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Aiming headlights

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Technical Discussion' started by Therese Rudolph, Dec 20, 2023.

  1. Therese Rudolph

    Therese Rudolph New Member

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    Three Touring
    Good morning! Thanks for that response. I do have them finally shining on the street and about the right height from what you said. But that is the high beam. I can see pretty good now but the beam has a broken like pattern. I’ve tried several times to upload photos but it just keeps telling me there’s a problem. The low beams are basically worthless. Could some of this now be the bulbs? I read about various halogen bulbs last night. Quite a lot of differences.
     
  2. Tombukt2

    Tombukt2 Senior Member

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    Okay just one more thing are these HID lights or halogen headlights that you're putting LEDs into the halogen housing not the HID housing You are aiming the low beams Why do you have the high beams on to aim the headlights That's the big question mark here where did you get that information You don't drive around with the high beams on so you're not trying to aim the high beams You're aiming the low beams when you flip the high beams on that's supposed to blind people You can't make the high beams aimed on the garage door like your low beams If you were to do that when you put the low beams on they'll be shining down in front of the front bumper on your car and you'll never see them does that make sense? You're aiming the low beams You don't want the blue light on the dashboard while you're trying to set your headlights You don't aim the high beams and then put on the low beams you'll be in the dark essentially you'll be seeing a foot in front of you that doesn't make any sense That's probably why you're seeing the funny pattern because now you're trying to bring the high beams at the 34 ft cut off point not the low beams then when you put the low beams on they're shining 10 in below the 34-in mark that you just had the high beams on right? Well that is correct. So you want to be aiming the low beams no blue light on the dash nothing set the low beams to where they need to be on the garage door We don't care what the high beams do they're supposed to do that You're aiming the low beam only . This is why you having the scatter and the low headlight problem because you're aiming the high beam so somebody didn't review and read what they needed to sorry to hear that.
     
  3. Therese Rudolph

    Therese Rudolph New Member

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    Oh wow. Yes I was aiming the high beam. OMG. I don’t think I read anywhere which one to aim. So does that mean I’ll probably have to turn them back to the left now?

    I did state when I posted that this is a HID to halogen conversion with new assemblies and the mechanic creates a new wiring harness. This is a gen 2 Prius known for the headlight problems. I couldn’t get the HID fixed anywhere so opted for this conversion. The plan to do it was posted by Texas Hybrid Batteries on Prius Chat. I’d changed the HIDs every few months for a couple years and the dealer did it once and only lasted a year - with the HIDs. Toyota had a service thing on them but they never acknowledged a problem. Unfortunately mine were not acting up at the time.
    Okay then I’ll take another look today and see what I come up with. Glad you told me that. Maybe I just missed it somewhere along the way.
     
  4. Therese Rudolph

    Therese Rudolph New Member

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    Three Touring
    Thank you. Yes I know the high beam has the blue dash light . We’re good there.
     
  5. Tombukt2

    Tombukt2 Senior Member

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    Yes aim the low beams I'm assuming you're putting an LED bulbs in the halogen lamp assemblies this is a good idea they're cut off is great when they're aimed and they will last a long time there are no wiring issues to get from the HID to the H4 halogen you need to wire up the white wires to the three prong H4 plug I wouldn't call this making new wiring harnesses this is just applying the plug to the correct wires that are already there. There are pictures right here on this site of how that's done be that as it may all that's working now so just put the low beams on set the car back from the garage door however many feet the headlight aiming instructions tell you and then try to set that flat line on the garage door at the right height and do the other side and you should be finished forever The LED bulbs should outlast the car or your time with the car.