Adjusting headlights

[Xpire]

Hi guys,

Been searching around for guides to adjusting my headlights, but I can't seem to find any with pictures! The only guides I can find are for US models.

I keep getting flashed with my HIDs, need to adjust :( Can someone take a photo and show me where to put the screwdriver?

I've got an '06 FD2.

Thanks!

[kawai]

problem solved buy a size 10 spanner, and turn the nut located here http://lfihgq.blu.livefilestore.com/y1pcKO4uVQPI_QBrP2LQjtMhArBpoXiRPU732lR3Vm5zEDqNT6 g35zFLWRTrcTHTUz9Bejr2FiT6dR2X3FIgBCj_1TKQa8Ul_Y5/bolt.jpg?psid=1

[chichichibo]

problem solved buy a size 10 spanner, and turn the nut located here http://lfihgq.blu.livefilestore.com/y1pcKO4uVQPI_QBrP2LQjtMhArBpoXiRPU732lR3Vm5zEDqNT6 g35zFLWRTrcTHTUz9Bejr2FiT6dR2X3FIgBCj_1TKQa8Ul_Y5/bolt.jpg?psid=1

That's useful!
May I ask if adjusting clockwise is moving the light up, or down? Or anti clockwise?
Thanks a lot, I might need to adjust mine after I get my hid. :)

[curtis265]

There should be something wrtten on that black plastic plate. Or just wait till night and aim it then.. That's wha ti did.

note: It's quite hard locatibng the cog - have a torch handy.

oh and don't use the spanner - use a phillips head and use the 'cross' shape as teeth to turn that cog.

Good luck.

[chichichibo]

There should be something wrtten on that black plastic plate. Or just wait till night and aim it then.. That's wha ti did.

note: It's quite hard locatibng the cog - have a torch handy.

oh and don't use the spanner - use a phillips head and use the 'cross' shape as teeth to turn that cog.

Good luck.

what is a philips head??
"use a phillips head and use the 'cross' shape as teeth to turn that cog"?
sorry, i dont understand......
so, what is the correct steps to adjusting the headlight?

[funworld]

This is a phillips head - http://www.ic.arizona.edu/ic/ce210/images/fastener/phillips.JPG

The correct steps to adjusting your headlights - http://img808.imageshack.us/img808/3167/lights2a.jpg (but the cut off slope will be on the other side). Basically, when you're 7.5m away from the wall, the height of the cut off should be about 2 inches below the level of the headlights. Only problem is that when you put HIDs in a civic you'll get heaps of light spraying above the cut-off, so there's no exact measurement that can really be used ... so either aim them down until you stop getting flashed or take them out and put in normal halogen globes.

[chichichibo]

This is a phillips head - http://www.ic.arizona.edu/ic/ce210/images/fastener/phillips.JPG

The correct steps to adjusting your headlights - http://img808.imageshack.us/img808/3167/lights2a.jpg (but the cut off slope will be on the other side). Basically, when you're 7.5m away from the wall, the height of the cut off should be about 2 inches below the level of the headlights. Only problem is that when you put HIDs in a civic you'll get heaps of light spraying above the cut-off, so there's no exact measurement that can really be used ... so either aim them down until you stop getting flashed or take them out and put in normal halogen globes.

yea, i saw the post saying it's coz the reflecting type headlight, so, fitting HID in civic will have heaps of glare....
that's why i did think of getting an Angel eye (projector) headlight....but just worrying if it is good as i have asked this before, some said the projector type on civic is even worse....worse than the original headlight without HID....
so,,,,,i dont know if i should replace with HID + angel eye

[DuffyFD]

mate - if you go angel eye, stay with halogen globes unless you are going to modify the lense cutoff in projector.

This has all be explained before though mate. Feels like we're going round and round in circles ..

