Aiming headlights on 1993 SC-2

I have a '93 SC-2 with flip-up headlights. I've noticed lately that I'm
having trouble seeing at night, especially when it's raining out. I replaced
both bulbs with Sylvania Silverstars, which helped a little. However, I'm
suspecting that my headlights are just aimed too high, which is preventing a
lot of the light from hitting the road and probably annoying the heck out of
oncoming traffic. So, any tips on how to aim the headlights properly? I
think I know how to get at the adjustment screws, but I'm just not sure how
to aim them without a lot of trial and error.

Thanks in advance.

I saw a technique that was to find a wall with level ground that you could
park on an back up about 20 or 30 feet straight out from the wall. measure
how high the headlights are from the ground and pull the car up a foot or
two from the wall with the headlights on. Measure up to where the beam seems
to be the brightest(centered) and see if this is the same as how high the
lamps are from the ground. If it is, mark it with tape or something and back
the car up and see if the center of the beam stays where you marked it. If
it goes higher or lower then you need to adjust the other way.
I just saw this on a car show and haven't actually tried it myself. I have
kind of watched as I backed away from a garge door and my lights seemed to
stay centered.
If anyone has a correction for this feel free. I'm no mechanic or headlight
technician (although that would be a nice cert to add).

"MPost" > wrote in message
news:sW3Bd.664084$D%.107989@attbi_s51...
> I have a '93 SC-2 with flip-up headlights. I've noticed lately that I'm
> having trouble seeing at night, especially when it's raining out. I
> replaced both bulbs with Sylvania Silverstars, which helped a little.
> However, I'm suspecting that my headlights are just aimed too high, which
> is preventing a lot of the light from hitting the road and probably
> annoying the heck out of oncoming traffic. So, any tips on how to aim the
> headlights properly? I think I know how to get at the adjustment screws,
> but I'm just not sure how to aim them without a lot of trial and error.
>
> Thanks in advance.
>

I did this procedure myself. Found a poorly lit building at
night with a real flat pavement area adjoining it. Pulled up to
the building and marked each of the respective centers of the
'low' beams with a 'X'(tape worked for me). Rolled the car back
REAL straight 20' and then adjusted each beam so that the center
of the lights illumination was 2 inches to the right of
center('X') and also 2 inches below center('X'). Pulled forward
to recheck the procedure and then backed up 20' again and
re-adjusted a bit until I felt confident that it was the best I
could do. It sure helped my night driving. I read it in an
artice somewhere but can't remember exactly where. It may have
been in my Saturn Clymer book.

Roy wrote:
> I saw a technique that was to find a wall with level ground that you could
> park on an back up about 20 or 30 feet straight out from the wall. measure
> how high the headlights are from the ground and pull the car up a foot or
> two from the wall with the headlights on. Measure up to where the beam seems
> to be the brightest(centered) and see if this is the same as how high the
> lamps are from the ground. If it is, mark it with tape or something and back
> the car up and see if the center of the beam stays where you marked it. If
> it goes higher or lower then you need to adjust the other way.
> I just saw this on a car show and haven't actually tried it myself. I have
> kind of watched as I backed away from a garge door and my lights seemed to
> stay centered.
> If anyone has a correction for this feel free. I'm no mechanic or headlight
> technician (although that would be a nice cert to add).
>
> "MPost" > wrote in message
> news:sW3Bd.664084$D%.107989@attbi_s51...
>
>>I have a '93 SC-2 with flip-up headlights. I've noticed lately that I'm
>>having trouble seeing at night, especially when it's raining out. I
>>replaced both bulbs with Sylvania Silverstars, which helped a little.
>>However, I'm suspecting that my headlights are just aimed too high, which
>>is preventing a lot of the light from hitting the road and probably
>>annoying the heck out of oncoming traffic. So, any tips on how to aim the
>>headlights properly? I think I know how to get at the adjustment screws,
>>but I'm just not sure how to aim them without a lot of trial and error.
>>
>>Thanks in advance.
>>
>
>
>

The Jan. Popular Mechanics Car Care section has a detailed article on doing
headlamp adjustments.


