I'd like to adjust the headlamps on my 2000 4Runner. I looked under the hood and found 2 hex nuts that are connected to what looks like plastic gear tooth. My guess is one hex nut is for the vertical adjustment and the other is for horizontal. Can I turn the hex nut to adjust the aim? I can't find anything online.
I'd like to aim the headlamps lower than they are now. Can anyone point me to the procedure to do this correctly?
Thanks -
I suspect you are correct, to verify, park the vehicle in front of a garage door or aimed at garage wall with lights on. Turn one of the nuts while watching the light on wall to see if it has an affect. Measure height at the center of headlight bulb or assembly. Park vehicle 12' from wall and light projection on the wall should be at the same height as headlight. The left light should be slightly lower than right so as not to blind oncoming. Sight down side of vehicle to determine if light is going straight out and adjust if needed. Mark spots on floor, wall and etc. so you can re-adjust if needed. HTH, davidj92
David,
I did exactly as you instructed. I noticed that the left headlight adjustment is at the very limit of the adjustment (I can no longer see the end of the bolt), and the left headlight is lightly higher that the right headlight. I guess this isn't much I can do other than ask the Toyota dealer ($$$).
Thanks for your help -
davidj92 wrote:
Sounds like you might want to take it to a reasonable body shop instead. Have you:
A. Hit something? B. Run over something?
Gary,
Nothing has changed on my 4Runner since new. It needs tires soon but the tire looks like they are worn the same. I'll look a the frame tomorrow. The light housing is made of plastic.
Thanks -
"Gary L. Burnore" wrote:
Not the tires, not the housing, and you don't remember hitting anything. That leaves only things like dirt or something inside the lamp causing distortion, a dying bulb causing distortion or possibly one side's on bright when the other side isn't (Half the bulb burnt out?>
BTW, Please don't top post. It's quite annoying.
You are correct, there are hex nuts that rotate plastic sprockets that aim the lights.
My strategy is to go behind the local supermarket - the goal here is to find a large wall with a flat parking area near by. I park 25 ft from the wall and apply a strip of tape to the wall about 25 inches from the ground. I place a towel over one headlamp, and adjust the other so the hot spot of the beam just nudges the bottom of the line. Then I move the towel to the other side and repeat. Then, I adjust the hot spot to target towards the right side of my lane. I look at where the beam is aimed, and calculate where the oncoming cars will be, and adjust the light so it isn't in their eyes. You can verify this alignment easily while driving home, just look where the beam is pointing, and be sure it is not too far left.
if you can't get the sealed-beam lights to line up, and the unit is old, then buy a new one. They are made to specs re alignment of the bulb inside and if old, then road bumping may have warped the alignment so it won't come into the spot properly.. Left low beam should hit the ground about 40 yards and point at least to the vehicle center line The right lamp should hit the ground about 50 yards and hit the shoulder of the road pavement. Then when on brights, they should both switch up and slightly left. Some brands of sealed beam bulbs used to be marked 'right' and 'left' but haven't seen this in a while.
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