I have been meaning to start this thread for a while. Do lowered cars need headlight adjustment? Since they are lower, sometimes by several inches, I would think it would have a huge effect on headlight beam placement.

 

Ive seen this topic several times and while they may need adjustment I believe our cars only have one adjustment. Side to side not up or down so it was difficult. I think someone took the car to the dealership and it was confirmed. Quick review on page lt-39 for the lights only shows one screw but adjustment points for both vertical and horizontal.

 

When I just had the front lowered a while ago, it sure as hell needed it, but once I got the rear lowered it evened out pretty well.

 

I never adjusted my lights after I lowered the car and have had no problems with them.

 

Never had a chance to play with the adjustment screws on the headlights but there is a whole TSB for it.

Since our cars are lowered more in the front then in the rear the headlights are definitelly pointing more down then before, potentially loosing the great benefits our HIDs provide.

 

The HIDs are insanely bright and have a really high vertical range to begin with. Hopefully when I get mine lowered I won't get flashed as much.

 

I agree!!!

 

after installing my eibachs, i definitely had to adjust them, our lights actually move vertically and horizontally. Very easy to do.

 

I have only been able to find the screw that adjusts the headlights vertically. Do you remember where exactly is the screw that adjusts them horizontally?

 

Dues, I'm going to throw this idea out there since you're the only one probably willing to do it. Basically the Murano has very similar HIDs to ours (I have one) and on the Murano there is a dial that lets you point the headlights up/down. The idea is if you've got a heavy load you are towing or a lot of weight in the back the switch helps aim them down again. Would be a cool mod to take the Murano parts and put it in a Maxima. Its just a dial over by where our heated steering wheel button is...

 

When my '04 SL was new, I could not meet a hundred cars (about a mile of driving in the Atlanta area) without being flashed. I have a large, flat garage, and checked the beam pattern on my garage wall and it seemed to be correct. I took it to the dealer, he checked the pattern, and said it was correct.

I told the dealer I couldn't live with that. Drivers get shot in Atlanta for 'disses' as small as blinding other drivers (and also get tickets). I told the dealer to lower the beams BELOW SPECS. He did, and I have had no further trouble in the following three and a half years.

Lowering the beam essentially affects ONLY THE DIMMED beam pattern, as the high beam pattern lights up planes and helicopters ahead of you (VERY high beam pattern).

My suggestion; after lowering, you might be far better just letting the beams stay a tad low, as it is really only noticable with dimmed lights. When the beams are on high, they have such a tall pattern that lowering the front of the car will have essentially no effect.

 

The other day I was coming home on one car and my wife was driving the Maxima behind me, and I noticed that he driver's side seems to be brigher than the passenger's..... I did some research on this site and did not find a conclusive answer.... The lights seem to be perfectly aligned when I drive up to the garage door.... You can only notice the difference in the brightness from a far distance

 

i got the same problem you got going there

 

normally its the other way around. The passenger side lights up more so that more of where people or animals walk by the road could be seen.

 

xoomer is right. The top cutoff for the correctly adjusted beam pattern of the left headlight is slightly lower than the cutoff for the right headlight.

The temp here went down to 14 Saturday night, with wind chill of zero, and the temp will teach the teens again here on Monday morning. If the Atlanta area temps ever get back somewhere near normal, I am going to play around with my Maxima and see exactly where each headlight's beam hits my garage wall (by having my wife stand alternately in front of each beam). Then I will get various distances in front of my car and see how each headlight looks. Maybe we can figure out why the driver's beam is more noticable from a car traveling in front.

 

I did mine a while back after lowered, hugh difference.

 

There was a TSB for this showing how to park the car x number of feet from the wall and then the cut off points measured on the wall and adjusted accordingly. I'll search later.

I'll definitely adjust it as soon it gets a bit warmer.

 

Our headlights adjust up and down and so do the stock fog lights, dont forget those. I had the same problem as Lightonthehill with constantly getting flashed by oncoming drivers. But I highly recommend raising the light back up, maybe not as high as the stock set up but after lowering we are short cutting ourselves from the use of some very nice headlights that came with the car.


Light is correct, the drivers side light should be slightly lower than the passenger side. Keep them that when after you raise them up.

 

so is anyone goign to say where it is to move them up and down?

 

here is the link to the image http://www.geocities.com/cpt_jimbo/2005Maxima.jpg


Here are the adjustment screws

http://img143.imageshack.us/img143/1...board01dm4.jpg

 

You know, it's funny you mention that. I had my wife driving behind me the other day in her Passat and noticed the same thing.

I figured out the position where you're looking at from affects how bright it is. In other words, if you had a rear view mirror on the passenger side, the left will look brighter and the same happens on our cars since we're sitting on the left side. Scientists may have a name for this, I have no idea what that might be

 

Thanks Xoomer. So this is a confirmation then that the headlights can only be adjusted up/down but not horizontally......

 

i am interested in finally doing this adjustment this friday [no work!] is it just loosen the screw and a dial rotates?

 

Ive never done it on the max but thought you didnt have too loosen anything. You just turn the screw in the picture to adjust.

 

mine are too high. lol i see the sky at night.
but when i walk up to my car with the HIDs on i get blinded.
i like it like that

but i cant see the road. but usually nyc roads are always brite due to the street lights

 

hmm, well, I just lowered my car.. and my friend told me that my lights look tinny now. I'm guessing that means they need to be adjusted...? i think my lights illuminate the ground, not the sky... =/

 

I found the vertical adjustment screw on the passenger side, but there has to be a horizontal adjustment but I cannot see it!

Anyone have a picture of this? The diagram only shows the vertical one.

My horizontal adjustment is WAY off.

 

Never adjusted mine and zero problems with night driving. I just don't notice any difference...

 

I just replaced the passenger side with a 9006 (Sylvania SilverStar or something like that...about $20).

Well it's in there right as best as I can tell but the thing points WAY too far to the driver's side.

I've read about the horizontal adjustment screw but have never seen a diagram showing where the thing is located and I sure can
t find it from above, and I'd rather not have to remove the tire and cover again if I don't have to!

 

to adjust horizontal ..

tighten to adjust to right ... loosen to adjust left



pop out the plastic protector ****

philips screw driver tighten to rotate right...loosen to rotate left.



beam pattern

 

I still need to do this. Maybe this weekend

 

THANK YOU!

 

after I lowered the car and have had no problems with them

 

That's what I've been looking for. Thanks.

 

I i'm a bit confused. So this screw should be for the vertical adjustment, right?

 

How about headlamp beam height control?
My Eu spec. Maxima adjusts the lights automatically.

Its very helpful, got air suspension in my max.

Robert

 

I know exactly what are you talking about, because i had the same system in my A33...
Unfortunately, that auto-leveling headlights is availabale only in Q45 and latest FX(sport package)

 

yes deus you want adjust them.

 

No, that's the horizontal adjust under the plastic cap.

 

1+ agreed