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Car Forum / Volkswagen / Water Cooled Volkswagen Cars / November 2007

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Adjusting headlights on a Cabrio

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williemcd - 27 Nov 2007 23:59 GMT
My wife's 2nd hand car came without the owners manual.  Her headlights
annoy other drivers so I would like to adjust/lower them.  Opening the
hood, there is stamped just above the laps: See owners manual for
adjustment!
Any help out there?
Bill
pfjw@aol.com - 29 Nov 2007 13:00 GMT
> My wife's 2nd hand car came without the owners manual.  Her headlights
> annoy other drivers so I would like to adjust/lower them.  Opening the
> hood, there is stamped just above the laps: See owners manual for
> adjustment!
> Any help out there?
> Bill

Yes, in all seriousness:

Spend the $20 to have them "aimed" at a local service station. They
have the correct equipment for that purpose. Anything you do will be
"by guess and by god" such that you may compromise her safety rather
than reduce annoyance to others.

Peter Wieck
Wyncote, PA
one out of many daves - 29 Nov 2007 18:44 GMT
In the dark parked on level ground 20-30 from a brick wall.
Put some weight on the driver's seat.
Using the specs in your repair manual adjust your headlights.

OR "By Guess and by God" and you will come close using your eyes and a
tape measure which is my method.  <g>
You can measure the light drop as you go further away from the lights.
You can adjust the left and right adjustment using your eyes and
measuring the distance between the brightest spots on that brick wall.  8^)

Hmmmm might the USA LHD aiming might be different than the RHD aiming
since the headlights are different?  There might be more light towards
the right side of the vehicle with the LHD and more light on the left
side on a RHD.

>> My wife's 2nd hand car came without the owners manual.  Her headlights
>> annoy other drivers so I would like to adjust/lower them.  Opening the
[quoted text clipped - 12 lines]
> Peter Wieck
> Wyncote, PA
pfjw@aol.com - 29 Nov 2007 19:48 GMT
On Nov 29, 1:44 pm, one out of many daves

> Hmmmm might the USA LHD aiming might be different than the RHD aiming
> since the headlights are different?

Yes, it is. Theoretically, US vehicles favor the "right" side in their
aiming.

A lot of the problems are due to owners putting new lamps in
incorrectly, or using a dying-strain to twist the bayonet-fittings.
The nice thing about the "correct" equipment (used properly, of
course) is that these defects are also addressed.

And, of course, here in Pennsylvania, once a year we get ours "aimed"
anyway as part of the Annual Inspection - yeah, right!

If one does get the headlights aimed correctly and then makes certain
notations using that same blank wall, level ground and tape-measure,
one can re-check when the lamps are changed. There are enough small
differences in manufacture, lamp styles and lot runs that this is
common-sense if one is fanatical enough to worry about such picayune
matters. ;-)

Peter Wieck
Wyncote, PA
 
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