also blind oncoming traffic and make it difficult for them to see. If this keeps happening, what causes it, and how can you stop it? In this article, we’ll take a look at how to get the most out of your LED headlights by making the necessary adjustments.
Get Set Up
On level ground, maneuver your vehicle as close to a wall as you can. Find the exact middle of your headlight housing. A dimple, divot, or bump in the middle usually indicates the precise location of something.
When you find it, mark the wall so that the center of your headlight is in line with the mark. Make sure your mark is level and straight along the distance between your car and the wall using a ruler if you like.
If you want to know how far away from the wall your headlight lens is, measure 25 feet with a measuring tape. Staying at 25 feet is what we advise, neither more nor less.
Examine Headlights
You should activate your headlights at this time. The distance between them and the marks you made on the wall should be 25 feet. While 12 or 15 feet may be required by certain vehicles, when in doubt, the more generous distance of 25 feet should be used instead.
Examining the effects of your lighting on the wall, you should be able to place the brightest spot right at or below the lines you drew. If you follow these steps, your headlights won’t shine so high that they blind other drivers.
Proceed to Adjusting Headlights
To attach your LED headlights, locate the hole that looks like a socket. A Phillips screwdriver can be inserted there to interact with the gear teeth. We advise against using a drill or anything else that could cause damage to the wall. The LED headlights are easily broken or damaged if care is not taken.
How to Adjust Aftermarket Headlights Dodge Ram?
Adjusting the aim of the headlights on your Dodge Ram may be necessary if they are illuminating the night sky more effectively than the road or if they are shining light into the eyes of oncoming traffic. Thankfully, Dodge designed the headlight assemblies in such a way that the process of adjusting them is straightforward.
The vertical and horizontal aims of each headlight can be adjusted independently using the two adjustment screws that are located on each headlight assembly. You should plan to spend approximately thirty minutes adjusting your headlights.
STEP 1
Place your Ram truck so that it is facing a vertical, horizontal surface that is directly in front of you, such as a wall or garage door.
STEP 2
Take a measurement from the ground up to the middle of the headlights, and then attach a piece of tape to the wall directly in front of each headlight at the exact height you determined.
STEP 3
Put a strip of tape in the vertical position on the wall so that it is directly in front of the vertical center of each headlight. By performing this action, tape targets will be created on the wall, which can then be used to aim the headlight beams.
STEP 4
At a distance of 25 feet away from the wall, mark the spot on the ground with a piece of tape using the measuring tape. Place the Ram in reverse so that the headlights align with the tape that is on the ground. The headlights should be turned on, and the hood should be propped open.
STEP 5
Locate the two screws used for adjustment on each of the headlight assemblies. They are both located relatively close to one another at the top of the assembly. Beams should be aimed so that they hit their respective wall targets 2 inches to the right and below the lower portion of their respective wall targets. This will ensure that headlight beams hit the road and no other drivers.
How to Adjust Dodge Ram 1500 Headlights?
A socket wrench and some tape are all that are required to make adjustments to the headlights on a Ram 1500.
You will need at least 30 feet of level ground under your truck in addition to a vertical surface that is also level, such as a wall or garage door, in order to make this adjustment.
- To begin, park your truck so that it is approximately one foot away from the wall and turn on your headlights.
- Put a piece of tape on the wall in the shape of a cross at the point on the wall where the light is the strongest.
- Bring your truck forward approximately 25 feet.
- Check to see if your headlights are aligned properly with the tape when viewed from this distance.
- Walk around to the front of the truck and look for the adjustment screws. There should be two of them on each headlight, and you should be able to get to them without opening the hood or taking off the grille.
- Turning the bolt that is located on the outside of the light (closest to the tyre) in a clockwise direction will dim your headlight. Turning the bolt that is located on the inside of the light (closest to your grille) in either a clockwise or counterclockwise direction will allow you to adjust your headlight to the left or right.
- Continue moving forward until you reach (or are just below) the marks that the tape has made on the wall.
- As soon as they are compatible, you are good to go!
When you make a change to the low beams on your vehicle, the high beams will adjust themselves to the appropriate position simultaneously.
Conclusion
The great thing about aftermarket headlights is that in comparison to stock headlight systems, they are constructed to be more long-lasting and resilient than their predecessors.
If you have been having trouble getting the most out of your aftermarket headlights, we have outlined a number of tips and tricks that can help you maximize their potential.
We hope that this article on how to adjust aftermarket headlights has helped educate you on what things to look for when modifying your car lights so that they can work to their maximum potential.