Head Light Adjustment
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2018
Posts: 1,511
Likes: 385
From: Punta gorda Florida
Head Light Adjustment
This is now getting stupid or is it me ???????. As stated in a few posts I have done about bulb replacement this is where it's at.
Replaced both hi/low bulbs after purchasing the car almost a year ago. Vette mechanic replaced with 9005/9006 that was to be much better than OEM. Have been driving months with them, still not good and had to take back after install to have them adjusted. Did the best he could. Been driving only using hi beams and it's been ok, lows still not adjusted good. Told mechanic and he ordered another set, but told these will be much better. 80%. Had them installed two days ago, During install I asked to see the low bulb that was removed to see type and brand while he was installing new bulb !!!!!!!. AMAZED, He was installing the exact bulb he was replacing. Brought it to his attention and said it was the best bulb to use as he was told. tried to adjust after install and could not do so ??????. Search several shops and all said no, do not know how. Finally found a mechanic who has done this before. Just got back from having adjustment made. both sides needed it. Started with passenger side. Note, before this both hi beams were alike, lows not. asked to show hi's, were ok, then lo's, way off. adjusted low to match other low and then hi's and they were way off. readjust rt hi to match left hi and it threw the rt low off again. outcome was, adjust rt hi to match the left hi and forget the lows. some how he did manage to get the rt low lower than it was without throwing of the hi, still very bad. That's the story, Now for the questions.
1. there are only two adjustment screws for each unit correct ?
Passenger side, removing the dust cap you can see the upper adjustment screw almost at the top of the hole, star looking. other
screw/rod is long and at the right just under the hole that also looks like a star and for adjusting up/down of unit. ?
2. adjustment screws adjust the whole unit which would adjust both lo/hi at same time correct ? or can each bulb be adjusted on it's own, don't see how, don't think so.
3. mechanic at a loss as to why he cannot adjust them.
using wagner bright lites 9005/9006
Truly at a loss as what is going on with the adjusting, forget about the bulbs at this point, will be delt with at another time.
please feel free to chime in or even call to discuss.
69 years old and have adjusted many lights over the years, feeling stupid and confused at this point.
Replaced both hi/low bulbs after purchasing the car almost a year ago. Vette mechanic replaced with 9005/9006 that was to be much better than OEM. Have been driving months with them, still not good and had to take back after install to have them adjusted. Did the best he could. Been driving only using hi beams and it's been ok, lows still not adjusted good. Told mechanic and he ordered another set, but told these will be much better. 80%. Had them installed two days ago, During install I asked to see the low bulb that was removed to see type and brand while he was installing new bulb !!!!!!!. AMAZED, He was installing the exact bulb he was replacing. Brought it to his attention and said it was the best bulb to use as he was told. tried to adjust after install and could not do so ??????. Search several shops and all said no, do not know how. Finally found a mechanic who has done this before. Just got back from having adjustment made. both sides needed it. Started with passenger side. Note, before this both hi beams were alike, lows not. asked to show hi's, were ok, then lo's, way off. adjusted low to match other low and then hi's and they were way off. readjust rt hi to match left hi and it threw the rt low off again. outcome was, adjust rt hi to match the left hi and forget the lows. some how he did manage to get the rt low lower than it was without throwing of the hi, still very bad. That's the story, Now for the questions.
1. there are only two adjustment screws for each unit correct ?
Passenger side, removing the dust cap you can see the upper adjustment screw almost at the top of the hole, star looking. other
screw/rod is long and at the right just under the hole that also looks like a star and for adjusting up/down of unit. ?
2. adjustment screws adjust the whole unit which would adjust both lo/hi at same time correct ? or can each bulb be adjusted on it's own, don't see how, don't think so.
3. mechanic at a loss as to why he cannot adjust them.
using wagner bright lites 9005/9006
Truly at a loss as what is going on with the adjusting, forget about the bulbs at this point, will be delt with at another time.
please feel free to chime in or even call to discuss.
69 years old and have adjusted many lights over the years, feeling stupid and confused at this point.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 9,488
Likes: 1,743
From: Knoxville Tn
There are only two adjustment screws per side. If you are using bulbs with filaments, they can be contrary to align. the adjustment screws move the entire housing that contains both high and low beams. Work on getting a balance between the two, (High or Low beam) usually this is a compromise. Another hint, when trying to make adjustments, spray the "golden screws" or adjustment screws with some WD 40 before turning them. These adjustments screws are not sold individually from GM, and if you break one, the only ways to replace is to buy an entire headlight bucket, or find a vendor that has some laying around from a salvaged bucket. If you have a garage, you can do it yourself by shinning the lights on the garage door (at night) and making the adjustments using a 1/4 inch socket (the screw is actually a spline) with and extension and watch it the beams change on the door. One screw is for verticle the other for horizontal. I actually have mine set up to have both beams on at once when the car wants high beams. Some of the venders here sell a cable that allows this.
