You might need to adjust the headlights on your Toyota Highlander when approaching motorists give you the stink eye, honk at you, or flash their bright lights. Although Toyota advises using an approved service facility, anyone with a Phillips screwdriver can perform the required modifications.
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Step 1
Get ready to adjust the headlights on your Toyota Highlander. Place the SUV 20 to 25 feet from a wall or garage door on a level surface. Verify that the tires’ air pressure matches the setting you usually drive at for best performance. Any extra items you don’t carry every day should be empty.
Step 2
Locate the headlight adjustment wheel by opening the hood. Toyota installs these near the housing for the headlights. Since Toyota doesn’t supply a horizontal adjustment wheel, you must either fix any frame damage or shimm the headlight assembly to change the horizontal trajectory.
Step 3
Make a mark on the wall with the distance measured from the headlight’s center to the ground. To ensure that the adjustment is done correctly, you might want to mark a line on the wall that is the same width as the Toyota Highlander.
Step 4
The headlights must be on. Insert a Phillips screwdriver into the opening at the top of the vertical adjustment wheel to turn it. The teeth on the wheel in the headlight housing are engaged by the screwdriver head.
Watch the trajectory path and note how it differs from the measurement on the wall. The low beams can deviate from the center point by up to 2 inches, but the high beams should be centered.
- Given that the adjustment wheel is hidden behind the corner lamps on some models, you might need to remove the headlight cover.
- Measurement tape
- writing instrument or masking tape
- tool for Phillips screws
At 25 feet, how high should headlights be?
Your vehicle’s ride height can be subtly altered by suspension issues or a large cargo load, which may also cause one or both headlights to move. Your lights may become out of alignment as a result of a collision or running over a road obstruction.
Parking the car on a level surface and shining the headlights on a wall or garage door 25 feet in front of you can help determine whether the headlights are accurately aimed (some cars may require a different distance). For the majority of vehicles, the top of the low beam that shines on the wall should be at or just slightly below the height of the center of the headlight lens. You can anticipate that the light pattern will be lower on the driver’s side to avoid blinding other cars and higher on the passenger’s right side to highlight traffic signs. This should help you determine whether the beams on both sides are pointed in the right directions.
Another approach is to park the car five feet from the wall and then mark the wall’s vertical and horizontal light beam centers with masking tape. Reposition the car 25 feet back. The light beams should be around the same height both vertically and horizontally with the help of the tape line.
For adjusting headlight height, vehicles typically feature a screw or bolt on the headlight assembly. Some vehicles additionally include a screw for adjusting horizontal aim. A bubble level is also included in some cars to aid in modifications.
Without taking apart components like the battery, you might not have much room or even be able to reach the adjusters on some vehicles. Additionally, the vehicle must be perpendicular to the surface you’re shining the headlights on, be on properly level ground, and have no damage to the suspension system, flat tires, or baggage that would impact the ride height.
The owner’s manuals of many vehicles offer scant or no advice on headlight aiming. Ask a repair business to check if you’re unsure. A dealership may inspect the headlight aim and align it for free if the car is still under the basic warranty.
View the video below for a visual representation of everything mentioned above. Additionally, remember to regularly clean your headlights.
Do Toyota Highlander’s headlights include adaptive technology?
Auxiliary High Beams The AHB system is made to automatically switch between high and low beams when it detects the headlights and taillights of other cars.
How do I manually change my headlights?
- Read the owner’s manual. Some automobiles don’t have a headlight adjusting feature. To find out whether your specific make and model allows for adjustment, examine the owner’s handbook. To find out where the adjusting screws are located, you need also consult the handbook. Similar to a carpenter’s level, certain automobiles contain leveling bubbles that aid in headlight adjustment. You may find the kind and placement of the adjustment screws in your owner’s handbook.
