How to adjust the headlights on a car with your own hands? How to adjust the headlights with your own hands: adjusting the low beam / high beam and PTF Low-quality gasoline and its effect on the condition of the car

If the headlights of the car are set incorrectly, then this creates problems for the driver himself and for oncoming cars. You can adjust the headlights at the service, but anyone can cope with this task.

Before you start adjusting the headlights, you need to check the condition of the car's suspension - it must be level on the ground, the springs must be equally loaded, the tank is half filled. On the driver's seat, you can put ballast, the weight of which is equal to your weight. If there are no problems with the suspension, distortions in one direction, then the light beam will propagate strictly parallel to the ground.

When everything is adjusted, we find a flat wall, you can use the wall of your house or garage if you have enough space in the yard for maneuvering by car. Do not forget to check the quality of the lamps themselves in the headlights, if the bulbs have darkened, then they need to be changed urgently. Then we act like this:

  • we drive close to the wall and mark on it the center of the car and the central axes of each of the headlights;
  • we drive away from the wall by 7.5 meters, the road surface in front of the wall should be even;
  • we draw vertical lines through the central points of the car and each of the headlights marked by us on the wall;
  • under the main horizontal line below it by 7 and a half cm, we draw another line parallel to it.

When the markings on the wall are ready, turn on the dipped beam and cover one of the headlights with a dark cloth or piece of cardboard so that we can clearly see the light spot of the uncovered headlight on the wall. With the help of an adjusting bolt, we adjust the luminous flux in such a way that the upper boundary of the light beam coincides with the lower line, and the vertical line passing through the center of the headlight coincides with the top of the corner of the light spot.

Ideally, after adjusting the second headlight, there should be two overlapping circles on the wall, the center of each of them coincides with the center axis of each of the headlights, and the spots should intersect at the center point indicating the exact middle of the front of the car.

If you are still tormented by doubts, you can ask one of your friends (if he has the same car model) to shine on the wall and compare the resulting light pattern.

There are other customization methods, for example:

  • we draw a strip on a flat section of the road;
  • we drive away from it by 30 meters;
  • we adjust the direction of the light flux until the upper border of the light spot reaches this line.

Naturally, the most reliable way- This is the adjustment of the light at the service station.

Video self adjustment headlights

The correct angle of dispersion of the beam of light is the key not only to your safety, but also to the comfort of other participants. traffic in dark time days. That is why headlight adjustment is an integral procedure for all cars, regardless of the type of lighting equipment or car class.

Proper adjustment means a balance between the maximum dispersion area, which positively affects the degree of illumination of the road, and the angle of light, at which drivers of oncoming vehicles maintain a sufficient degree of visibility.

Knowing how to adjust the headlights will be useful to every car owner.

Place for adjustment

Self-tuning of the beam is impossible without a graphed reflective screen. For such purposes, any flat section of a vertical surface (wall, garage door) is suitable.

Please note that the surface of the roadway in front of the screen must be flat for 10 m.

The measuring stand will have to be drawn by hand. Prepare in advance by doing the following procedure while still dark. To do this, you will need chalk or marking tape and a tape measure. The markup process itself consists of the following manipulations:

Please note that in the case of a lighting system with separate devices for near and high beam, settings are made separately for each mode. High beam headlights are adjusted along the top line.

Setting process

The following regulations provide a definitive manual for do-it-yourself adjustments:


high beam

On vehicles with a split main lighting system, the headlight adjustment pattern in high beam mode will be slightly different from the above. The near mode is adjusted along line B, and the halo of the high beam beam should be located at the intersection of lines H and D.

Measure the distance from the place PTF installations to the ground. Draw a vertical line on the reflective plane. Position the car 8 meters from the wall.

The upper boundary of the foglight beam should be 100 mm lower than the level of the bulb. As with the main lighting fixtures, the adjustment headlight PTF do-it-yourself requires only attention to compliance with the standards.

Complex method

According to the following prescription, the setting of the main light, as well as the PTF, can be done by hand in one go.

DRL

Daylight running lights It is intended to designate a vehicle, and not to illuminate the roadway. Therefore, the scattering area of ​​the light beam depends on the installation location. If your car was not equipped with PTF from the factory, but you installed them yourself, then headlight adjustment daylight should take place at the time of installation. Most important parameters adjustments:

  • the beam must be scattered parallel to the roadway;
  • in the horizontal plane, the illumination area is allowed up to 40º;
  • in the vertical direction 20º.

For more detailed information see installation standards according to GOST R 41.48-2004.

