[ChaosDunk]

Hey guys,

I've done some night driving recently and I feel like my headlights looks like this...

http://imgur.com/irf97MH

I am a very accurate drawer!

Tomorrow I will take a real picture and see if it comes out. But yea, I feel like I can see further from the passenger side headlight than the diver side. My headlight setting thing is at 0. Should I just take to dealer? Or is this something that's normal/easily fixable


-2014 Mazda3 S Touring

 

[lowincash]

That's perfectly normal. There's a cutoff shield in each projector that gives it that distinct line ______/--------- When both combined it'll just look like one.

This is so you don't blind oncoming traffic while providing you proper light on your side of the road.

 

[lowincash]

Oh yeah, I think these headlights are aimed too low from the factory. I aimed mine up a bit so the light shines farther and helped a lot at night.

 

[ChaosDunk]

Ahhhh! Clever! This is my first car made in this century, and I can only assume this has been a thing for awhile now and that I look the fool, haha. Thanks man!

 

[ChaosDunk]

Okay- I'm gonna do that too then. I was surprised when I found the adjuster and they only went lower! Good to know I can tip them up a bit :biggrin:

 

[jdpfresh]

@lowincash

Did you manually adjust it higher? I'm at the highest setting right now and I feel like its still too low...

Ideal would probably be two notches up.

 

[ChaosDunk]

@lowincash

Did you manually adjust it higher? I'm at the highest setting right now and I feel like its still too low...

Ideal would probably be two notches up.

Two notches sounds pretty good to me too!

 

[lowincash]

Yeah I adjusted it myself. Dealer won't do it.

I just went to a CVS where it's completely flat and I parked about 25-30 feet away from the wall. I used a philips screw driver and adjusted the knob/teeth thingy behind the low beam of each headlight. I aimed it up maybe two inches and now it's perfect, light shines farther yet does not blind cars in front of me.

My car has the auto leveling thingy and I was afraid it will automatically level it back to the original position. I did the adjustments with the car running so the leveling with be at it's default lowest setting. Worked out fine, it still automatically adjusts the light up/down depending on cargo load

 

[mazda3UR]

we all need to learn something new now and again

 

[jdpfresh]

Yeah I adjusted it myself. Dealer won't do it.

I just went to a CVS where it's completely flat and I parked about 25-30 feet away from the wall. I used a philips screw driver and adjusted the knob/teeth thingy behind the low beam of each headlight. I aimed it up maybe two inches and now it's perfect, light shines farther yet does not blind cars in front of me.

My car has the auto leveling thingy and I was afraid it will automatically level it back to the original position. I did the adjustments with the car running so the leveling with be at it's default lowest setting. Worked out fine, it still automatically adjusts the light up/down depending on cargo load

Sweet! I have the manual adjustment in the car so if I adjust the knob under the light in the engine bay, all movements i do from within the car will adjust according to this new position and will NOT rest to factory right?

 

[lowincash]

Sweet! I have the manual adjustment in the car so if I adjust the knob under the light in the engine bay, all movements i do from within the car will adjust according to this new position and will NOT rest to factory right?

Yup, your 0 position will start from wherever you aim it to.

 

[DebaryJoe]

Yeah I adjusted it myself. Dealer won't do it.

I just went to a CVS where it's completely flat and I parked about 25-30 feet away from the wall. I used a philips screw driver and adjusted the knob/teeth thingy behind the low beam of each headlight. I aimed it up maybe two inches and now it's perfect, light shines farther yet does not blind cars in front of me.

My car has the auto leveling thingy and I was afraid it will automatically level it back to the original position. I did the adjustments with the car running so the leveling with be at it's default lowest setting. Worked out fine, it still automatically adjusts the light up/down depending on cargo load

I looked for the knob/teeth thingy, but could not locate it. Do you have a picture do it? Can it be reached from the engine bay? I have the halogen projectors, so I don't know if this knob is the same.

 

[lowincash]

I looked for the knob/teeth thingy, but could not locate it. Do you have a picture do it? Can it be reached from the engine bay? I have the halogen projectors, so I don't know if this knob is the same.

I think the knobs are same for all headlights, even reflector halogens on my old car. Here are a pics...

Driver side...that thing in the middle.

Passenger side, next to the washer fluid bottle.

You can reach it from the hole on the frame that's why you might want a long screw driver.

Hope this helps

 

[DebaryJoe]

I see them now. You don't really turn anything with the Phillips screw driver, just push the teeth one way or the other??? If so, a long flat head screw driver should work, right?

 

[lowincash]

Yeah I guess you can do that too. It was just faster turning with a philips screw driver

 

[teg]

@lowincash I was able to aim my headlines higher thanks to your photos and explanation. I can see much better now at night. I turned the teeth four notches each side with a flat head screw driver. I hope I'm not blinding oncoming cars.

 

[JMN555]

Which way do you turn the screw to raise the beams? To the right or left?

 

[tonyM3]

I look at the manual and look like we do not adjust headlight by parking car 25 feet from wall and make sure the cutoff is 2" lower than headlight height (which is the measure from ground to center of headlight where you see a small circle).

Instead they said, park 3m (9.8feet) and set cutoff line at the height of headlight.

 

[teg]

Which way do you turn the screw to raise the beams? To the right or left?

Clockwise on driver side and counter clockwise on passenger side if facing the white plastic part (basically turn both toward the center of the car).

 

[Nothing]

I think the knobs are same for all headlights, even reflector halogens on my old car. Here are a pics...

Hope this helps

I'll be doing this in the morning! Thanks.