Headlight adjustment: up-down, left-right guide

💡 How to adjust your car headlights

A proper headlight adjustment is crucial for both road safety and night visibility. Misaligned beams either blind oncoming traffic or limit your view.

Here’s how to correctly align them up-down and left-right, step by step 👇

⚙️ 1️⃣ Preparation

• Park 3 meters from a flat wall;

• Keep tires properly inflated;

• Empty trunk;

• Switch adjustment wheel (0–3) to position 0;

• Turn on low beam.

🔧 2️⃣ Vertical (Up–Down) Adjustment

Locate the vertical screw on top or behind the headlight:

• 🔄 Turn clockwise → beam goes down;

• 🔄 Turn counterclockwise → beam goes up.

The light cutoff should sit slightly below the headlight center line on the wall.

🔩 3️⃣ Horizontal (Left–Right) Adjustment

The side screw shifts the beam horizontally:

• 🔄 Clockwise → beam moves right;

• 🔄 Counterclockwise → beam moves left.

👉 Left beam should point slightly right of center (to avoid glare).
👉 Right beam should illuminate the roadside.

🧱 4️⃣ Wall test method

Mark both headlight centers and an upper horizontal line.
Adjust until the beams align symmetrically and stay below the marked height.

European headlights always project a slightly raised right side pattern – that’s normal.

🧰 5️⃣ Professional alignment

For LED/Xenon/MATRIX systems, have them adjusted at a garage with a beam tester (regloscope) or at an inspection station (MOT/ITP).

🪶 Conclusion

Headlight adjustment up down left right ensures perfect illumination without dazzling others – simple, quick, and worth doing regularly.

🔗 External source:

Hella.com – Headlight technology and adjustment standards.
Diagnoza BAM – Internal automotive tutorials.

✍️ Author: Bejenaru Alexandru Ionut – [email protected]