"Roy" <crawroy @ nbnet.nb.ca> wrote in message
...
>I saw a technique that was to find a wall with level ground that you could
>park on an back up about 20 or 30 feet straight out from the wall. measure
>how high the headlights are from the ground and pull the car up a foot or
>two from the wall with the headlights on. Measure up to where the beam
>seems to be the brightest(centered) and see if this is the same as how high
>the lamps are from the ground. If it is, mark it with tape or something and
>back the car up and see if the center of the beam stays where you marked
>it. If it goes higher or lower then you need to adjust the other way.
> I just saw this on a car show and haven't actually tried it myself. I have
> kind of watched as I backed away from a garge door and my lights seemed to
> stay centered.
> If anyone has a correction for this feel free. I'm no mechanic or
> headlight technician (although that would be a nice cert to add).
>
> "MPost" > wrote in message
> news:sW3Bd.664084$D%.107989@attbi_s51...
>> I have a '93 SC-2 with flip-up headlights. I've noticed lately that I'm
>> having trouble seeing at night, especially when it's raining out. I
>> replaced both bulbs with Sylvania Silverstars, which helped a little.
>> However, I'm suspecting that my headlights are just aimed too high, which
>> is preventing a lot of the light from hitting the road and probably
>> annoying the heck out of oncoming traffic. So, any tips on how to aim the
>> headlights properly? I think I know how to get at the adjustment screws,
>> but I'm just not sure how to aim them without a lot of trial and error.
>>
>> Thanks in advance.
>>
>
>

All,

Thanks for the suggestions. I ended up trying to adjust my headlamps today
and found that even when I tightened down the adjustment screw underneath
the headlight, the light wouldn't pitch down any more than it was. (I think
my headlights are aimed too high right now.) I even went to the trouble to
attach a laser level with a magnetic mount to the bezel used to hold the
light in place and watched where the laser spot hit while I adjusted the
screw. Is there another adjustment that I'm missing?

Thanks

"D V Brownell" > wrote in message
news:9T7Bd.639379$%k.193289@pd7tw2no...
> The Jan. Popular Mechanics Car Care section has a detailed article on
> doing headlamp adjustments.
>
>
> "Roy" <crawroy @ nbnet.nb.ca> wrote in message
> ...
>>I saw a technique that was to find a wall with level ground that you could
>>park on an back up about 20 or 30 feet straight out from the wall. measure
>>how high the headlights are from the ground and pull the car up a foot or
>>two from the wall with the headlights on. Measure up to where the beam
>>seems to be the brightest(centered) and see if this is the same as how
>>high the lamps are from the ground. If it is, mark it with tape or
>>something and back the car up and see if the center of the beam stays
>>where you marked it. If it goes higher or lower then you need to adjust
>>the other way.
>> I just saw this on a car show and haven't actually tried it myself. I
>> have kind of watched as I backed away from a garge door and my lights
>> seemed to stay centered.
>> If anyone has a correction for this feel free. I'm no mechanic or
>> headlight technician (although that would be a nice cert to add).
>>
>> "MPost" > wrote in message
>> news:sW3Bd.664084$D%.107989@attbi_s51...
>>> I have a '93 SC-2 with flip-up headlights. I've noticed lately that I'm
>>> having trouble seeing at night, especially when it's raining out. I
>>> replaced both bulbs with Sylvania Silverstars, which helped a little.
>>> However, I'm suspecting that my headlights are just aimed too high,
>>> which is preventing a lot of the light from hitting the road and
>>> probably annoying the heck out of oncoming traffic. So, any tips on how
>>> to aim the headlights properly? I think I know how to get at the
>>> adjustment screws, but I'm just not sure how to aim them without a lot
>>> of trial and error.
>>>
>>> Thanks in advance.
>>>
>>
>>
>
>