[V8] aiming European headlihgts....

[Bernard Littau]

I have always aimed the Euro lights with the hard beam cut-off on a
flat surface, with a yard stick.  My goal is to make the beam level. 
Measure the height of the cut-off on the yardstick at several
distances from the headlamp.  They should all be the same height.  If
it gets higher as you move away, point the headlamp down a bit.

I usually err on the side of having a slight downward trend in the
beam height, as I find the usefulness of the beam is not diminished by
not having it get all the way to infinity :-)  Hitting the ground some
theoretical 100's of yards ahead is fine.  This also compensates
somewhat for load in the trunk of the car, and the diffusion of the
beam.  I generally want the beam as good as it can be without blinding
the oncoming cars.

Also, a flat beam is much better in fog; if the beam rises, it just
blinds you from the back scatter without adding any more light to the
road.

Best,

Bernard Littau
Woodinville, WA

On 8/22/05, Roger M. Woodbury <rmwoodbury at downeast.net> wrote:
> I  think that the best aiming for these lights is to place the car on a flat
> surface with a flat wall (or garage door) about the normal distance that you
> would be if you were stopped behind a car at a stoplight.  Note:  behind a
> sedan type vehicle, not an SUV.
> 
> The low beam side of the headlight illumination should be just a tad below
> where the rear window would be on a normal sedan. The left headlight 15
> degree rise would be just to the right of the center, and the right
> headlight 15 degree rise would be on the right edge of the rear window.
> 
> The highbeams?  Well, I think they will be just swell when the low beams are
> aimed as above.  Those nasty folks who are fool enough to approach you with
> their high beams on...well, they really couldn't see anyway, could they?
> 
> Roger
> 
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