How to Adjust Your Headlights | Step-by-Step Aim Guide

If you can’t see far enough down the road, you notice your lights are shining into oncoming traffic, or you are replacing your vehicle lights, your headlights might need to be aligned. Installing or replacing headlights involves more than just putting the bulb in place. Headlights that aren’t properly aligned can impair the vision of other drivers and impact your ability to see signs or obstacles on the road correctly. Our step-by-step guide below walks you through how to adjust headlights at home.

Note: LED bulbs are approved for use in the USA for off-road and fog light applications only. They are not street legal in the USA for use as headlights and are not compliant with DOT/FMVS108 standards. Only permissible for off-road applications such as ATV's, snowmobiles, and off-road racing. International legality varies. This restriction applies universally to all LED bulbs, regardless of brand or marketing claims, for use in halogen headlight housings in the USA.

If your factory bulbs are aimed properly, but you want to replace them with LEDs, check the aim of your headlights before replacing them. This will give you an idea of where the new alignment should be. Not every car is able to level the headlights, so refer to your owner’s manual to make sure your vehicle allows for an adjustment. If your vehicle uses bubble levels, there is no need to follow the steps below. Simply adjust the vertical and horizontal levels to the correct position. Adjusting your low beams for vehicles with combined low and high beam bulbs should also accurately align your high beams.

Before beginning the adjustment process, ensure you have the following materials: 

• Painter tape or masking tape

• Tape measure 

• Screwdriver (or tools to remove headlight assembly)

• LED headlights. Some of the common options include H4, H7, H9, H11, H13, and 9005. 

• Owners manual (optional)

Note: It is recommended to replace headlight bulbs in pairs as beam style, brightness, and color temperature vary.

The graphic below provides a quick, visual overview of the five steps on how to adjust car headlights. We explain the steps in greater detail later in the article. 

Pull your vehicle up to a blank, large wall and stop about 3 feet away. Make sure the vehicle is parked on level ground.

1. Identify the vehicle center. This will generally be the badge on the front of the car.

2. Add a vertical piece of painter’s tape on the wall where the vehicle center is.

3. Next, find the center of each headlight.

Pro tip: You can find the center of your headlight by the small dimple in the headlight assembly plastic.

4. With a tape measure, measure the distance from the ground to the center of your headlight. 

5. Copy this measurement against the wall directly across from each headlight.

6. Subtract 2 inches and mark with a horizontal piece of tape.

The bottom of the horizontal tape at the 2-inch marks should be where the top of your beam pattern sits when you’re 25 feet away.

To find the alignment adjuster, open the hood, look down, and find the vertical and horizontal screws or bolts. Most headlight alignment adjusters will use a Philip screwdriver.

Adjust your headlights so the most intense part of the beam is just below the horizontal tape line marked on the wall.

Drive your car at night to verify your lights are properly aimed. If the lights are correctly adjusted, you should be able to see the road correctly.

Be aware of how headlight assembly reflectors impact LED headlights' aim if the vehicle previously used halogen bulbs. Traditional halogen and HID bulbs emit light in 360 degrees, and headlight housing reflectors are designed to reflect this light into a projected beam. However, LED headlight bulbs only have chips on two sides, so install the LEDs so the chips face the reflectors (usually facing directly left and right). Otherwise, the light may not hit the necessary reflectors and can produce an inefficient beam pattern or decreased light output. The bulb collar might need to be adjusted with an Allen wrench or a screwdriver to rotate the headlight exactly where you need it. 

Headlight reflectors are specifically designed to accompany the size and placement of the factory bulb. When choosing an LED bulb to replace your halogen or HID headlight, select the same type as the factory bulb. This will guarantee that the reflectors can aim the light from your LED as initially intended.

If you are unsure about a step, consult a mechanic before making any changes to your car’s lighting system. For information specific to your vehicle, you can also refer to its owner's manual.

Why Choose Super Bright LEDs?

Super Bright LEDs carries a large amount of vehicle bulbs, with the ability to filter through selections such as by vehicle make, model, and year, base type, desired LED color, and more. If you have any questions, please call us at 866-590-3533. Our customer service and technical support teams are available from 8:30 am to 6 pm CT Monday-Thursday and 8:30 am to 4 pm CT on Friday.