How to Adjust Toyota Projection Headlights

Adjust your Toyota headlights for peak performance.

One of the most important safety features on any automobile is the headlight. Without them, night time driving is a hazardous proposition; they also increase visibility in low light conditions such as rain. Many Toyotas use projection headlights, a stronger, more powerful, headlight than standard types. In order to get the most out of the lights, they need to be properly aligned. Over time a Toyota's headlight assembly can become loose, causing the headlights to point off-center and possibly blinding oncoming traffic. This issue can be quickly remedied by taking a few measurements and adjusting a couple of screws.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

things you'll need:

• Masking tape
• Screwdriver

1. • 1

     Begin with your Toyota's gas tank filled to the halfway point. Load the trunk as you normally would and have a partner sit in the driver's seat. The weight a car carries will affect the angle of the headlight beams.

   • 2

     Park the Toyota 1 foot away from a wall or large door. The ground should be flat and extend back about 30 feet.

   • 3

     Mark the wall from the center point of the driver's side headlight to the center point of the passenger's side headlight with a long strip of masking tape. This will be used to evaluate and adjust the headlight along its vertical axis.

   • 4

     Place a 6-inch strip of tape vertically across the long horizontal strip directly in front of each headlight. This will create two cross shapes in front of each light. This strip will be used to measure the horizontal axis.

   • 5

     Back the Toyota up approximately 25 feet and turn on the projection headlights. Evaluate their alignment. Both headlights should fall 1 to 2 inches below the long horizontal strip of tape. The passenger's side light should additionally land directly on the cross in front of it while the driver's side should fall slightly to the right. This prevents your headlights from blinding oncoming traffic.

   • 6

     Open the hood and locate the back of the headlight assembly with its two adjustment screws. One will be on the top center and the other along the side. Use a screwdriver to turn these screws to adjust the vertical and horizontal axes until the beams hit the desired spot.