How To Adjust Headlight Beam Height

[DeltaV]

I caught hold of this thread yesterday and decided to check

With a target 6 inches in front of the car, I marked the top of each headlight beam, covering one headlight with a towel, then the other.

I moved the target to 6 feet (it was daylight so I was restricted by garage space) and saw the driver’s side still hit the mark but the passenger side was an inch low.

I pulled the passenger side air box (really easy) then adjusted the 12mm bolt with a gearwrench unit it matched the first mark.

No problem.

Odd that the factory left one good and one not. I know the dealership didn’t do it because I took the car right off the truck, no dealer prep. When I drove it home, it still had the plastic and foam blocks on the exterior panels and EVERY interior protective film put on in Korea.

 

[ldusseau]

That's interesting because factory aim settings should have the passenger side beam slightly below the driver.

 

[DeltaV]

That's interesting because factory aim settings should have the passenger side beam slightly below the driver.

So I broke what was correct?

 

[ldusseau]

Nah, you should be alright. I just wanted to pass along the factory setting information. The right headlamp is usually aimed higher so it illuminates the shoulder/fog line and doesn't glare oncoming traffic. If people flash their brights at you when your low beams are on, you may want to lower your left headlamp beam slightly and raise the right. That way you can see better and not glare oncoming traffic as badly.

 

[Volfy]

That's interesting because factory aim settings should have the passenger side beam slightly below the driver.

Same height.




This is, of course, assuming car is on stock suspension. If the car is lowered, the height should be adjusted accordingly.

 

[ldusseau]

Interesting

Same height.

View attachment 83157
View attachment 83159

This is, of course, assuming car is on stock suspension. If the car is lowered, the height should be adjusted accordingly.

Interesting. I certainly could be wrong. Which governing body is that from?

 

[Volfy]

Interesting

Interesting. I certainly could be wrong. Which governing body is that from?

The all-mighty mothership.

Kia Stinger - Headlamps - Lighting System

This was already posted a page back on this thread: How To Adjust Headlight Beam Height

Mighty nice of Kia to offer the docs online. It's one big reason we like the platform as much as we do.

 

[DeltaV]

That's interesting because factory aim settings should have the passenger side beam slightly below the driver.

Nah, you should be alright. I just wanted to pass along the factory setting information. The right headlamp is usually aimed higher so it illuminates the shoulder/fog line and doesn't glare oncoming traffic. If people flash their brights at you when your low beams are on, you may want to lower your left headlamp beam slightly and raise the right. That way you can see better and not glare oncoming traffic as badly.

It doesn’t take much to confuse me, and you did it.

“Passenger side should be below driver side”

And

“Right (passenger) side should be aimed higher to illuminate shoulder”

At first, I thought you might be in a right hand, drive country, but if your shoulder is to your right that doesn’t fit.

Bottom line, if I’m not getting flashed, I’m OK.

In my previous vehicle, I said the low beams as high as reasonable, noticeably higher than stock, and never got flashed.

 

[ldusseau]

Bottom line, I was wrong, Volfy is correct. The attached aiming diagram from Kia shows the lamps aimed at the same level. As for the cut-off, you don't need to worry about those. The optics in the projector form the cut-off, there is nothing there to adjust

 

[D.J.]

That's interesting because factory aim settings should have the passenger side beam slightly below the driver.

?where do you get that from?

At a distance of 10m - the center of the beam is supposed to be 100mm lower than the headlight height. (slight downward tilt) - for factory settings



Here? --> https://www.kstinger.com/headlamps-790.html

 

[Cvap]

I turned that 12mm nut at least 100 rotations and the lights didn't move. Dealer says the bumper has to come off. 150 service charge plus the labor to do it!!! And I just bought the car used from them and paid 2000 for the 10/100 warranty transfer. It's a 21 GT. The left light is up in the trees, like for coon hunting, and the right one is 3' in front of the car in the gutter. What happened to this car before they sold it to me, for the lights to be that far off? The Fed Ex driver just got a new Forte and says his lights are the same brand new. Same dealer told him they are at specs. What's up with these dealers and headlights? I'll probably bring to the the dealer and they'll say it's fine. The manual shows a dc motor on the assembly to switch from high to low beam with one light. Maybe the whole light is broken and probably not covered by the 10/100 warranty.
PS the adjustment tool is 6mm torx with extra long shaft if you dont want to take off the filter.

