How To Aim Your Imperial's Headlights

by Dick Benjamin


Imperial Home Page -> Repair -> General -> Headlight Aiming


 

Park on a level surface, 25 feet from a vertical surface, with the car aimed straight on at the surface.  Mark the wall with a horizontal line at the height of the center of the headlight bulbs, and also mark the vertical centerline of each bulb and of the car by sighting through the rear window and windshield so that you can know the exact aiming point of the car body. (You measure the distance from the center of the grille to the center of each of the 4 bulbs so that you can mark the location of the bulb centerlines.) 

Now, block off (or disconnect) the outer two bulbs, and turn on the high beam lights.  Adjust the inner bulbs so that the "hot spot" of each bulb is centered 2 inches below, and exactly in line  (horizontally) with the mark made for that bulb. 

Now, reconnect or uncover the outer bulbs, and switch to the low beams. Adjust the outer bulbs so that the main part of the bright spot is entirely just to the right of the centerline for that bulb, and just below the horizontal centerline. 

If you are running Halogen bulbs, be kind to your fellow man and cheat the low beams a tad to the right and a tad lower than the above directions. It's a personal choice, but I always set my high beam bulbs ( the inner two) right on the permissible upper limit and straight ahead, as I live beyond the outer reaches of civilization on a narrow country road, but I set the low beams (the inner two) a little low and a little to the right, to avoid ticking off some the oncoming drivers (yes, I do run Halogens).  That way, I have excellent night driving lighting on high beams, but I don't run the other guys into the ditch.

 


This page was last updated October 6, 2003.  Send us your feedback, and come join the Imperial Mailing List - Online Car Club