Getting "flashed" a lot
Senior Member
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 2,157
Likes: 518
From: Southwest
I did a quick and dirty on my garage wall last night and both lights are exactly the same. This tells me they are probably not out of alignment. I was hesitant to aim them both downwards and more without a reference point. So I'll let the dealer check them they have a machine that is way more accurate than me.
A
8 feet (2.4 meters).B
Center height of lamp to ground.C
25 feet (7.6 meters).D
Horizontal reference line.Both of my lights were aimed high. That's why I didn't think it was the adjustment as well. You have to be back 25 feet and make sure the beam is the same height as the center of each light.
Senior Member
Joined: Dec 2017
Posts: 3,269
Likes: 1,359
I did a quick and dirty on my garage wall last night and both lights are exactly the same. This tells me they are probably not out of alignment. I was hesitant to aim them both downwards and more without a reference point. So I'll let the dealer check them they have a machine that is way more accurate than me.
Was on a road trip with the brand new truck and hadn't even driven it at night yet. Was getting flashed and I noted that I was illuminating road signs more than normal. Got off the interstate and found a nice place to check adjustment and with the truck back about thirty feet they were pointing up almost a foot. Adjusted to down about 6" and they have been great ever since. So to be clear, that's out of adjustment 18" at thirty feet.
Senior Member
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 1,722
Likes: 412
And this is exactly why those NHTSA headlight tests should be taken with a huge grain of salt. They don’t bother adjusting or at least checking that the headlights are aimed properly before testing. No wonder a lot of vehicles get a “poor” rating.
Senior Member
Joined: Jun 2017
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I fully agree. They must be taken with a grain of salt, but only because the vehicle manufacturers are not aiming the headlights. I think the way they see it, is that they test it as received because 99% of people don't ask to have their headlights checked when they get a new vehicle....so that is how they are driven. I think the factory should send them out properly aimed. Maybe the dealership is supposed to check it before delivering it to the customer? I don't know.
Senior Member
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 2,157
Likes: 518
From: Southwest
I fully agree. They must be taken with a grain of salt, but only because the vehicle manufacturers are not aiming the headlights. I think the way they see it, is that they test it as received because 99% of people don't ask to have their headlights checked when they get a new vehicle....so that is how they are driven. I think the factory should send them out properly aimed. Maybe the dealership is supposed to check it before delivering it to the customer? I don't know.
Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 317
Likes: 68
From: North Richland Hills
Add me to the list of WAY out of adjustment (aimed to high) when purchased new. I was getting flashed all the time. My high beams were useless, lighting up the tree tops. A quick adjustment (down) on each light fixed me up.
Blunt
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 4,034
Likes: 1,086
From: Alberta, Canada
Sometimes there's nothing you can do about this even if your lights are aimed lower than required. However, that doesn't mean you could just keep your distance to avoid shining in the back window, that's what I do. But, there are the rare few where there really is nothing you can do without being 10 carlengths back because even the side mirrors are at the same height as our bumpers...