Do a search here on CF, I'm sure someone has posted their procedure, which may be better than mine.
Good luck.
Do a search here on CF, I'm sure someone has posted their procedure, which may be better than mine.
Good luck.
Last edited by Vetteman Jack; Aug 24, 2018 at 10:21 AM.
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Drifting
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 1,496
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From: Little Rock Arkansas
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...djustment.html
This is a good step-by-step.
Per what Phanni said you'll want to make sure that both the low and hi bulbs are seated properly in the sockets. When you adjust the golden rods they will indeed move the entire bucket, so if one bulb is not seated properly it's going to be effectively impossible to align.
9005/9006s are getting a bit outdated. A good chunk of people are starting to upgrade to 9011/9012 HIRs, which have similar mounting provisions that 9005/9006s do sans a tab that has to be trimmed. While they won't be as good as HIDs or LEDs they're a good cost alternative now that HIRs have come down in price drastically.
https://blog.briancmoses.com/2013/11...-corvette.html
This is a good step-by-step.
Per what Phanni said you'll want to make sure that both the low and hi bulbs are seated properly in the sockets. When you adjust the golden rods they will indeed move the entire bucket, so if one bulb is not seated properly it's going to be effectively impossible to align.
9005/9006s are getting a bit outdated. A good chunk of people are starting to upgrade to 9011/9012 HIRs, which have similar mounting provisions that 9005/9006s do sans a tab that has to be trimmed. While they won't be as good as HIDs or LEDs they're a good cost alternative now that HIRs have come down in price drastically.
https://blog.briancmoses.com/2013/11...-corvette.html
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2018
Posts: 1,511
Likes: 385
From: Punta gorda Florida
After trying to have them adjusted this morning and doing this first post I went back to my vette mechanic and told him what is going on. His first remark was, is it the right side. Said yes. He said he felt something might not be right when he installed that low beam. Wants vette back to look at that unit. Feels the first mechanic my have done something to the socket. Said he will make it right at his cost. Knows units were right when first brought in for bulb upgrade. Can’t ask for more, good people. Keep you updated.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 9,488
Likes: 1,743
From: Knoxville Tn
After trying to have them adjusted this morning and doing this first post I went back to my vette mechanic and told him what is going on. His first remark was, is it the right side. Said yes. He said he felt something might not be right when he installed that low beam. Wants vette back to look at that unit. Feels the first mechanic my have done something to the socket. Said he will make it right at his cost. Knows units were right when first brought in for bulb upgrade. Can’t ask for more, good people. Keep you updated.
great!
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2018
Posts: 1,511
Likes: 385
From: Punta gorda Florida
Update,
took vette back this morning to look at rt side light alignment issue. Turns out monkey see, monkey do !!!!!. Checker entire headlight unit, nothing wrong. Then pulled lo beam bulb, nothing wrong with socket. Outcome was, first mechanic who changed out bulb did not seat it correctly and turn tabs till properly placed. Second mechanic, this one when changing out to a better bulb installed it where the tabs were the same as the first and he did nor seat properly. Now installed properly and both hi and lows align up together. Told to test at night and if minor adjustment needed just note how and bring it in.
took vette back this morning to look at rt side light alignment issue. Turns out monkey see, monkey do !!!!!. Checker entire headlight unit, nothing wrong. Then pulled lo beam bulb, nothing wrong with socket. Outcome was, first mechanic who changed out bulb did not seat it correctly and turn tabs till properly placed. Second mechanic, this one when changing out to a better bulb installed it where the tabs were the same as the first and he did nor seat properly. Now installed properly and both hi and lows align up together. Told to test at night and if minor adjustment needed just note how and bring it in.
Drifting
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 1,957
Likes: 342
From: Shell Point (Crawfordville) Florida
I was just going to post that. If the beams were aligned before the bulbs were replaced, it's most likely that the bulbs were not seated in the sockets correctly, which is a very easy mistake to do. This is especially evident when the high beam and low beam do not align properly after new bulbs are inserted - that means one of them is not properly seated in the socket.
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