- Put the automobile on a level spot. Find a flat area where you may beam the headlights on a wall or a garage door. Make sure the car’s tires are properly inflated, that the petrol tank is at least halfway full, and try to simulate the weight that you would typically carry inside the automobile. Turn on the headlights while applying pressure to the car’s four corners to assist in balancing the shocks.
- Establish a central axis. It is better to complete this following stage at dawn or dusk. The distance between the car and the wall should be six feet. the low beam setting on your headlights. As the beam shines on the wall, use the masking tape to identify the horizontal and vertical axes of the beam. The tape should be placed such that it forms a cross.
- The difference between the two headlights should be measured. Check to determine if both headlights have the same measurement by using the measuring tape to measure the lines. The tallest centerline should be lowered to be the same height as the lowest centerline mark if the measurements don’t line up. Some cars have incorporated crosshairs in the headlight that make it simple to locate the beam’s center. This information can be found in your owner’s manual.
- Car is being backed away from the wall. Measure the area using the measuring tape at the approximate 25-foot distance suggested by your owner’s manual. Back the car up until the front wheels are at the 25-foot mark while maintaining a level surface. Turn on your headlights and observe where the marked area on the garage wall is struck by the brightest portion of the headlight’s beam.
- Get ready for the change.
- Remove the headlights’ ring or bezel to make way for the adjustment, keeping the pieces safely stored away. Make sure you have a screwdriver on available, along with some dark cardboard or fabric. Know where the vertical and horizontal adjuster screws are located. The actual adjustment operation is made easier with a helper inside the vehicle.
- Vertical field should be adjusted. Have the helper turn off the headlights while you are standing in front of the vehicle. Next, have the assistant switch on one headlight while you cover the other with the dark cloth or cardboard. Locate the adjusting screw and slowly move it in either the clockwise or counterclockwise direction to change the height of the lights. Ensure that the most intense portion of the headlight beam strikes at or just below the vertical centerline you marked with tape on the wall when you make your adjustment.
- the horizontal field, as necessary. To move the headlights inward or outward, turn the screws in either a clockwise or counterclockwise direction. Just to the right of the middle tapeline, the headlight beam should land. After making the necessary vertical and horizontal adjustments to the other headlamp, block out the modified headlight.
- Adjustments should be refined. Once the center axis of the headlight beam coincides with the tape marks on the wall, continue fiddling with the vertical and horizontal adjustments. Take the car for a test drive when you’re satisfied with the modifications, and if one of the headlights isn’t quite up to pace, repeat the steps above.
Q: How Far Should Your Headlights Shine While on Low Beam?
A: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that low beam headlights can illuminate a space for up to 160 feet. You won’t be able to blast out light hundreds of feet in front of you without picking up a few middle fingers or a ticket along the way, regardless of how modern LED and HID lighting systems differ in performance.
Q: How Far Do High Beams Shine?
A: High beams have a reach of between 300 and 400 feet, which is significantly greater than low beams. Again, depending on the features of your car, your headlights might work better or worse.
Q: How High Should Your Headlights Be Aimed?
Use a tape measure to determine the distance from the ground to the center of the light beam when your automobile is parked 25 feet from the wall you’re using to align them. Then calculate the distance between the center of your headlight unit and the ground. The region that is lit needs to be at least slightly lower in height than the headlight assembly.
Some cars come equipped with a handy built-in level so you can see the position without parking and taking measurements.
Q: My Headlights Are Dim. What Can I Do?
A couple things can be happening if your headlights are dim. Depending on the type of light, you might need to repair or replace a malfunctioning bulb or lighting unit. It’s possible that your battery or alternator is deteriorating and not providing each light with the appropriate amount of electricity.
You could also just have a dirty or hazy headlight lens. The plastic used in headlight housings of old cars may start to seem foggy, tarnished, or yellowed. Using a straightforward headlight restoration kit, you may clean it.
How are the headlights changed on a 2020 Toyota Tacoma?