[funworld]

The angel eye projectors you see on ebay aren't designed for HID bulbs, but rather for halogen ones. From personal experience, if you want HIDs - you should get a proper retrofit. If it's the white light you want, then there are plenty of halogen globes you can buy that will output white light. Angel eye projectors + white halogen bulbs look pretty good (at least in my opinion, heh)

[chichichibo]

The angel eye projectors you see on ebay aren't designed for HID bulbs, but rather for halogen ones. From personal experience, if you want HIDs - you should get a proper retrofit. If it's the white light you want, then there are plenty of halogen globes you can buy that will output white light. Angel eye projectors + white halogen bulbs look pretty good (at least in my opinion, heh)

arh.......i am getting confused.....
so, it's not good to use with HID UNLESS i am going to do a retrofit?? so, what is a retrofit? is it modifying the lens?
In fact, i want a white light + a good vision.....that's why i choose 6000k, as this is the best combination with color as well as the light coverage....am i right?
so, in terms of white color, and the spread of light from the headlight, is a white Halogen bulb better? or a HID better?
I dont really need HID, but i want to get white color, as well as a good spread of light....and i though HID would give a wider spread of light than white Halogen bulb, am i right?

[funworld]

arh.......i am getting confused.....
so, it's not good to use with HID UNLESS i am going to do a retrofit?? so, what is a retrofit? is it modifying the lens?
In fact, i want a white light + a good vision.....that's why i choose 6000k, as this is the best combination with color as well as the light coverage....am i right?
so, in terms of white color, and the spread of light from the headlight, is a white Halogen bulb better? or a HID better?
I dont really need HID, but i want to get white color, as well as a good spread of light....and i though HID would give a wider spread of light than white Halogen bulb, am i right?

Ok, i'll try to go back to basics and explain in everything in broad detail

Firstly, there are two types of headlight housings that cars use - i) reflectors and ii) projectors. Normally, reflectors use halogen bulbs and projectors use HID bulbs. You should only use HID bulbs for housings that have been designed specifically for them. That's why it's not good to put HIDs into reflectors because they are normally designed for halogen bulbs, not HID bulbs. A retrofit is where you get the projector that has been designed for HIDs and you put them into a reflector housing. That way you can actually properly use HIDs.

Secondly, the colour of light is based on the kelvin temperature (K); 4300k, 5000k, 6000k etc. What you normally see in cars with yellow-ish lights is about 3400k. As you go higher and higher, the light becomes whiter and whiter and then more blue. 4100/4300k is what you normally see in cars with factory HIDs - it's white with a slight tinge of yellow. 5000k is pure white, 6000k has a slight blue tinge and then it gets more blue as you go up. It's important to note that as you go higher up on the kelvin temperature, the actual output of light decreases. 4100/4300k is pretty much ideal as it produces the most output of light. Above that, the amount of light put out decreases. So no, 6000k is not the best for light coverage. Sometimes you see cars on the road with really blue lights - you may think it's bright and have the misconception that it's putting out a lot of light but infact it's only because the lights are producing a lot of glare.

Thirdly, HIDs do produce more light than halogens but you shouldn't really be using HID bulbs unless your headlights are designed to handle them properly. Hence, in your case it's better to stick with halogen bulbs. If you want to get that white colour then you should be getting halogen bulbs like these - http://www.powerbulbs.com/product_detail.asp?prod=94

I tried to explain it as simply as I can, I hope it cleared things up a bit!

[curtis265]

Hi Curtis265,
i am quite happy with the Kaixen kit that u recommend with me, but may i ask a question?
after i hear many comments from all the ozhonder, some said tht the HID is not good on civic due to its glare unless doing a retrofit (i wonder what is a retrofit, is it cutting the lens? if so, thats too complicated for me).......
so, i want to ask, if i use a 6000K white bulb in comparison to HID, will the 6000 white bulb has less glare than the HID? and will the white bulb gievs the same spread of light as the HID does?
this is one of the PIAA white bbulb that i have found..
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/PIAA-...Q5fAccessories

in fact, what i want is the white color, as well as a good spread (wider) of headlight.....
so, will the white bulb give a similar output as the HID? or the white bulb is just the same as the original light?
thanks a lot, i know i have been so troublesome......sorry mate

in regards to your PM you send me - i'll reply here incase it's helpful to someone else one day

A retrofit is hardcore work - basically open the headlights, bolt on a projector lens, fit shrouds in etc. It's not an easy job and i don't think anyone in australia does it.

Don't bother with halogens which promise whiter colour - they're usually very dim.

