High Beam Adjustment

Superduner · December 11, 2020

For the first time last night after fitting led bulbs in my RX400H high beam lights (apparently legal here in France) I drove the car in fog back up from Toulouse. I knew that the beams were not perfect, but they gave a good enough light in normal weather so I'd not thought of adjusting them.

It was obvious in fog that they are set too high and are not particularly "straight ahead", so I'll need to tweak them a bit.

Question is, how? I know there is an up/down screw, but is there a left/right screw?

Do either/both of the adjusters move only the high beams, or both beams together? My dipped beams are self levelling, and do not need to go any lower-but would they keep their level regardless?

I have done an internet search on this, but there is not much out there telling me what I need to know.

Thanks in advance for any help!

PGLex · December 11, 2020

Separate screws for left and right

welland · December 12, 2020

My high beam lights have a kind of cross pattern, like a thin shadow in the beams. Not sure if this is a feature caused by the bulbs or the lenses. Does anybody else see this?

Superduner · December 12, 2020

Yes, I do with the leds and also did with the original halogens.

It's like thin lines going upwards at 45 degrees. Never had them on any other car I've owned

impero · December 12, 2020

As far as i know, those 2 screws from the picture i attached are for adjusting the beam.

Superduner · December 14, 2020

Yes, they are. Al l I have to do is find a nice level spot 25 metres away from a blank wall to aim them.

At the same time I can see how well the new LED foglight emitters work.

impero · December 14, 2020

So basically you solve the problem ?

Nice

Superduner · December 14, 2020

Hope so!

impero · December 14, 2020

The picture i posted there it was made by me. I took my spare headlight and took a picture to show exact location of those screws.

The headlight is also with auto-leveling, so it must be almost identical with what you have.

Cheers

Superduner · December 15, 2020

It certainly looks like it. I'm just waiting for the rain to stop in the evening so I can point the car at a wall.

To me, from the position of the screws, it looks as if the screws only adjust the high beam - which is exactly what I need.

impero · December 15, 2020

Yes they does, cause the low beam is with auto.

Superduner · December 16, 2020

We were both wrong. The screws adjust the low beams far more than the high, which hardly move at all.

The lights are aimed a bit better now, but the HIDs, being original, are nowhere near as white or bright as the leds. Maybe I'll get them replaced at the next service in March.

impero · December 16, 2020

If it is not too much, can i ask you to show here a picture of the LED bulb or if you have at least the maker and the model ?

I intend to purchase same kind of LED bulb for my RX400h, if you say that they are pretty good

Superduner · December 17, 2020

They were Twenty20s, bought from ABD UK, but they don't give a good beam pattern. Mind you, nor did the original bulbs, to be honest.

The bulbs are HB3, and there isn't a big choice from the better known makers. Lots of Chinese ones on Amazon/Ebay though. Decide how much you want to pay (risk).........

impero · December 17, 2020

I asked this because i saw some chinese version on eBay, made with Samsung chips, and the reviews i saw there said something that the results are more then ok.

All i needed was your personal opinion about the bulbs you already use. I don't know if i am allowed to post here model and pictures, but i think i will pay 36 Euro for a pair of HB3 LED bulbs. I will give a try.

Superduner · December 17, 2020

Well, mine were double that price.....

I've just been out for a drive in the dark and the beams are definitely better than before, but main beam is very "patchy". It seems to be more of a reflector thing than a bulb thing.

Still, probably good enough for the country roads of Aveyron.

Superduner · January 20, 2021

An update after using the leds for several long night journeys.

Basically, any LED emitter which only shines to the left and right (i.e. not up and down - most of them as far as I can see) will not give a good pattern on an RX400H. If you look at the reflector on the car, there is a wide flat "band" running centrally vertically from top to bottom. This gives you the long distance beam straight down the road. Leds as described above do not shine much, if any, light on this part of the reflector, so you won't get much of a long range beam.

I've abandoned my leds and have fitted an HID kit from ABD. This shines light 360 degrees, just like a normal bulb so gives a much better and more controlled beam.

The downside is that as in all HIDs it takes a few seconds to get to full brightness, but it's bright enough even on startup to get by.

impero · January 20, 2021

Thanks mate for the update

TouringRob · January 26, 2021

Did you manage to adjust high beam independently of low beam? My high beams have been aimed at the sky since I bought the car and its always been one of those jobs I mean to do...

Superduner · January 27, 2021

Unfortunately not. I've adjusted the low beams to just below horizontal as they should be, and really just put up with what the high beams end up at - which in my case with the new HIDs is not too bad. Laterally, as the low beam top is so flat you can tweak the high beams side to side as much as you like without really affecting the dipped beams.

Superduner · February 1, 2021

Ok, so a friend of a friend runs a small workshop out in the countryside and checked my dipped beams on a proper alignment gizmo. It seems I wasn't too far out except one dip beam was a bit high.

The good news is that once the dips were ok (and the dips are the only ones checked for alignment in France), the new HID main beams were pretty much spot on.

If only the curfew in France would let me go out and check them. (I'm not keen enough to get up a 6am to do it!)