Mark81

Does anyone know how to adjust xenons on a 2002 or newer A4? I have had mine into the dealership to make adjustments to the drivers side xenons because I find they aim too low. The dealer tells me they are this way so I do not blind oncoming traffic. The thing they wouldn't understand is that I think it is also important for me to see down the road a bit, but they refuse to aim them higher. Any help on this would be appreciated. (I do not have this VAG-COM gadget that I hear people refer to.) I assume there must be a simple screw type adjustment that will set the zero position from which they will self level from. Please help so I can finally see at night. I paid extra for xenons because I thought they were supposed to be such great lights. My 1994 Celica with halogens were far better.

Det. Mickylaren

The "step" in the beam of the headlights (where it becomes lower on the driver's side) is bulit into each individual headlight. It's not that the driver's headlights are aimed lower...it's that both lights have the step (test this by covering up one of the headlights...you'll see what I'm talking about). I'm not sure why your dealership didn't explain this distinction to you.

Chances are your celica's halogens were aimed higher because they did not need to be finely balanced. Xenons are much brigher than halogens, but they also must be aimed correctly, otherwise it can be dangerous to the other drivers (hence the auto-leveling feature).

When I first got my car, I thought the lights were aimed a bit too low as well. I brought the car to the dealer and they used their computer to raise the headlights. Well, apparently, they raised them one setting and that was shining well above the roofs of oncoming excursions and suburbans. I would get flashed by way too many cars, and I therefore had them set it back.

As far as I know, the only way to adjust the headlights appropriately is to use the two white manual-adjust screws located behind each headlight housing. I am not sure how each works (I just ended up leaving mine in the stock position). I belive you have to take a plastic cover off each screw and you can then adjust the axes.

lawong

I'm not intending to be flaming, but are you sure you are driving correctly? What are you looking at when you are driving on a typically dark road?

Personally, I can give a rats *** how far I can see down a road. For city driving, what I'm concentrating on are the reflectors in the ground and at the road way far ahead. With Xenons, I can see a good 200-300 ft in front of the car, whereas with Halogens I need to stare at the road to figure out where I'm going.

If you concentrate on the road beyond what you can see with Halogens, you are typically better off...

1) You are more aware of what is coming along down the road.
2) You'll notice that you will naturally move in the direction that you need to go even though you are staring further down the road.
3) You'll notice that your Xenons are correctly aligned and you are using them the way they are intended.

However, if you are in the rural areas where there aren't reflectors in the ground or other cars.. just flip on your high beams.

technokid

Here is a link that shows how a properly adjusted beam should look like.

Also check out this page: scrool downa bit till its says aiming.... http://faq.auto.light.tripod.com/hl-general.htm<ul><li><a href="http://www.autooptiks.com/aiming.html">http://www.autooptiks.com/aiming.html</a></li></ul>

Mark81

Gee thanks for the useful driving tips!

KR's A4

people have mentioned this, and I've noticed it too. after awhile, you will probably get used to the seemingly low aim of the lights like I did. However, I still find myself feeling uncomfortable at times with the height of the lights, especially on exit ramps which have any kind of uphill grade to them. You're trying to gauge the apex of the curve &amp; with the low-aiming lights it's hard.

You can't always use your hi-beams, either, in those situations, because (shocker!) they do actually build dark and/or twisty roads in cities and suburbs where there are other drivers around.