It comes down to personal preference - If you have them aimed properly, the glare isn't blinding - probably no worse than halogen bulbs.

[chichichibo]

Ok, i'll try to go back to basics and explain in everything in broad detail

Firstly, there are two types of headlight housings that cars use - i) reflectors and ii) projectors. Normally, reflectors use halogen bulbs and projectors use HID bulbs. You should only use HID bulbs for housings that have been designed specifically for them. That's why it's not good to put HIDs into reflectors because they are normally designed for halogen bulbs, not HID bulbs. A retrofit is where you get the projector that has been designed for HIDs and you put them into a reflector housing. That way you can actually properly use HIDs.

Secondly, the colour of light is based on the kelvin temperature (K); 4300k, 5000k, 6000k etc. What you normally see in cars with yellow-ish lights is about 3400k. As you go higher and higher, the light becomes whiter and whiter and then more blue. 4100/4300k is what you normally see in cars with factory HIDs - it's white with a slight tinge of yellow. 5000k is pure white, 6000k has a slight blue tinge and then it gets more blue as you go up. It's important to note that as you go higher up on the kelvin temperature, the actual output of light decreases. 4100/4300k is pretty much ideal as it produces the most output of light. Above that, the amount of light put out decreases. So no, 6000k is not the best for light coverage. Sometimes you see cars on the road with really blue lights - you may think it's bright and have the misconception that it's putting out a lot of light but infact it's only because the lights are producing a lot of glare.

Thirdly, HIDs do produce more light than halogens but you shouldn't really be using HID bulbs unless your headlights are designed to handle them properly. Hence, in your case it's better to stick with halogen bulbs. If you want to get that white colour then you should be getting halogen bulbs like these - http://www.powerbulbs.com/product_detail.asp?prod=94

I tried to explain it as simply as I can, I hope it cleared things up a bit!

Hi, first of all, thanks a lot a lot a lot for ur explaination....:)
i do know some of the knowledge regarding the HID....
but....for those halogen bulb, even it claims to be WHITE bulb, are they really having a wide spread of light? i am interested in a PIAA white bulb, it's a famous brand, but i can only buy online, and the cost is not cheap too....so, i want to make sure if the white bulb will generally produce a wider spread of light than original headlight.....

[chichichibo]

in regards to your PM you send me - i'll reply here incase it's helpful to someone else one day

A retrofit is hardcore work - basically open the headlights, bolt on a projector lens, fit shrouds in etc. It's not an easy job and i don't think anyone in australia does it.

Don't bother with halogens which promise whiter colour - they're usually very dim.

It comes down to personal preference - If you have them aimed properly, the glare isn't blinding - probably no worse than halogen bulbs.

thanks curtis265, so, did u adjust ur Kaixen HID kit?
i am going to buy it, and just want to know hows the spread of light, will it blind the others?
and have u heard about PIAA before? they claim that their bulb are new technology and are the white bulb that can produce the closest light as to HID does......

[curtis265]

Of course i adjusted it. Never gotten highbeamed either, and it's not too low either.

I would never trust any halogen claiming white light - normally they just put some blue filters on it, which actually reduces the amount of lower frequency light (the reds and oranges) to make it appear more white.

Anyway, the reflector will still have the same issues if the amount of light and colour of light is the same as HID.

[chichichibo]

Of course i adjusted it. Never gotten highbeamed either, and it's not too low either.

I would never trust any halogen claiming white light - normally they just put some blue filters on it, which actually reduces the amount of lower frequency light (the reds and oranges) to make it appear more white.

Anyway, the reflector will still have the same issues if the amount of light and colour of light is the same as HID.

yeah, i saw ur Kaixen review sent to the seller, the light that ur car shows is great...
and yeah, i saw some of those so called white bulb, at the tip, always got a blue color coated on the tip....
i am only worrying if i can handle the adjustment or not...haha
so, if i dont adjust it, according to ur experience, is the glare very serious without adjusting the kaixen HID set?
i am thinking if it will not blind the others if i install the Kaixen kit without adjusting it......
and do u recommend the slim Kaixen kit or the original one?
the seller said the original one will do, but, do u think the original one is too big to fit? and where did u put the ballast? so that i can copy ur way once i got my Kaixen kit.
thanks a lot for ur sharing :)

