Headlights - Contantly getting flashed by other cars thinking I'm using high beam

[Duckjybe]

I just adjusted mine, which is really quite simple.

I was on a long trip, taking small town rural roads and was getting flashed by every 3rd car it seemed. In my home town, where BMW's and Audi's are common I hadn't been flashed ever. So I think it is a combination of the lights being a little too high and certain drivers not used to the very bright low beams. I ended up checking them against my Volt and they were indeed a touch higher. Before adjusting, my high beams were actually not adding much distance because they pointed so high. I think you need to find the sweet spot so that when you switch from lows to highs it does improve your visibility significantly.

 

[Lon12]

Well I was following another Model S this weekend and he (Footbag) mentioned that one of my headlights was brighter than the other. Tesla had replaced one of them but did not adjust the beam to match. Thanks to this thread I was able to adjust the beam down.
Here is a picture of the adjustment screw if anyone is interested in it:

 

[zambono]

Are the new adaptive LED headlights adjusted the same way?

 

[Skotty]

Part of the issue is probably that he lives in Ohio. I live in Missouri, and I get flashed occasionally as well. Compared to old school cars with boxed buy-off-the-shelf-at-Walmart headlights, which are still very common in some places, newer low beams like on the S are quite bright. The aim matters, but they will still look like brights to some people.

I can't tell you how many times I have heard my grandmother complain about the "blue" headlights.

 

[markn455]

I live about an hour North of the metro area out in the middle of nowhere. No street lights, traffic lights and very limited traffic. Most of my commute is before sunrise. Most of the time in the country I am driving with my brights on. We have a lot of fog and as many know driving with the brights often makes driving in fog harder to see. My MS didn't have fog lights until I discovered I could "upgrade" and add fog lights. Now driving in fog is certainly better. I now tend to drive with the low beams so the fog lights will come on. I realized then that the low beam lights are pointing really low. I need to bring them up perhaps 3-5 degrees and I think they would be about right. I really hate to drive 1.5 hours from my place just to have the SC adjust them.. Doe anyone know which way to turn the adjustment to raise the lights and how much adjustment you get out of say a turn or two?

 

[artsci]

I've made headlight height adjustments on several of my cars. First step is to measure the height from the ground of the headlight bulb/beam. This can be approximate.

The actual adjustment should be done at night with the car on a level surface parked about 20 or 30 feet from a plain vertical wall. Park the car perpendicular to the wall and turn on the headlight low beam. The light image on the wall for each headlamp should have well-defined horizontal lines that angles up on the right. Measure the height from the ground of the each horizontal lines. They should match the height of the headlight bulb/beam on the car. Make any necessary adjustments until they're the same. It's simple to do.

BTW, the height setting for the wall should be 27.5 ". What I do is run a piece of painters tape along the wall at that height and adjust the headlamps accordingly. Easy to do yourself and no need for a ranger.

 

[speedy]

Are the new adaptive LED headlights adjusted the same way?

I just had my headlights replaced with the 3-LED Adaptive Headlights and they are now projecting a little too low. I took a look at the adjustment and it looks like there are two adjustment screws. I presume the black knob is for the height. I'm not sure what the white knob does, but suspect it rotates the internal assembly. Or maybe it's just a way to rotate the black knob from the top. Anyone has the service manual for the refresh and know for sure?

 

[Duke-U]

I have changed the height of the light bundle on my car for the same reasons. I took off the plastic cover and saw and adjusted one nylon hex slot like the white one you see in the picture. I cant reference if that is the same from it though. Worked anyway.

 

[speedy]

I have changed the height of the light bundle on my car for the same reasons. I took off the plastic cover and saw and adjusted one nylon hex slot like the white one you see in the picture. I cant reference if that is the same from it though. Worked anyway.

If you have a 2017 model, it should be the same lights. So you adjusted the white screw from the top, through the hole visible in the picture above? Do you recall which direction to turn the screw to raise the headlight beam?

 

[Duke-U]

Yes, the white screw I could reach from the top. I parked in a dark spot and carefully gave it one turn to see if it would go up or down. The edge of the bundle is quite clear to see so if you park it in front of avgarage door or wall you can mark the current position, give it one turn and see in which direction it goes. I don’t remember the direction, only that it wasn’t very logical. It could be because left and right were different.

It’s easy-peasy. Just don’t adjust too much, a small adjustment on a wall is already a big change.

 

[speedy]

I don’t remember the direction, only that it wasn’t very logical. It could be because left and right were different.

I've completed my adjustment. Basically, anti-clockwise to raise the beam and clockwise to lower it. It's the same on both sides. It takes a 20mm Allen key, but it can also accept a Phillips head screwdriver.

 

[speedy]

Correction, it's a 6 mm Allen key...

 

[mongo]

BTW, the height setting for the wall should be 27.5 ". What I do is run a piece of painters tape along the wall at that height and adjust the headlamps accordingly. Easy to do yourself and no need for a ranger.

That will only be valid for one ride height on one vehicle type. FMVSS 108 testing defines the max brightness point at 0.5 or 0.86 degrees downward from the bulb center. Also specifies a much lower level by the level to 0.5 degree up angle point.

Note that intersections that are elevated will also cause people to think highs are on due to altered vehicle angle (same with RR crossings).

 

[artsci]

There’s an easy way to check the alignment of the headlamps. Find a level space with a white or light colored wall. Park about 25 feet away at night, set the car height to normal driving level, and turn on the headlamps. You’ll see a clear line at the top of the light projections on the wall. That line should be about the same height as the center of the headlamps to the ground — that should be 27.5 inches.

 

[mongo]

Another option for a quick check that does not require measuring. Find a flat area next to a wall (doesn't need to be level). Start 25 ft or so away, note where the beam fall off is (block wall would be handy) then slowly drive forward. If the cut off moves upwards, your lights are pointing some angle downward (good). If the cut off line moves downward, they are pointed upward (bad). 0.5 degree is only 2.6 inches at 25 feet, so it might help to have a spotter. Also speaks to need for a really flat test spot (0.5 degrees is 1 inch difference between front and rear tires)

 

[palmer_md]

There’s an easy way to check the alignment of the headlamps. Find a level space with a white or light colored wall. Park about 25 feet away at night, set the car height to normal driving level, and turn on the headlamps. You’ll see a clear line at the top of the light projections on the wall. That line should be about the same height as the center of the headlamps to the ground — that should be 27.5 inches.

2" below at 25'. Headlights - Contantly getting flashed by other cars thinking I'm using high beam