headlight aiming issue
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Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 3
From: Alberta Canada
headlight aiming issue
hi --- I have an 05 blazer. Last year I had to replace both bulbs in the front headlights. Once I figured out how to get the old bulb out I was on my way. The only issue I have now is that I am constantly being "flashed" on the highway because other drivers think I have on my highbeams when I don't. Is there a way to adjust the aim on the low beams?? I have looked at them a couple of more times and cannot see how. Any help is appreciated... I'm not super mechanical.
BF Veteran
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 2,229
From: Central Il
Kyle I am really curious to why mine point upwards... looking through the gap at the bottom, I clearly see the tabs in their spaces.....
If all you did was change the bulbs, you didn't mess with the alignment. As such, if you make sure that your headlight assemblies are installed correctly, the alignment should be good.
You may have to re-do the alignment then. Is your back end sagging in relation to the front?
This should help get things realigned:
(found searching for "headlight+align" with an author of "swartlkk")
This should help get things realigned:
You should see two plastic clips behind the radiator core support for each of the headlights. pull these up to disengage them, then rotate the top of the headlight forward and pull up to disengage the tabs on the bottom of the rear framework. You have to make sure that when you put them back in that these lower tabs fully seat down into the slots they go into or your headlights will be way off. Once you have the housings out, unhook the wiring and replace the bulbs.
Now on bulbs... I have never been a fan of the blue tinted bulbs. But that is primarily because I am a skier (well, was until I blew out my knee) and amber lenses help to highlight the contours of the landscape. Yellow light is actually better to 'see' what's ahead of you. Blue light glares more and gives you the perception that the lights are brighter. When the bulb is clear, you are getting all of the light output from the filament. By placing a colored filter on it, you are effectively limiting the light output to get the desired color.
I used Silverstar bulbs in my old intrepid and in the summer time, they were good. I absolutely hated them in the winter because of the glare created by the blue tint. That and I hated the fact that they blew after only 5 months of use. Silverstars are known for their low lifespan.
For some other ideas on how to increase your headlight output, Check these out:
Quad Beam Mod & 9005 Bulb Mod
Now on bulbs... I have never been a fan of the blue tinted bulbs. But that is primarily because I am a skier (well, was until I blew out my knee) and amber lenses help to highlight the contours of the landscape. Yellow light is actually better to 'see' what's ahead of you. Blue light glares more and gives you the perception that the lights are brighter. When the bulb is clear, you are getting all of the light output from the filament. By placing a colored filter on it, you are effectively limiting the light output to get the desired color.
I used Silverstar bulbs in my old intrepid and in the summer time, they were good. I absolutely hated them in the winter because of the glare created by the blue tint. That and I hated the fact that they blew after only 5 months of use. Silverstars are known for their low lifespan.
- Park the vehicle square with the screen (1). Park the vehicle with the headlamps directly over the reference line (6).
- Ensure that all of the components are in place, if work has been completed on the vehicle.
- Ensure that the vehicle is on a level surface.
- Stop all of the other work on the vehicle.
- Ensure that the vehicle has 1/2 tank of fuel or less.
- Close the vehicle doors.
- Rock the vehicle sideways.
- Align the centerline of the vehicle with the centerline on the wall by completing the following steps:
- Mark the vertical center of the rear and front windows with tape.
- Use these lines as sight lines in order to match the centerline of the vehicle with the screen.
- Measure the distance from the centerline of the vehicle to the centerline of a low beam lamp.
- Adjust the vertical tapes (2) on the screen in order to match the vertical centerline of each low beam lamp.
- Measure the height (5) from the floor to the center of a low beam.
- Adjust the horizontal tapes (3) on the screen in order to match the horizontal centerline of each low beam lamp.
- Illuminate the low beam lamps.
- Observe the left and top edges of the high intensity zone on the screen.
- Adjust the headlamps in order to accomplish the following results:
- The top edge of each high intensity zone must be within 50.8 mm (2 in) above to 63.5 (2.5 in) below the horizontal centerlines.
- The left edge of each high intensity zone must be within 101.6 mm (4 in) to the left or to the right of the vertical centerlines.
Quad Beam Mod & 9005 Bulb Mod
(found searching for "headlight+align" with an author of "swartlkk")
BF Veteran
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 2,229
From: Central Il
I just cant understand why the lower tabs are in (the back tabs are latched with BOTH headlight clips) and they still shoot for the moon essentially... My rear sags a bit, but visually the headlights are tilted up
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