Checking Headlight Aim

4700 d 20.02.000
  1. Park the vehicle on a level surface, 25 ft (7.6 m) away from, and perpendicular to, a vertical screen or wall. Shut down the engine and set the parking brake. Chock the tires.
  2. On each headlight, find the low-beam bulb center, marked by a small transparent ring on the inside of the headlight lens.
  3. Measure the distance from the ground to the center of each headlight bulb (see Fig., Item A). Note those distances.
    • Measure the distance from the ground to the center of each headlight bulb.

    • Mark where the center of each headlight projection should appear.

    1. Screen or Wall

    2. Center of Right-Hand Headlight Projection

    3. Center of Left-Hand Headlight Projection

    Fig. 1, Headlight Aiming Screen/Wall

  4. On the screen or wall, mark the locations of each low-beam headlight bulb center using the distances found in step 3. See Fig., Items 2 and 3.
  5. Turn on the low-beam headlights.
  6. Check the vertical adjustment of the low beams. The center of each beam projection should fall on or near the marks made during step 4. See Fig..
    • Measurement

    1. Low-Beam Angle Upper Limit

    2. Ideal Low-Beam Projection

    3. Low-Beam Angle Lower Limit

    Fig. 2, Vertical Low-Beam Headlight Variation Limits

  7. See Table. to determine the maximum vertical distance allowable between the marks on the wall and the center of each beam projection.
    If the distance between either projection center and the mark made on the wall or screen is greater than the maximum distance given in Table., adjust the vertical positioning of that headlight.

    Important: The zone of high-intensity light from a low-beam lamp should not project above the low-beam angle upper limit. See Fig. for an example of correctly aimed headlights.

      1. Ground

      2. Low-Beam Angle Upper Limit

      3. Low-Beam Vertical Center Line

      Fig. 3, Beam Projection of Correctly Aimed Headlights (5700 model)

      Table 2, Vertical Low-Beam Headlight Variation Limits

      Vertical Low-Beam Headlight Variation Limits

      Distance Between Ground and Headlight: in (mm)

      Desired Variation ( See Fig., Item 2) : in (mm)

      Upper Limit ( See Fig., Item 1): in (mm) up

      Lower Limit ( See Fig., Item 3): in (mm) down

      22–36 (560–900)

      0

      3.9 (100)

      3.9 (100)

      36–48 (900–1200)

      2 (50) down

      2 (50)

      6 (150)

      48–54 (1200–1400)

      4 (101.6) down

      1.6 (40)

      6.5 (165)

        Table 2, Vertical Low-Beam Headlight Variation Limits

      Note:
      Document Number: 0000118161
      Manual Publication Date: 2024-05-13
      Topic Publication Date: 2024-05-16