head light alignment
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jan 2003
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head light alignment
morning folks,
my car is due to go for it's roadworthiness test next week and i have a feeling the headlights, and or, foglights are not correctly aligned. i've had a few people flash me at night (not for cops or because they liked the car, i don't think) and misaligned lights are an immediate fail, btw..
is there an easy way to check the alignment? i guess i need a flat surface with a wall in front. then what?
thanks,
Gareth 1980 Euro S
my car is due to go for it's roadworthiness test next week and i have a feeling the headlights, and or, foglights are not correctly aligned. i've had a few people flash me at night (not for cops or because they liked the car, i don't think) and misaligned lights are an immediate fail, btw..
is there an easy way to check the alignment? i guess i need a flat surface with a wall in front. then what?
thanks,
Gareth 1980 Euro S
Nordschleife Master
Joined: Aug 2002
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From: South Texas
Go out to a long, flat dark deserted road.
Turn your lights on.
Go walk a 100 or so yards out infrount of your car.
Are the lgihts aligned right? No? fix 'em.
If you can get somebody to stand a out infrount of your car while you do the aligning, thats even better. This away you don't have to walk back and fowarth so much.
Couse, while long, flat deserted roads are common here, I don't know about Irland.
Turn your lights on.
Go walk a 100 or so yards out infrount of your car.
Are the lgihts aligned right? No? fix 'em.
If you can get somebody to stand a out infrount of your car while you do the aligning, thats even better. This away you don't have to walk back and fowarth so much.
Couse, while long, flat deserted roads are common here, I don't know about Irland.
Three Wheelin'
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From: Ball Ground, GA
Get a helper, two yardsticks and a roll of duct tape.
Park perpendicular to a light-colored wall, 25-30 feet away.
Stand a yardstick vertically by each wheel on the left, sight accross the tops and put a piece of tape on the wall. Repeat on the right.
Measure and put a piece of tape in the middle.
Measure the height of the headlamps from the ground. Check the height of the two outer tape marks, calculate the difference between their height and three feet, then use that measurement to mark the height of the projected center of the headlamps on the wall.
Measure the distance between the headlamp centers, and use the center mark to mark the projected lateral position of the headlamps.
On high, the hot spots should be directly on the projected center of the headlamps, or perhaps very slightly high.
If you have the Euro-style headlamps with a sharp cut-off on low beam, the cut-off should be on or under the projected centers, and the kick-up should be on or slightly to the off-side of the projected centers.
Should take about thirty minutes - how long would it take the law to get there to investigate suspicious behaviour?
Park perpendicular to a light-colored wall, 25-30 feet away.
Stand a yardstick vertically by each wheel on the left, sight accross the tops and put a piece of tape on the wall. Repeat on the right.
Measure and put a piece of tape in the middle.
Measure the height of the headlamps from the ground. Check the height of the two outer tape marks, calculate the difference between their height and three feet, then use that measurement to mark the height of the projected center of the headlamps on the wall.
Measure the distance between the headlamp centers, and use the center mark to mark the projected lateral position of the headlamps.
On high, the hot spots should be directly on the projected center of the headlamps, or perhaps very slightly high.
If you have the Euro-style headlamps with a sharp cut-off on low beam, the cut-off should be on or under the projected centers, and the kick-up should be on or slightly to the off-side of the projected centers.
Should take about thirty minutes - how long would it take the law to get there to investigate suspicious behaviour?
Instructor
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 132
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From: Wine Country, CA
Also don't forget to bring a towel to cover one of the headlights. It makes alignment much easier when you don't have to deal with the excess light from the other headlight.
I align my headlights in one of the local parking garages. It's flat and dry, and the cool thing is that all my old marks are still there.
I align my headlights in one of the local parking garages. It's flat and dry, and the cool thing is that all my old marks are still there.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 100
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thanks very much guys, i had a look at the http://www.autooptiks.com/aiming.html which shows it pretty clearly. being blonde, the diagrams are exactly what i need. 
seeing as my car is righthand drive, i guess i'll just make the opposite light pattern on the wall. with everything going to the left, instead of to the right.
Bernard94, yeah it does have the control, but it's knackered, like most 928's
many thanks again, i'll let you know how i get on..
Gareth
seeing as my car is righthand drive, i guess i'll just make the opposite light pattern on the wall. with everything going to the left, instead of to the right.
Bernard94, yeah it does have the control, but it's knackered, like most 928's
many thanks again, i'll let you know how i get on..
Gareth