Important nuances

Do-it-yourself headlight adjustment is carried out taking into account the following recommendations:

  • tire pressure must correspond to the norm for your car, the tank is fully filled, in the trunk there is a set of things that are usually found in the car (spare wheel, first aid kit, tool kit, etc.);
  • if the car is equipped with an electric reflector corrector, set it to zero before adjusting;
  • the best result can be achieved by adjusting the headlights on each side alternately. opposite side can be covered with opaque material;
  • for greater accuracy, while adjusting to passenger seat a person whose weight is close to the weight of the driver must be seated;
  • the position of the reflector in most cars is adjusted by mechanical correctors. One of them is responsible for the vertical tilt, the other for the horizontal direction;

Headlight adjustment must be carried out at each intervention in the location of lighting equipment. The material provided will help you do the procedure yourself.

Driving out on the road in the evening, you will probably see at least one car with incorrectly adjusted headlights. Remember those unpleasant sensations when you have to squint and endure pain while your eyes try to adapt to an unexpected beam of bright light - and think about how you would like to create such a nuisance for others. If not, then you will need to learn how to adjust them in order to achieve their correct position without interfering with other road users. You need to engage in such a procedure at least a couple of times a year, and with the right approach, it takes no more than 15-20 minutes of time.

Preparation for work

You can start regulating only after acquiring everything you need, as well as checking the condition of the car. You will need:

  • Long ruler (preferably at least 30 cm);
  • A marker or any other device that draws on any surface;
  • A piece of cardboard, plywood or other material that can completely cover one headlight.

If you have or will always adjust the headlights in a certain place, you can apply permanent markings, for which it is better to replace the marker with resistant paint.

Do not forget to check the condition of your car - the correctness of the regulation process always depends on this. The main thing to pay attention to is, which should maintain a constant clearance and not create distortions in a certain direction. Also, the electrician responsible for transmitting energy to the headlights must be serviceable, otherwise their light may turn out to be too dim. The last item on the list is the lamps, their mounts and adjusting screws, if damaged, it will not work to change the position of the lighting system normally.

Take care of your own safety - it is desirable that the engine and generator are turned off, and power is supplied to the headlights. In addition, be sure to use gloves that will protect you from hypothermia of your hands, burns from hot engine components, and dirt on your skin. Finally, study the position of the adjusting screws in advance and consider how to access them without exposing yourself to undue danger.

Adjustment process

There is a lot of controversy among drivers regarding which particular technique to use when installing right position headlights It must be said right away - if we are not talking about frank errors in calculations, all methods can be recognized as correct. The thing is that not absolute, but relative values ​​are used, and in fact, you can put the car at different distances from the plane, while not forgetting to make the required adjustments.

Consider a typical case that is relevant to most. We open the hood and look at the surface of the headlights, which should be equipped with a white or yellow sticker with a pictogram depicting an inclined beam of light emitted by the headlight. It should indicate the standard angle of inclination - in this case, we will take it equal to 1.0%. If the sticker is missing or too worn, you should find the right number in the instruction manual.

We find a flat wall and adjust the car closely, trying to ensure that its nose is set at an angle of 90 degrees relative to the plane. Now you need to put two points on the wall corresponding to the central points of the headlights, and also draw a line exactly along the vertical axis of the car - for this you can look at the location of the emblem. We connect two points with a line, passing it through the vertical axis. If you are not sure of your artistic abilities, it is better to use the building level to make it strictly parallel to the ground. Finish the preparation by setting the hydraulic corrector to the zero position.

Now we take the car to a distance of 5 meters (if desired - more, which is recommended for car owners with other powerful light sources). On the wall we put off the second line, which should be 500 * 1.0% = 500 * 0.01 = 5 centimeters below the first. If you choose a different distance or the label on the sticker contains a different angle, you should substitute these numbers into the indicated calculation. Turn on the headlights and look at the result - in low beam, the upper boundary of the light beam should pass along the line drawn below, and the rays illuminating the curb should not rise above the line corresponding to the centers of the headlights. If the headlight height is not set correctly, or if the headlights tilt to the side, turn the side and center adjusting screws accordingly.

If you want to adjust the light at the same time, you need to draw another line - this time 22 centimeters below the second. The upper boundary of the fog light beam cannot be located above this third line. If there are separate high beam headlights on the car, they should be adjusted individually - for this, their position on the wall is noted and a line is again laid through the centers of the lighting equipment. Above it, you need to place another line, spaced 5 centimeters. Upper limit of the light beam headlights should be in contact with it, but not rise even higher.

Easy or difficult?

Practice shows that for the first 1-2 times, car owners go through real tests that take them more than an hour. With time comes skill, which can significantly reduce the time required for adjustment, but the process still requires maximum concentration. In addition, the driver is in danger of breaking the adjusting screws, seriously damaging the headlights. If this does not scare you, you should perform the procedure yourself. Otherwise, you can use the service of a professional service, which will be relatively inexpensive.

