Adjusting Headlights

JoeDiesel

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 10, 2000
Location
Michigan USA
I find that the dim setting for my headlights is angled down too much and that the brights are great, but aimed to straight for in town use. I looked in the manual about adjusting the dims and it said to consult a VW stealership. Anyone know a way to adjust just the dims?
 

Vroom

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 5, 2000
Location
Windsor, Ontario
TDI
mrrobmora
You can't adjust just the dims, you have to adjust the whole assembly... by using those two screws on the top. One does horizontal adjustment, the other does vertical.
 

richardtoh

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 10, 1999
Location
PA
I just replaced my low beam light bulb and it was quite a tedious job. I accidentally adjusted one of the two screws used for focusing the beam.

I would very much like to know how to aim it correctly.
 

[the unit]

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 24, 2001
Location
Lake Mary, FL
TDI
sold - 2002 Jetta TDI
I had this problem on my last Jetta, and I used a rather unscientific method to correct it:

Park car next to a wall, start car and turn on headlights, open hood, adjust headlights in desired direction using screws on top of the headlight housings. Close hood, get in car, and drive around the block to check light pattern (at night obviously). Return to wall and re-adjust if necessary. Keep doing this until you get it right. It helps if you have some reference on the wall, siding worked well for me, so I could aim between the lines.

It took me about 45 minutes with crappy tools and very little light to work with. Everyone in my apartment complex must have thought I was a nut, driving in circles over and over!
 

richardtoh

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 10, 1999
Location
PA
Thanks for the suggestion.

My concern is that, the two beams are suppose to create a overlapping, intersecting zone for maximum effect. If any one of the two is not positioned correctly, the zone might be too large or small for optimum driving condition. In addition, incorrect beam position might blind incoming drivers, thus endangering lives.

Surely there must be a simple schematic on how to perform this task.
 

VW Vet

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 4, 2000
Location
Maine
TDI
Golf GL TDI, 2001
How about this: Have the dealer adjust your headlights this time. Then, go home, find a level spot to park about 20 feet from a wall. Shine your headlights on the wall and mark the pattern or take some measurements to make a diagram. You will now have the same info most other manufacturers give but VW does not.
 
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