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Headlight alignment adjustment sets the vertical and horizontal aim of your beams so they light the road without blinding other drivers. Route 66 Auto Repair in Upland adjusts headlight aim after a housing replacement, a bumper repair, a suspension change, or when oncoming drivers keep flashing you. This is a lighting job, not a wheel alignment. Our ASE-certified technicians set the car at its normal ride height and aim each lamp to the specification for your vehicle.
How do you know your headlights are aimed wrong?
- Oncoming drivers flash their high beams at you
- Road signs light up but the road ahead stays dark
- One beam points higher or further left than the other
- Reach dropped after new tires, springs or a lift kit
- The pattern changed after front-end body work
Why does headlight aim change?
Any change in ride height moves the beam. A heavy trunk load, a tow hitch, a leveling kit or tired rear springs tip the nose up. A housing that was replaced or a bracket bent in a parking lot bump can shift one lamp alone.
Some cars have automatic leveling that uses a height sensor on the suspension. If that sensor or its link is broken, the aim will be wrong no matter how the screws are set. We check it first. Suspension sag may point to suspension and steering service as the real fix.
Our headlight aim process
Step 1: Set the car
We check tire pressure, remove unusual loads and set the car on level ground at normal ride height.
Step 2: Inspect the housings
Mounts, adjusters and leveling parts are checked for breaks before any adjustment.
Step 3: Measure the pattern
The beam cutoff is compared to the vehicle's specification using a marked wall screen at a set distance.
Step 4: Adjust each lamp
Vertical and, where adjustable, horizontal screws are turned until each beam matches spec.
What's included in a headlight aim adjustment
Included on the work order
- 01Tire pressure and load check before measuring
- 02Housing mount and adjuster inspection
- 03Leveling sensor check on equipped vehicles
- 04Vertical and horizontal aim set to specification
- 05Before and after beam pattern notes on the repair order
Is headlight aim a need-now item?
Need now: call
- Beams aimed so low you cannot see the road at freeway speed
- Glare strong enough that other drivers flash you often
- A broken housing mount that lets the lamp move
Need later: book
- A slight height difference side to side
- Aim that is fine unloaded but high when towing
- A faded lens that also needs restoring
How pricing and timing work
Aim adjustment is short when the adjusters turn freely. It takes longer if a mount is broken, an adjuster is seized, or a leveling part needs repair, and those items go on a written estimate before we fix them. AAA members save 10% on parts and labor, capped at $75, with the card at time of service. Most aim jobs are done while you wait when the board allows.
After adjustment
If you tow or carry heavy loads often, ask us to check aim with that load. A new headlight bulb or housing is a good time to recheck. A drifting beam can signal a loose mount, so call (909) 608-7699. The headlight alignment inspection is a check only, if you want findings first.
Frequently asked questions
Is this the same as a wheel alignment?
No. This only aims the headlights. Wheel alignment is not done in-house; we inspect tire wear and suspension, arrange the alignment and road-test the result.
Can I aim my headlights against my garage door?
You can get close, but the car must be level, at the right distance and at normal load, and you need your vehicle's cutoff height. Small errors grow over distance, so shop measuring is more accurate.
Why are my new LED bulbs blinding people?
Many plug-in kits do not place light where the factory reflector expects it, so the pattern scatters. Aim alone may not fix that. We can check the pattern and explain your options.