[chichichibo]

http://http://img808.imageshack.us/img808/3167/lights2a.jpg

so, is it the cutoff of the light should be 52mm below the height of the headlight on the car?
if the height of the headlight on the car is 300mm,
then the cutoff on the wall should be/not more than 248mm?
thanks a lot :)

[curtis265]

Cable tied it on to the little bar that joins the fender to the chassis. Quite hard to explain, i'll get a picture for you sometime (won't be soon though - i'm snowed under)

No problems with the fat ballast.

it's fine without adjusting, but i'd strongly recommend it anyway - starting into someone's HID's isn't fun.

[chichichibo]

Cable tied it on to the little bar that joins the fender to the chassis. Quite hard to explain, i'll get a picture for you sometime (won't be soon though - i'm snowed under)

No problems with the fat ballast.

it's fine without adjusting, but i'd strongly recommend it anyway - starting into someone's HID's isn't fun.

yea, coz i dont want to blind the others.....want to try to be more responsible for my modification to my car.....
hmmm, thaanks for the picture somedays later~:)
and, did u take out the front bumper? or just turn the wheel fully to either side and do the installation from the "wheel cover" (i dont know how to name that part, but i guess u know wht i mean)?

[curtis265]

'wheel cover' method is fine.

[funworld]

http://http://img808.imageshack.us/img808/3167/lights2a.jpg

so, is it the cutoff of the light should be 52mm below the height of the headlight on the car?
if the height of the headlight on the car is 300mm,
then the cutoff on the wall should be/not more than 248mm?
thanks a lot :)

Yes, that's correct. If you're going to use the HIDs in the reflector, you're not really going get a proper cut off since there's going to be a bunch of glare above the cut-off ... so if you really want the HIDs, you're going to have to lower them even further than what that image recommends ...

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v128/haknslash2003/hid%20pics/thetruth.jpg)

[Xpire]

Thanks for the info guys, will try it out tonight when I get time!

I've only had my HIDs for about 3 months. I've got them installed on both low beams and fogs.
I haven't used the fogs for a long time now, cops kept giving me wierd looks.
Even with my fogs off, I still get flashed all the time :(

[chichichibo]

Yes, that's correct. If you're going to use the HIDs in the reflector, you're not really going get a proper cut off since there's going to be a bunch of glare above the cut-off ... so if you really want the HIDs, you're going to have to lower them even further than what that image recommends ...

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v128/haknslash2003/hid%20pics/thetruth.jpg)

So, if i adjust even lower than what is suggested (52mm), will the spread of light be even narrower than the original headlight? or will still superior than the original headlight's beam?
(i want to use HID coz i want to get a wider spread of light....if i adjust the beam even lower, and the result is even worse than original headlight, then i may have to think about installing it or not.)
thanks :)

[curtis265]

Just adjust them down, and stand 20m away and take a look for yourself at squat-height

xpire, its illegal to have fogs on anyway,

[chichichibo]

Just adjust them down, and stand 20m away and take a look for yourself at squat-height

xpire, its illegal to have fogs on anyway,

20m away, and then take a look at the headlight at squat height? then? how to assess if it is fine?
if the light doesnt blind myself at squat height with a 20m distance, then it is fine? if not, fails?

[curtis265]

yes. use your own judgement.

[chichichibo]

yes. use your own judgement.

may i as one more thing?
in fact, will the police fine on me if my headlight glare the others? or will they issue me a 'yellow sticker' and will need to go through a vechile examination?
thanks :)

[funworld]

You could also try sitting in a friend's car that is parked opposite and to the right of yours. It's still not super accurate, but more-so than squatting down.

My posts in this thread have probably already alluded this but I might as well say it straight - I don't think you should keep the HIDs. You just won't get results that are great. I think it's better to just buy white halogen globes - even though less light is produced because of the filter as curtis said, as long as you don't get ones that are blue it will be better than HIDs dropped into reflectors.

If you decide to keep them and aim them down, that's your choice but remember that just because people don't high beam you, doesn't mean it's not blinding them


in fact, will the police fine on me if my headlight glare the others?

