Hey Guys~

I have a 2001 4Runner.

How do we adjust our headlights?

Thats pretty sad that nobody knows how to adjust a 3rd gen's headlights.

I want to second that question.

It looks like you would turn that white plastic nut with a 10mm. I'm not 100% sure though. I was going to ask that question a little while back.

I'm sure others know how, they just don't want to tell . It's really quite easy.


Correct. There are 2 of these nuts per side.

The bottom nut on each light can be adjusted with a small socket wrench and 10mm socket thru the engine bay behind the light itself. These bottom nuts either raise or lower the beam. Loosening the nut will raise the beam...tightening it, will lower it. See attached pic:

(I've since done an HID retrofit, hence my D2S/D2R connector you also see pictured .)




The top nut on each light moves the beam either rigtht or left. Of course tightening the nut, will bring the beam in, while loosening the nut will push the beam out. To adjust these nuts, you can use either a flat head screwdriver with a small head by slowly turn the plastic teeth as pictured below or you can use a small 10mm open ended wrench to turn the plastic nut on the backside (you'll see what I mean when you go to do it). These top nuts are located at the top corner of the lights near the grille. See attached pic:





Once you know how to adjust them, you can properly aim them. For more on aiming, check out this site: http://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/aim/aim.html

haynes or Chilton will tell you ;)

Rather than using a 10mm wrench on the nut, or a small bladed screwdriver on the gear, a #2 phillips works perfect. The phillips allows you to easily spin the geared portion of the adjuster. You'll need a screwdriver at least 6" long to reach the up/down adjuster at the bottom of the headlamp.

-RC

my headlights must be broke not mater what i turn they stay the same

what if those nuts are missing, or the teeth are broken off? do i buy a whoole new assembly?

it's not the end of the world, but my headlights don't point right, and it gets to you on a long night drive.

I like that there are over 10,000 views for this thread and only 8 replies. Anyway, I was having the same problem and wanted to adjust my headlights after my lift, but admittedly, I've been too damz lazy to do any research. Now I don't have to. Thanks Rock Slide.

Thank you for the info and how to adjust the lights/fog lights properly. I always wondered why my '98 halogens with DDM HID kit headlamp had a kink in it. I have been trying to adjust the kink (-/) out of it and now I know why it never worked.

Thanks for the info. After getting HiDs i had to adjust the lights downward .

There are two plastic wheels per headlight (one is shown in a picture in the thread), one on the top and one at the bottom. You have to use a Phillips screw driver to rotate it. If you have an aftermarket lamps, you can do it only once as the plastic wheels are poorly made and they will strip very easily.

thanks for the informative thread - I'm going to go outside in a minute and adjust mine right now!

Why is it so hard to adjust the right/left nut? The passenger side has no room at all for a 10mm.

Use the Phillips screwdriver trick mentioned above (officially sanctioned by the factory FSM) and leave the 10mm in the box. Stick the driver down vertically so it engages the white plastic gear. There is a channel in the light to guide the driver.

You need a pretty long driver for one of them; I forget if it is right/left or up/down.