Low beams too dim

thanks for the warning, i'll be there in two months. God willing.

 

Cool! Any free time to meet up and get a sandwich if you're close enough to New Port Richey? I'm probably going to Africa the 1st 2 weeks of Feb. but will be home all of January.

The wrong side accidents seem to usually happen in the wee hours of the morning and involve some sort of chemically induced impairment. The rest of the time, just keep your eyes in the mirror while stopped at red lights.

 

would love to, but my better half will be with me, and we have a schedule to see my father in estero before heading up to orlando. i will keep it in mind, and let you know if we can squeeze in lunch or dinner or something.

 

"And Now We Have The Rest Of The Story" ........(I'm old enough to REALLY miss "Paul Harvey")

 

Sorry to hear of your loss, condolences...

Also, glad to hear that you didn't fall victim to a 6th crash.

Your lowbeam pattern against a wall, if properly adjusted, should be sharper than mine:



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Very sorry for your loss. I hope they can get this sorted out for you quickly because it's unacceptable. Maybe a different shop if they fail again?

 

My mechanic once manage to screw in a new bulb without removing the rubber ring from the old one.

After several months wondering why my headlights were so dim, I suddenly remembered him mumbling about managing to force in the new bulb with 2 rubber rings. After i removed the extra rubber, it made a huge difference...and that was only on one bulb.

I don't have led lights just the regular ones, so this might not be the same problem. But still, do try to get someone to check if your lights are seated perfectly inside your headlights. The slightest misalignment in only the drivers side was enough to cause me problems.

 

^^^That would not apply with the oem LED headlights, which do not have user replaceable bulbs like the halogen equipped housings on the lower trims.

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Hmm, still no update...

 

Wow, forgot this thread. Having just switched to a gen 3, I find I am not satisfied with the low beams and was looking.

I upgraded bulbs and still no joy. I have a courier biz and supplement that as an Uber driver. So am on unfamiliar, winding country roads at 3 am a lot. Not fun with low beams and as our OP, (Howdy Maddie, good to see ya back) suggests, dangerous.

One of the reasons I am happily selling the car. Although as Maddie said, aweome otherwise.

Was wondering if adding fog or the like, lights? Selling car to a buddy who is buying it to Uber as well. He is a pro wrench so not worried he'll not have a work around.

 

Maddie, found this:

How to adjust headlights height? | PriusChat

I'll try it and report.

 

And his signature, "Good Day". I really miss Paul Harvey also. He truly was a great storyteller.

 

Sure was, Az.

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Waiting until dusk to alter aim of low beams, higher but just popped the hood and they are really easy to get to. Kinda shocked. Didn't have to remove the wiper assembly.
(Can't even change the plugs with out that)

But hoping for a joy. Low's really are bad. Maddie, forgive my suggesting anything else. You were correct.

 

Raising the aim of low beams made a huge and benefiting difference! Like night and day, as it were.

Kinda grey day after a nasty Nor' Easter and 8 inches of heavy wet snow. Put car a few feet from garage and turned each nut (technically "bolt-head"?) about 5 turns, CCW. (Counter-clockwise) Forgot about until tonight on a winding, dark road. If anything, they could use a little more up angel. But so much nicer.

Dang. Forgot size of socket but think 3/8. Drives me insane that Japanese manufacturers often use metric and standard. No metric sockets seemed to fit. But was hurrying as wet sloppy snow was falling from a tree on tools and the back of my neck.

Disconnected coolant over flow hose just to make passenger side easier. But really didn't have to.

Typing this took longer than it did to aim the low beams higher. Really easy and made a huge difference.

 

It takes an 8mm socket. FYI, when making CCW adjustments to the adjuster wheel/bolt, always finish by turning the bolt/wheel CW (e.g. 6 turns CCW, 1/2 turn CW).

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just curious, why would that be?

 

Pretty much the same I guess and probably smutz. 8mm did not fit as well.

why turn back. Just wondering.

 

Thread lash. Same reason you'd do it when tuning a guitar.

The heads on the adjuster wheels might turn out to fit an 8mm socket, but you would only be trying that if nobody explained the reason those wheels have teeth and the really simple way they're designed to be adjusted with a long Phillips screwdriver directly from above.

-Chap

 

Makes sense, Chap. Back lash.

In any event. Very easy fix to a really big problem. For long nights, makes the car far more fun.