The last thing you want when driving after the sun sets is for your headlights to blind oncoming vehicles or alert extraterrestrials from another galaxy. You may not mind if your cosmic counterpart pays you a visit, but at the very least, show some consideration for other drivers and adjust your headlight beams. No of the model year, your Tacoma has a pair of adjustments on each headlight assembly to assist you in providing that courtesy.
Setting up your Tacoma such that you can adjust the headlights appropriately is the most difficult part of the process. Find a level parking space with a wall or building that you can access to get started. You must have a clear line of sight to the wall and be able to park 25 feet away from it.
Items you will need
Your front tires should be aligned as you approach the wall. Find the pointing nipple that is right in front of the headlight bulbs by looking at the lenses of your headlights. Calculate the distance between the ground and the nipple’s center. The distance between the left and right headlights’ central aiming nipples should be recorded.
Create two 2-inch circular marks on the wall in the exact locations of the center aiming nipples. Make sure the marks are the same height and spacing apart as the center marks on the headlight lenses by using the measurements you took in the previous step. Make a 7.94-inch horizontal and vertical line that passes through the circles and intersects at their centers. Four 3.97 by 3.97-inch cubes should be drawn around each circle by boxing in the cross you just made.
Mark the concrete at 25 feet from the wall. Back up until the front bumper tip of your Tacoma is directly over the concrete mark you established while maintaining straight wheels; at this point, you can begin making changes.
The adjustment gears or screws on the back of the headlamp assembly should be identified. The vertical adjustment screw is located at the 8 o’clock position on the driver-side headlight and the 4 o’clock position on the passenger-side headlight, if you are looking squarely at the back of the headlight assembly. The driver-side headlight’s horizontal adjustment screw is located at 11 o’clock, while the passenger-side headlight’s is located at 1 o’clock.
Tips
- Some Tacomas have a 4mm bolt for the horizontal and vertical adjustment screws, while others have a small gear that you turn with a Phillips screwdriver.
- Small rubber caps may be used to cover the screws. To reveal the gear or 4mm screw head, merely remove the caps.
Turn on the headlights after removing the electrical harness from one of them. The headlight beam can be adjusted vertically by turning the screw either clockwise or counterclockwise. The four corresponding squares you created on the wall should contain the top of the headlight beam. Once the height is chosen, rotate the horizontal screw in either a clockwise or counterclockwise direction to adjust the headlight beam inward or outward.
To lock in the adjustment, each adjuster must be turned completely counterclockwise.
Put the headlights off. Connect the wire harness to the other headlight after disconnecting it from the headlight whose wiring you’ve just changed. Repetition of the correction process Before connecting the wiring harness, turn off the headlights. Any rubber covers that might have been on the adjustment screws should be replaced.
What is the cost of changing the headlights?
Headlamp alignment adjustments typically cost between $41 and $52. Between $41 and $52 is the expected labor cost range. Taxes and other costs are not included in this range, nor are your particular vehicle or geographic area taken into account.
How far should high beam headlights be visible?
When it is dark enough to not be able to see enough of the road ahead to drive safely, high beam headlights should be utilized.
Even the most seasoned drivers may find nighttime low visibility frightening. Why is nighttime driving riskier? A driver’s acute visionwhich includes depth perception, color identification, and peripheral visionis responsible for 90% of their reactions, all of which are significantly impaired at night. Headlights with high beams shine at an angle, illuminating the road 350400 feet in front of the vehicle, or nearly twice as far as low beams. When you travel at highway speeds at night, low beams may only provide you a second or two to react to a problem. (Remember that 68 mph equals around 100 feet per second.)
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High lights can help keep you safe but, if used improperly, they can also put other drivers in risk. Whenever there is a chance that you might blind other drivers, you are required by law in every state to lower your high beam headlights. In general, high beam headlights cannot be utilized within 500 feet of an approaching vehicle or within 200 to 300 feet of a vehicle you are following. The exact distance varies from state to state.