1979-1993 & 94 Conv [Subscribe to Daily Digest] |
dunno about opening 'em up, but here's some info on aiming, found on the 'net:
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You need a flat & level surface, with a wall adjacent. Ideally, you
want to be able to get 25 feet back, but if you can't, 10 or so will
do. E-code headlamps are aimed on low beam.
Point the car perpendicular to the wall. Using a stick, your leg,
whatever, measure the height of the center of the headlamp lens.
Transfer this to the wall (you don't have to actually make a mark,
just go measure & infer the change you need to make up or down). This
mark is where the flat cutoff line of your headlamps should fall.
Now, using the bottom, outboard thumbscrew, adjust the headlamps for
height. Get one right, then move the other to match (the second one
is always tons easier than the first).
The next step is done by eyeball. Go to the BACK of the car, and look
forward at the wall. The point where the headlamp kicks up to the
right from the flat area should be directly in front of the
respective headlamp.
Using the top or inboard thumbscrew, adjust the headlamps side to side.
Check vertical alignment again, as the adjusting mechanism can skew it.
Now on to the road test.
What I like to do, and can do with ease here in the concrete canyons
of NJ, is to drive in the leftmost lane with a concrete barrier to
the left. You can see the beam illuminate the wall. The beam should
be straight and level with the road. If it points upward, it's too
high, and will dazzle oncoming traffic.
If they need adjusting, do that.
THat's all there is to it!
Larry West
NJ Saab Owner's Club
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Here's another:
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Ok, you asked for it, so here goes...
You can easily do your own headlight alignment. Find a place where your
car will sit level, such as a paved driveway or parking lot. The car
should be positioned 25 feet from a garage wall. The wall should have one
horizontal line and three vertical lines drawn upon it. The horizontal
line can be laid out with the help of a carpenter's level and should be at
the same height as the center of the headlights. The center vertical line
should be at the car's exact centerline. You can sight through the rear
window to do this. Two other vertical lines are then drawn, the same
distance apart as the centers of the headlights. These should be located
equidistant from the centerline, which will place them directly in front of
the lights.
The adjustment of Type 2 units (with the number 2 molded into the lens) is
made with the headlights on low beam. This will assure adequate
illumination with the lights dimmed, and the built-in angle between the
high and low beams will take care of the brights. If the car has dual
headlights, the high-beam-only Type 1 lights are adjusted separately.
Switch the lights on low beam. Cover the right headlight and adjust the
left vertically until the top edge of its high-intensity zone is exactly on
the horizontal line. When adjusting the aiming screws, move them first
counterclockwise until the lights are definitely out of adjustment, and
then bring them in gradually clockwise. Otherwise the spring may not
expand properly and will later allow the lamps to change their aim.
After positioning the left light vertically, use the same procedure to move
the beam horizontally until the left edge of the high-intensity zone is 3
inches (2 in some states) to the right of the vertical line in front of
that headlight. Then move the covering from the right headlight to the
left, and make the same adjustments to the right light. Dual headlight
installations must have their number 1 lamps aimed also.
Aiming Type 1 lights is like aiming Type 2 lights, but the beam is
positioned differently on the wall. Cover the three lights not being
adjusted and adjust the exposed high beam until the center of intensity is
2 inches lower than the intersection of the horizontal line and the
vertical line in front of that light. (this measurement depends on your
state's motor vehicle req's.)
If you have a car with single headlights that is equipped with the old 5000
series sealed-beam unit (without the number 2 on the lens), they should be
adjusted while on high beam only, according to the instructions given above
for aiming Type 1 units (single-filament high-beam).
Mark Decker
posted by 216.160.9...
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