How to Adjust the Headlamps on a Toyota Corolla

Over time, the headlamps on your Toyota Corolla may appear dim while you're driving at night. The cause of this problem may be the alignment of your headlamps. Improper headlamp alignment can make it hard to see at night and cause a problem for other drivers if your headlights are shining into their windshield. Adjusting these headlamps is an easy process. For the best results, wait until dark before aligning your headlamps.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. • 1

     Park the vehicle on a level surface such as a driveway or in a parking lot. Ensure that you're facing a wall or garage door, with the headlamps 10 feet away from the wall.

   • 2

     Turn your headlights on and look at the placement of the beams on the wall. The beams should be proportionate with one another. The beams as seen on the wall should not appear to be shining above the Corolla's hood. The beams should also be shining directly in front of the headlamp. You should be able to draw an imaginary horizontal line from the headlamp to the wall, with the line end-point directly in the center of the beam as it shines on the wall.

   • 3

     Open the hood, then locate the adjustment disc. Each headlight will have one disc, on top of the headlight. These are visible slightly in the back on the top of the headlight when you open the hood. Look for a round silver disc. These adjust only vertical (up or down). The Corolla has no horizontal adjustment knob.

   • 4

     Turn the nut with a socket wrench in the direction that the headlights need to be positioned -- clockwise for us, counterclockwise for down. The headlamp beam placement should be no higher than the hood of the vehicle.

Tips & Warnings

• Check your headlights often if you think your visibility at night is diminishing.

• Poorly adjusted headlights can cause poor visibility while driving at night.