They most certainly can. Thing is though, most of the time they'll only notice that your headlights are blinding when you're both travelling in the opposite direction so won't really be able to turn around and fine you.

[Xpire]

Hi guys,

I finally attempted to adjust my headlights. Got into a car accident because some idiot decided to turn into my lane, and just received my car back today.

I tried both cogs on both the headlights, I turned them both directions and the headlights didn't go up/down at all.

Am I turning the right cog, is there more than one in there?

Hopefully one of you guys live close by so I can get some help :)

[chichichibo]

Hi guys,

I finally attempted to adjust my headlights. Got into a car accident because some idiot decided to turn into my lane, and just received my car back today.

I tried both cogs on both the headlights, I turned them both directions and the headlights didn't go up/down at all.

Am I turning the right cog, is there more than one in there?


Hopefully one of you guys live close by so I can get some help :)


May i ask, if the car get involved in suh an accident that due to the glare of ur headlight making ppl crossing the wrong lane and hit your car, will the insurance company still compensate for u?
Or will the insurance company refuse the claim?

[curtis265]

Hi guys,
I finally attempted to adjust my headlights. Got into a car accident because some idiot decided to turn into my lane, and just received my car back today.
I tried both cogs on both the headlights, I turned them both directions and the headlights didn't go up/down at all.
Am I turning the right cog, is there more than one in there?
Hopefully one of you guys live close by so I can get some help :)

Xpire, you could be turning the wrong thing? The should be msot definitely moving up and down, just slowly. Could you please share a photo of what you're turning?


May i ask, if the car get involved in suh an accident that due to the glare of ur headlight making ppl crossing the wrong lane and hit your car, will the insurance company still compensate for u?
Or will the insurance company refuse the claim?

Absolutely possible. but really, if you see an oncoming car, are you going to drive into it? I doubt it...


@funworld, it's certainly not blinding 100%, the cutoff is still relatively neat on the FD's, and compared to other cars, the glare is comparable, even to some halogen bulbs out there.

but i do agree that the whiter halogens will be the best option for glare control, just not the greatest light output

[Xpire]

Xpire, you could be turning the wrong thing? The should be msot definitely moving up and down, just slowly. Could you please share a photo of what you're turning?

http://i52.tinypic.com/244y2yo.jpg

Is that the right thing?

[curtis265]

hmm, that most certainly is the right thing. Try turning the screwdriver lots of times and watch the beam - i most definitely notice the beam height moving

[Xpire]

Hmm okay. I tried turning it again and noticed it moved possibly a cm per revolution, which is really damn slow :(

I also find it hard to see the cut-off line...are you guys able to see a clear distinct line with HIDs? I think I've turned it too low

[curtis265]

Yes it is quite slow, and it's meant to be.

Sometimes a sharper cutoff can be achieved with expensive branded bulbs - they're designed better that their cheaper counterparts, bu generally speaking, HID's in any sort of housing (whether it be projector or reflector) will have a shithouse cutoff and light distribution compared to properly designed housings - thats why people love retrofitting projectors so much.

Mine was decent with kaixen bulbs. Can you try get a pic

This isn't a great one, but you get the idea. The circled bit is all glare
http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p171/roflcurtis/100220101206.jpg?1291766683

Here's from directly above - a meaningless photo really, you can't tell if there's glare.
http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p171/roflcurtis/100220101207.jpg

oh and don't ever judge photos like this - they are also meaningless for the same reason as above
http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p171/roflcurtis/100220101203.jpg?1291766897

[curtis265]

are you a spambot?

[DuffyFD]

Although mechanics use a highly accurate headlamp adjuster to ensure that both headlights are pointing in exactly the right direction, in a pinch a screwdriver will fix misdirected beams enough so you can safely drive in the dark.need some auto repair manuals (http://www.automd.com/how-to/) for easy adjustments.

neg repped for thread res

[curtis265]

Although mechanics use a highly accurate headlamp adjuster to ensure that both headlights are pointing in exactly the right direction, in a pinch a screwdriver will fix misdirected beams enough so you can safely drive in the dark.need some auto repair manuals (http://www.automd.com/how-to/) for easy adjustments.

http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m41gowjP4y1roomkpo2_500.jpg