Buick LaCrosse: Headlamp Aiming

Buick LaCrosse: Headlamp Aiming

The headlamp aiming system has been preset at the factory.

If the vehicle is damaged in an accident, the aim of the headlamps may be affected and adjustment may be necessary.

It is recommended that a dealer adjust the headlamps. To re-aim the headlamps yourself, use the following procedure.

The vehicle should be properly prepared as follows:

• The vehicle should be placed so the headlamps are 7.6m (25 ft) from a light-colored wall.

• The vehicle must have all four tires on a level surface which is level all the way to the wall.

• The vehicle should be placed so it is perpendicular to the wall or other flat surface.

• The vehicle should not have any snow, ice, or mud on it.

• The vehicle should be fully assembled and all other work stopped while headlamp aiming is being performed.

• The vehicle should be normally loaded with a full tank of fuel and one person or 75 kg (160 lbs) sitting in the driver seat.

• Tires should be properly inflated.

Headlamp aiming is done with the vehicle's low-beam headlamps. The high-beam headlamps will be correctly aimed if the low-beam headlamps are aimed properly.

To adjust the vertical aim:

1. Open the hood. See Hood.

Base

Uplevel

2. Locate the aim dot on the lens of the low-beam headlamp.

3. Measure the distance from the ground to the aim dot on the low-beam headlamp. Record the distance.

4. At the wall, measure from the ground upward (A) to the recorded distance from Step 3 and mark it.

5. Draw or tape a horizontal line (B) on the wall the width of the vehicle at the height of the mark in Step 4.

Notice:
Do not cover a headlamp to improve beam cut-off when aiming. Covering a headlamp may cause excessive heat build-up which may cause damage to the headlamp.

6. Turn on the low-beam headlamps and place a piece of cardboard or equivalent in front of the headlamp not being adjusted. This allows only the beam of light from the headlamp being adjusted to be seen on the flat surface.

Base

Uplevel

7. Locate the vertical headlamp aiming screws, which are under the hood near each headlamp assembly.

8. Turn the vertical aiming screw until the headlamp beam is aimed to the horizontal tape line.

Turn it clockwise or counterclockwise to raise or lower the angle of the beam.

9. Make sure that the light from the headlamp is positioned at the bottom edge of the horizontal tape line. The lamp on the left (A) shows the correct headlamp aim. The lamp on the right (B) shows the incorrect headlamp aim.

10. Repeat Steps 7 through 9 for the opposite headlamp.

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