Headlight adjustment gradually gets lost when driving through bumps, from body vibrations or installing new lamps. Drivers do not notice the changes and operate a car with optics that blind the oncoming traffic and do not provide high-quality lighting at night.

Adjustment of lamps is required at least once a year, and also after replacement of lamps. The light is knocked down gradually, so the human eye is not able to notice deviations.

When operating the vehicle in difficult conditions the reflector is subjected to constant vibrations and loads. Because of this, he gradually takes the wrong position, in which the light flux is lost in the distance or goes down.

You can identify a malfunction by the signs:

  • headlights are different if you stand in front of the car;
  • when driving in the dipped beam, drivers of oncoming vehicles blink their distant ones;
  • the visibility of the curb worsened;
  • the jackdaws are indistinguishable and have a strong discrepancy in height or in the horizontal plane.

Light adjustment will provide the best illumination highway and will positive influence on driving safety.

Causes of violation of light regulation

Many drivers are concerned about the problem of why one headlight burns brighter than the other when looking at the car from the side. This indicates a disturbed adjustment of the headlights and the appearance of light in the cut-off area.

Factors that affect optics tuning include:

  • hitting a large pothole at high speed;
  • corrector malfunction;
  • consequences of a minor accident;
  • installation of lamps of dubious quality.

Car owners wonder why the headlights do not shine well after replacing the lamps. The reason can be both new light elements and inaccuracy during installation. Poor-quality lamps are manufactured without following the rules and requirements, therefore, they often have a helix offset. The reflector cannot catch the beam, shape it and direct it to the road. In this case, only the purchase of new light bulbs will help. Another factor may be accidental movement of the mechanism during lamp replacement. In both cases, the optics will not be able to correctly illuminate the road.

When hitting a bump, the lamp shakes, and the reflector jumps to another position. The same effect is obtained with a small accident. Correct adjustment headlights will help correct the situation and completely eliminate the problem.

When the corrector is soured or the control board burns out, the lights freeze in one position and blind all road users when loading the trunk or car interior. In this case, it will be necessary to check all components and replace broken parts.

Self adjustment

To adjust the light yourself, you do not need to have special equipment. To carry out the work you will need:

  • improvised tools;
  • pre-serviced and prepared car;
  • adjustment scheme.

With a responsible approach and following the instructions, adjustment without a device will not yield to professional equipment.

Necessary equipment and equipment

To perform the setup, you will need the tools:

  • roulette;
  • marker;
  • building level;
  • screwdriver or hexagon, depending on the model of the car;
  • clean rag.

The headlight adjustment device is expensive, you can find it in specialized workshops. Self-correction is no different from professional, but takes a little more time. For tuning, you should choose a warm evening without wind and precipitation.

With the help of the setting, you can either improve the headlights or worsen them. Negative consequences arise only in case of non-compliance with the instructions and incorrect construction of the circuit.

Car preparation

To adjust the light, you need to prepare the car. To do this, you need to follow the steps:

  1. Inflate the tires as directed on the label located on the driver's door pillar.
  2. Clear the luggage compartment.
  3. Refuel full tank fuel.
  4. Wash the car wash.
  5. Place the machine on a flat area in front of the wall, garage door at a distance of 5 meters.
  6. Shake the body to relax the springs and shock absorbers.
  7. Open the hood and wipe the optics with a cloth.
  8. Set the corrector to zero position.

To check the position of the body, you need to conduct an external inspection or use the building level.

Marking

The adjustment scheme will help you set the correct angle and check the cut-off area. Markings are made with a marker and are suitable for adjusting the light of reflector and lensed headlights.

How to draw a diagram yourself:

  1. Measure the height of the dipped beam headlight relative to the ground.
  2. Move the horizontal line to the wall.
  3. Mark the center of the car on the diagram. The center of the nameplate on the grille is taken as a guideline.
  4. Measure the distance between the bulbs in the right and left headlights.
  5. Make marks on the wall relative to the center strip.

The headlights in the dark will give clear jackdaws on the diagram, thanks to which you can make high-quality settings. This adjustment table is suitable for all cars and is often used in car services.

The screws in the optics housing allow you to change the angle of the headlights, the table will not allow you to go beyond the recommended values.

Locations of the adjusting screws

The headlight regulator is screws or plastic washers that are built into the optics housing and are responsible for the angle of light.

How to adjust the position of the light with the adjusting bolts:

  • the screws that are responsible for the angle of rotation of the reflector are located closer to the radiator grille;
  • the angle of light in the vertical plane is the area of ​​responsibility of the screws that are located near the wings of the machine.

There is no separate controller for high beams. The optics are adjusted with two main screws, which are turned with a screwdriver or a hexagon.

