I did a search and read a very detailed way how to adjust the head light beam. After 1 hour I still have no clue, is there a simple way to adjust the head light beams?

 

Technically, there's no easy way to do this. The Adjustments on C5 are often so rusty they break off if you try to adjust them. The way to prevent this is to spray WD-40 directly on the "gearbox" of the adjustments. Unfortionatly to get to these, you have to take off the headlight bucket trim, cover and headlight frame.

tools you'll need for this:
- Phillips head screwdriver
- Torx 15 (make sure it's a quality bit)
- 8mm open end wrench
- 10mm socket wrench.
- large flathead screwdriver.

If you need the instructions to take apart the headlight, let me know.

 

Run down to the bottom of this link and it gives a good description of how to do the adjustments. Its for Euro headlights but the principle and the adjustments are the same.

http://www.c5forum.com/diy/eurolights2.php

 

Do you want your headlight to go up further?

On the inside of the headlight cover there is a black round circle. Take that off and you will see a long brass looking arm that looks like it has little gear teeth on it. That is your adjustment for up and down. You will need an extention and figure out what socket would fit on it.

Do not force it because it will break and might be at its highest of lowest point.

For measurement it is best to use a garage door and do one side at a time. You raise one side to where you want it and then match the other side to that height. I sometimes even use tape to mark my original spot in case it is too high and I want to adjust down.

I do wish the Vette was like the Trailblazer SS that I have. It takes about 5 seconds to adjust the lights. The mechanism is roughly the same idea, but they put it in a much easier spot to get to.

 

Yes that is the post that I found. I printed it out and studied it for an hour. I still have no idea. Not sure how to look at the diagram? Theres numbers 1-8 on the diagram and I get lost at 3. Am I supposed to look at the diagram straight on or from the side meaning that-- the funny shaped arc represents the light beam?

 

stand at the middle of your car and look either left or right at your headlights. You will see the black tab. It has a slot in it. Remove that tab with a large flathead screwdriver. Then look in the hole and you will see the adjustment.

 

ok are there only 2 adjustments- vertical and horizontal? If so I wd-40 them and they move freely. Now the big question-- where do I aim the lights? From what I read, if I understand -- the car's lights beam should be aimed from atleast 25 feet away from a garage door and the HEIGHT should be the same height as the headlights(measuring from the ground up to the center of the head light)- beams on the garage door? For the LEFT to RIGHT measurement -- the lights should be aimed together(centered) with about 3 inches between the beams that show up on the garage door?

 

The diagram I linked to is for the Euro lights. They have a faceted beam so the kidney shape (heavy to the right) gives a more targeted beam than stock lights.

With OEM lamps and housings the beam shape will be more oval and flat. Instead of using the break point (euro) as the reference use the equivalent area of the oval beam (left of center). The instructions show the target area for the center of the beam (low and right) but the measurements still work.

 

Ok I got it- I will try it -thank you

 

Both light beams would be aimed low and to the slight right of the center of each target area?

 

In one of the earlier posts above, someone mentioned that it is easy to break the adjustment screws/gears. I think at least one of mine is broken. Does anyone know of a DIY how-to repair this? I've had my headlamp bezel off and the painted cover itself. But I've never had the capsule completely out and I'm not sure whether the mechanisms I'm looking at are normal or broken. I don't see anything obvious. But no matter which way I turn the vertical adjustment screw, the light position doesn't change (and it's not pointed where I think it should be). Anyone with info, please advise.

 

Correct

You're driving on the right and the aim is to give maximum light at the greatest distance without blinding the oncoming driver on a 2 way road. Both lights should focus in about the same position ahead of the car

Theres a precise aim point but its only critical if the safety code is tight (not even checked in NV for example). In principle, aim as far ahead of the vehicle as possible and offset to the right. Use the measurements from the guide to set the position and you can always adjust later if the lights shine too close to the car.

 

From the Manual:

Aiming Stock Headlights

Preparation

Chose a white wall to project the lights onto (screen, garage door or wall)
Make sure car is on level ground
Mark a vertical centreline on the screen in line with the center of the car (black tape?)
(look over the roof of the car to get the line)
Measure the height from the floor to the center of the headlight capsule
Mark a horizontal aiming line at that height on the screen

Measure the distance between the centreline of the right headlight module and the center of the left headlight module.
Position vertical tapes this distance to the right and left of the screen centreline. These give you vertical references for each headlight.

Lubricate the adjustment screws before adjusting

Adjustments

Raise the hood
Raise the headlights
Remove the headlamp adjustment screw plug
Turn on the low beam headlights and block the light from projecting onto the screen from the passenger headlight
Check the horizontal aim

Adjust the horizontal aim adjusting screw to align the left edge of the high intensity zone with the headlight vertical centreline
The left edge of the beam should lie within 4” to the left and 4” to the right
of the vertical centreline.

Check the vertical aim

Adjust the horizontal aim adjusting screw to align the top edge of the high intensity zone with the headlight horizontal centreline
The left edge of the beam should lie within 2” above and 2.5” below the lamp horizontal centreline.

Reinstall the headlamp adjustment screw plug

Repeat for the other headlight

Turn off the lights and close the hood

 

I did this aiming " thing " a few years ago and thought I'd wind up in an asylum As several have said above, lubicate everything involved with aiming( I used DRY superlube spray so I didn't have a bunch of "stuff" running down all over the place ). The only thing that worked for me was to drive the car in the dark, decide what I wanted to position, back to the garage wall, adjust, and go out for a drive in the dark. Repeat, repeat, repeat

Time consuming trial and error but finally got them where I like them without affecting oncoming traffic.......

 

Ok sorry but I think I got it---so there is only 1 target area -- the center of the car(looking from behind car and make a vertical tape line on the target area of garage atleast 25 feet away) --THEN measure the center of the headlights to the ground and mark the horizontal tape line across the vertical tape mark on the garage. Now adjust them to your top diagram? What is the lower diagram?

 

Top diagram looking from the drivers seat. Bottom diagram looking from above the car.
The beams should intersect at some point ahead of the car but offset towards the right so they dont blind oncoming drivers. The pattern's not important so long as they aim roughly in the correct area.