Stop Blinding People! Headlight Level Dial Explained #cars24, by Cars24 on YouTube. 1 min 48 s.
- Video length
- 1 min 48 s
- Time to do it
- 5 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 9
What you need
Steps
Park on flat ground facing a wall about 5 to 10 metres away. Keep the engine running so the battery holds the lights steady.
Find the dial, usually on the dashboard to the left of the steering wheel. It is marked 0, 1, 2, 3 and has a headlight symbol.
Turn on your low beam, not high beam. The dial only works on the dipped beam pattern.
Load the car the way you normally drive it. Sit a passenger in the back if you usually carry one, and add luggage if you are packed for a trip.
Start at 0 when only the driver is aboard and the boot is empty. This is the highest beam setting and the normal everyday position.
Turn the dial up as weight goes on the rear axle. More load means a higher number, which tips the beam lower to protect other drivers.
Watch the light line on the wall as you click through the numbers. The top edge of the beam should drop as the number goes up.
Set the number where the beam sits below the height of oncoming windscreens. If drivers flash you at night, go one step higher.
Reset the dial to 0 once the car is empty again. Leaving it high gives you a short patch of light on the road.
Tips and common mistakes
Never touch the dial while driving. Set it before you pull away.
The dial does not make the lights brighter or dimmer, so do not use it to fix weak bulbs.
If your car has no dial, the aim is set with screws under the bonnet and needs a garage or a wall and tape measure.
Clean cloudy headlight lenses regularly, since dirt and yellowing scatter light and cause glare.
Questions
What do the numbers 0 to 3 mean?
They are load positions, not brightness levels. 0 is for the driver alone, and each higher number lowers the beam a little more for a heavier rear load.
Why does a higher number point the lights down?
Weight at the back lifts the front of the car, which raises the beam into other drivers' eyes. The dial compensates by tipping the headlights back down.
Does this fix badly aimed headlights?
Only within the small range the dial allows. If your beam is way off even at 0, the headlight unit itself needs realigning.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