 

[D.J.]

I turned that 12mm nut at least 100 rotations and the lights didn't move. Dealer says the bumper has to come off. 150 service charge plus the labor to do it!!! And I just bought the car used from them and paid 2000 for the 10/100 warranty transfer. It's a 21 GT. The left light is up in the trees, like for coon hunting, and the right one is 3' in front of the car in the gutter. What happened to this car before they sold it to me, for the lights to be that far off? The Fed Ex driver just got a new Forte and says his lights are the same brand new. Same dealer told him they are at specs. What's up with these dealers and headlights? I'll probably bring to the the dealer and they'll say it's fine. The manual shows a dc motor on the assembly to switch from high to low beam with one light. Maybe the whole light is broken and probably not covered by the 10/100 warranty.
PS the adjustment tool is 6mm torx with extra long shaft if you dont want to take off the filter.

sounds like your car was involved in a collision prior to you buying it.

Which headlights? Halogen?

 

[Cvap]

Yes Halogen, If it was in a collision, you'd think they'd adjust the headlights before they put it on the lot. I paid to check the VIN, so they must've hid the damage from Carfax?

 

[socalvn]

I just use a screwdriver and the lines on my garage door pretty simple my car is lowered so adjustment was required

 

[D.J.]

Yes Halogen, If it was in a collision, you'd think they'd adjust the headlights before they put it on the lot. I paid to check the VIN, so they must've hid the damage from Carfax?

any pics of the severity of your issue.

Can you share a pic of what we are talking about here?


Carfax is trash . Nothing was hidden - it's just trash.

 

[D.J.]

I just use a screwdriver and the lines on my garage door pretty simple my car is lowered so adjustment was required

was your adjustment required because you have self leveling LED headlights that utilize the rear suspension height sensor?

 

[Thomby]

I turned that 12mm nut at least 100 rotations and the lights didn't move. Dealer says the bumper has to come off. 150 service charge plus the labor to do it!!! And I just bought the car used from them and paid 2000 for the 10/100 warranty transfer. It's a 21 GT. The left light is up in the trees, like for coon hunting, and the right one is 3' in front of the car in the gutter. What happened to this car before they sold it to me, for the lights to be that far off? The Fed Ex driver just got a new Forte and says his lights are the same brand new. Same dealer told him they are at specs. What's up with these dealers and headlights? I'll probably bring to the the dealer and they'll say it's fine. The manual shows a dc motor on the assembly to switch from high to low beam with one light. Maybe the whole light is broken and probably not covered by the 10/100 warranty.
PS the adjustment tool is 6mm torx with extra long shaft if you dont want to take off the filter.

Bumper removal is pretty straightforward, maybe 10 minutes to remove the half dozen or so bolts above the grille and in the wheel wells plus another half dozen of those nylon pop rivets. But I don't know what that will gain you in terms of light adjustment.

I was confused at first by the screwdriver technique people were talking about, since it looks like you're trying to stab threads from the side, but the hole is sized and aimed to guide the screwdriver exactly where it needs to be for the Phillips blades to seat into place and move the gear bit by bit. Maybe give that method a quick try before you do anything more involved.

 

[Cvap]

I have the tool that fits the gear on the 12 mm bolt. It turns the head of the bolt fine. Just doesn't raise the light.

 

[Cvap]

They probably want to remove the bumper to allow them to shim the whole light assembly so they don't have to replace it?

 

[D.J.]

They probably want to remove the bumper to allow them to shim the whole light assembly so they don't have to replace it?

If they did that, the headlight assembly would still be broken and unadjustable...

Sounds like the headlight adjusting mechanism is broken and simply needs to be replaced.