Can headlights be adjusted upward?

harperium · 03-11-2019, 08:22 PM

My 340 has Eibach Pro Kit lowering springs (0.8” front and 0.6” rear).

Even with this moderate amount of lowering, it seems like the headlights don’t shine as far as they did previously. When driving in the pitch dark at 80 mph, the lights don’t shine far enough ahead in my opinion.

Are BMW headlights adjustable? I have LED but not adaptive.

John in VA · 03-11-2019, 09:29 PM

Check out the TIS repair manual: https://www.newtis.info/tisv2/a/en/

eluded · 03-11-2019, 11:24 PM

Can someone post a picture of where this screw to adjuster is.

Solidjake · 03-11-2019, 11:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eluded

Can someone post a picture of where this screw to adjuster is.

It's in the TIS link above. Do some searching on that site and you'll find it

harperium · 03-12-2019, 07:49 AM

the links on the adjusting procedure seem pretty involved. i was kind of hoping for something like "1 full clockwise turn of the screw"...

Newman1 · 03-12-2019, 09:57 AM

https://www.newtis.info/tisv2/a/en/f...tment/HoeutEYp

anotheran · 03-12-2019, 10:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Newman1

https://www.newtis.info/tisv2/a/en/f...tment/HoeutEYp

THIS ^ and clockwise raises (1) using a flat head

harperium · 03-12-2019, 02:12 PM

will give it a try. worse that could happen is i blind everyone else, but at least I'll be able to see.

COKen · 03-13-2019, 09:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by harperium

will give it a try. worse that could happen is i blind everyone else, but at least I'll be able to see.

I would suggest that you shine your lights on a wall before you make the adjustment and put some tape on the wall to show where they are now. Then adjust them to where you think they need to be. If you don't get it right the first time, you can go back to the tape to see where they were and refine the adjustment to make them better.

harperium · 03-13-2019, 12:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by COKen

I would suggest that you shine your lights on a wall before you make the adjustment and put some tape on the wall to show where they are now. Then adjust them to where you think they need to be. If you don't get it right the first time, you can go back to the tape to see where they were and refine the adjustment to make them better.

yes that's the plan - just brought the wrong size screw driver today. I have to use the work parking garage as it's level and my home garage is not.

For my '17 340xi, it's a Philips, and you need only maybe 4" down, not 8-10". And I cannot locate the spot for "2". The photos do not match exactly - maybe it's a pre-LCI photo. But I only want "1" which is up/down.

anotheran · 03-13-2019, 04:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by harperium

yes that's the plan - just brought the wrong size screw driver today.

For my '17 340xi, it's a Philips

shoot sorry man

agentorange · 03-13-2019, 05:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by harperium

My 340 has Eibach Pro Kit lowering springs (0.8” front and 0.6” rear).

Even with this moderate amount of lowering, it seems like the headlights don’t shine as far as they did previously. When driving in the pitch dark at 80 mph, the lights don’t shine far enough ahead in my opinion.

Are BMW headlights adjustable? I have LED but not adaptive.

Some simple trig shows that the extra down angle due to lowering the front 0.2" more should be about 0.1°. I would have to do some more trig to work out how much (in theory) that shortens your view. Frankly, I'm a littl;e surprised you can tell the difference. Maybe the lowering is greater at the front than specified.

One thing though. If you are expecting your low beams to give you a safe distance at 80 mph you are barking up the wrong tree in any vehicle IMHO. The IIHS and the NHTSA will never admit this, but we ALL over drive our low beams once speeds exceed about 50 mph.

As for "worse that could happen is i blind everyone else, but at least I'll be able to see." that's fine until Mr Bro Truck from Texas comes the other way and decides to discipline you with a full offroad lamp demo. Not that most trucks in Texas need them as they all seem to run with misaligned lights when I visit.

JMNSHO.

harperium · 03-13-2019, 05:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by agentorange

As for "worse that could happen is i blind everyone else, but at least I'll be able to see." that's fine until Mr Bro Truck from Texas comes the other way and decides to discipline you with a full offroad lamp demo. Not that most trucks in Texas need them as they all seem to run with misaligned lights when I visit.

It’s not just the front is slighter lower than the rear, but also that the car is lower as a whole. If the distance the lights illuminate is 10 or 20 ft less, that would make a difference. I was hoping to to offset that, plus a little more.

I drove Texas a few months ago. 90% of all cars are pickups, and 90% of all pickups are LIFTED, and 100% of lifted trucks lights point right in your eyes. Driving 80+ mph on two-way highways in the total darkness is no fun.

Lifted truck drivers actually became my Most Hated driver stereotype. People think sports car drivers own the road? Nah. Lifted truck drivers are much worse.

03-11-2019, 08:22 PM	#1
harperium Major 1312 Rep 1,064 Posts Drives: G80 M3cx Join Date: Dec 2016 Location: Chicago iTrader: (0)	Can headlights be adjusted upward? My 340 has Eibach Pro Kit lowering springs (0.8” front and 0.6” rear). Even with this moderate amount of lowering, it seems like the headlights don’t shine as far as they did previously. When driving in the pitch dark at 80 mph, the lights don’t shine far enough ahead in my opinion. Are BMW headlights adjustable? I have LED but not adaptive.
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03-11-2019, 09:29 PM	#2
John in VA Colonel 985 Rep 2,197 Posts Drives: 2015 228i M Sport Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Leesburg, VA iTrader: (6)	Check out the TIS repair manual: https://www.newtis.info/tisv2/a/en/ __________________ ____________________________________________ 2015 BMW 228i in EstorilBlau II Metallic / Terra Dakota Leather - 6-speed manual, M Sport Package, Cold Weather Package, Lighting Package, Premium Package, Harman Kardon premium sound, Anti-theft alarm system, Blue Metallic Matt Accent Moldings, Aluminum Hexagon Interior Strips, Anthracite Headlining
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03-11-2019, 11:24 PM	#3
eluded 2JZ-GTE 3042 Rep 3,996 Posts Drives: 340 6MT, 50e, others Join Date: Nov 2015 Location: Sofia iTrader: (0)	Can someone post a picture of where this screw to adjuster is. __________________ A man who views the world the same at 50 as he did at 20 has wasted 30 years of his life.
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03-12-2019, 07:49 AM	#5
harperium Major 1312 Rep 1,064 Posts Drives: G80 M3cx Join Date: Dec 2016 Location: Chicago iTrader: (0)	the links on the adjusting procedure seem pretty involved. i was kind of hoping for something like "1 full clockwise turn of the screw"...
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03-12-2019, 09:57 AM	#6
Newman1 Private First Class 56 Rep 108 Posts Drives: F30 Join Date: Nov 2017 Location: PDX iTrader: (0)	https://www.newtis.info/tisv2/a/en/f...tment/HoeutEYp
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03-12-2019, 02:12 PM	#8
harperium Major 1312 Rep 1,064 Posts Drives: G80 M3cx Join Date: Dec 2016 Location: Chicago iTrader: (0)	will give it a try. worse that could happen is i blind everyone else, but at least I'll be able to see.
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