How to adjust: carefully turn the bolts and observe the change in the position of the light relative to the table. Applying force will result in a broken corrector or sheared thread.

Adjustment procedure

Adjustment of headlights with lenses, diodes and halogen is carried out on a prepared vehicle in dry weather.

How to adjust lensed headlights:

  1. Set the break line of the jackdaw in accordance with the measurements of the distance between the lamps relative to the center of the machine.
  2. The beam height is set below the horizontal line by 50 mm.
  3. The checkbox border should not go beyond the horizontal mark.

Adjusting the light with reflex optics or LEDs is no different from adjusting lenses.

Drivers wonder how to make headlights brighter to improve visibility pavement. To do this, you need to perform self-tuning and periodically check the condition of the headlights and the light setting.

As you know, the work of automotive optics largely affects the safety of movement at night. But safety is ensured not only by the performance of the headlights, but also by their correct setting. This material will allow you to find out how the headlights are adjusted, how to draw the markings correctly and what mistakes should not be made.

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Headlight adjustment methods

How to improve and properly adjust the low beam of low and high beams, as well as foglights on the car?

Do-it-yourself car optics adjustment can be done in several ways:

  1. With the use of specialized equipment, that is, a stand. A stand for self-adjusting lights can be found at almost any service station. Naturally, you will have to pay for the use of the equipment. But it should be noted that this adjustment option is one of the most effective, in particular, if the device is set up by specialists.
  2. You can adjust the optics yourself. In the absence of a stand or unwillingness to pay for the adjustment, you can perform this task on your own.

To perform self-tuning and improve the illumination of head or fog lights, you must do the following:

  • first of all, you need to select a scheme for adjustment, on the basis of which you will perform markup;
  • further, in accordance with the selected scheme, markup is performed;
  • the final step will be the actual adjustment.

Markup implementation

Before you adjust the low beam yourself, you will need to markup.

  1. To do this, drive the vehicle up to the wall and park it about two meters away from it, then mark the center of the axles on the surface and drive the vehicle back seven meters.
  2. Then the points that define the center of each headlight - left and right - should be connected to each other with a segment, and then supplement this diagram with another vertical line. This line should be connected to the first point, which defines the central part of the machine.
  3. In addition, it will be necessary to draw another line, it will connect the central points of the lanterns, its location should be 5-7 cm lower.

Photo gallery "Markings for adjustment"

1. Scheme for setting head lighting 2. Scheme for adjusting foglights

The nuances of adjusting optics

Before proceeding to self setting lamps, you need to make sure that the main elements and assemblies of the car are working correctly.

Keep in mind that the direction of light is affected by the following factors:

  • pressure in the wheels of the car;
  • condition of shock absorbers;
  • load on the suspension, in particular, we are talking about the distribution of the load on the hodovka.

If there are problems in the chassis that affect the direction of the light beam, then most likely the adjustment will not be performed correctly.

Low and high beam headlights

How to correct the lighting flow:

  1. To begin with, the car must be adjusted to the wall, which has already been marked.
  2. Make sure your vehicle's tires are properly inflated, also driver's seat you should put a weight of about 75 kg to simulate the presence of the driver in the car. Also, the car should be rocked from side to side, this will remove the load from the shock absorbers.
  3. Next, turn on the dipped beam - taking into account the marking scheme, you need to achieve the most optimal and correct light beam. Turn to adjust adjusting bolts, which are under the hood, with reverse side headlights Many cars use special correctors located in the passenger compartment, usually on the left side of the center console. You need to make sure that the location of the lighting stream is below the center point.
  4. If in your car the near and far lighting is not combined, then you will have to adjust it separately. In this case, the low beam adjustment is carried out in the same way. And in the case of long-range lighting, the lighting beam should fall directly on the center of the markup (video published by the Test Lab channel tests Avtolamps).

PTF

If we talk about setting up fog lights, then in the absence of equipment for adjustment, it will be necessary to adjust the position of the headlights themselves. To perform these steps, you will need to apply markings, as well as loosen the bolts that attach the lamp housing to the bumper vehicle.

Learn more about how to adjust the fog optics:

  1. First, the car must be prepared. As we said, to do this, pump up all the wheels, put the tools in the trunk and spare wheel, and place a weight of about 70-75 kg on the driver's seat.
  2. The car should be parked in front of the marked surface. AT this case the distance from the vehicle to the wall should be about five meters.
  3. After that you need to enable fog lights. One of the headlights should first be covered with a piece of cardboard. To achieve the greatest efficiency of the glow, the upper part of the illuminating stream of the headlight should be located approximately 10 cm from the center of the optics, or rather, from the place where it is projected. The second headlight is adjusted in the same way.