How To Adjust Toyota Tundra Headlights

When you replace a burned-out bulb in your Toyota Tundra, Toyota advises adjusting the headlights. Even if you don’t change the bulb, you should at least check the alignment once every 12 months. Although Toyota advises visiting a licensed dealer, anyone may change the headlights using just a Phillips screwdriver.

In This Article...

Step 1

To determine the proper alignment for your Toyota Tundra headlights, use a wall and a flat surface. Recreate your typical driving circumstances, including the weight of the cargo, the fuel level, and the tire pressure. To adjust the suspension, park the vehicle 25 feet from the wall and give it a gentle rock.

Step 2

Using masking tape or a writing instrument, mark the wall with the distance from the headlight’s center to the ground. It must be possible to see the mark from the truck.

Step 3

Turn on your headlights and lift the truck’s hood. Toyota locates the headlight housing’s adjustment screws. Since the Toyota Tundra lacks a horizontal adjustment screw, you can only modify the vertical trajectory.

On the headlamp assembly, use a number 2 Phillips screwdriver in the opening in front of the mounting screw. Each lamp is individually adjusted. Utilize the symbol as a guide for your headlights. The high beam should be squarely above the mark when the low beam is within two inches of it.

Headlights tend to heat up quickly, so avoid touching them at all costs to avoid getting burned.
tape measure
writing instrument or masking tape
Phillips screwdriver size 2

How are the headlights changed on a 2021 Toyota Tundra?

How should the screws be turned to change the 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.

What is the ideal distance between headlights?

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.

How far should your low beam headlights project?

Depending on the headlights you’re using, your headlights should shine a certain distance. High beams or brights should shine 350 to 400 feet in the distance, while low beams or dipped lights should shine roughly 150 to 200 feet away. For maximum effectiveness, fog lights must be positioned at a specific height; they do not need to illuminate the road in front of them.

Read on to find out everything you need to know about how far your headlights must shine, including how to examine each type, align them, and more!

How Far Should Your Headlights Shine While on High Beam (Brights)?

High beam headlights, sometimes referred to as brights, should illuminate the road in front of you for approximately 350400 feet (107122 meters).

High beams are advised for when you’re travelling quickly, thus this is roughly twice the distance needed for conventional headlights.

How can headlamp alignment be checked?

You must first determine whether the headlamp alignment is correct and whether it has to be adjusted. This can be done in a few simple steps.

Remove any extra weight first, such as objects in the boot, as these could cause your reading to be off. Additionally, make sure your tires are inflated to the pressure recommended by the manufacturer. Once parked, keep your vehicle around 60 cm from any walls or garage doors.

Now you can turn on the headlights, making sure they are not set to the beam or the fog light settings but rather the regular option. On the wall, the headlights will appear as a circle. Use two pieces of tape or a pencil to draw a plus symbol on the wall. Both lines should run horizontally from side to side and vertically from the top of the circular to the bottom. The center of your headlights is where the two lines converge in the middle.

Use a tape measure to make sure the plus signs’ centers are the same height. If they aren’t the same height, you might need to decrease one plus sign.

Reverse your automobile so that it is around eight meters from the wall once you are satisfied with your marks and they are both the same height. You don’t need to modify anything if the middle of your headlights still falls within your marks. You must readjust your headlights if they are dropping above, below, or to the side of the plus symbols.

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.

What is a leveling switch for headlights?

When the lower beam is illuminated, the headlamp illumination distance can be adjusted using the headlamp leveling switch to reduce the glare from the headlamps and prevent other drivers from being distracted.

How far should high beam headlights shine?

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. (Remember that 100 feet per second is equal to 68 miles per hour. Low lights may only offer you a few seconds to react to a hazard when driving at highway speeds at night.)

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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.