Aim your headlights at a wall 10 feet away to check and adjust them yourself

You can check whether your headlights point where they should without a shop visit. Park your car 10 feet from a flat wall or garage door in a dark space, turn on your low beams, and look at where the light pattern hits. The brightest spot should be slightly below the center line of where you're looking, and angled a bit to the right on the driver's side. If the beam is too high, too low, or pointing straight ahead, your headlights need adjustment.

Most vehicles let you adjust headlights by hand using screws or bolts behind the headlight housing. The process takes 10 to 20 minutes per side. You'll need a screwdriver (usually Phillips head, sometimes a flathead) and possibly a wrench, depending on your vehicle's design. Some newer cars have electronic adjusters you control from inside the cabin, which is faster but requires you to know where the controls are.

Key Takeaways

  • The 10-foot wall test shows you whether your headlights are aiming too high, too low, or off to the side.
  • Low beams should have their brightest spot slightly below center and angled right on the driver's side to avoid blinding oncoming traffic.
  • Most manual adjustments use two screws or bolts per headlight — one for vertical aim and one for horizontal aim.
  • High beams should point straight ahead and slightly higher than low beams, and they typically need no adjustment if low beams are correct.

Setting up the 10-foot test correctly

Find a level, dark space where you can park straight and perpendicular to a wall. A garage with the door closed, a dark alley, or a parking lot at night works well. The wall or surface needs to be flat and light-colored enough to see the beam pattern — white garage doors are ideal. Measure or pace out exactly 10 feet from your front bumper to the wall. Closer or farther distances will throw off your reading because the beam spreads as it travels.

Park with your headlights pointing directly at the wall, centered on it. Turn off all other lights in the space so the headlight beam is the only light source. Turn on your low beams only — high beams will give you a different pattern and aren't what you're checking. Let your eyes adjust to the dark for a minute so you can see the beam shape clearly. Mark the center of your headlights on the wall with tape or chalk at the same height as your headlight lenses — this gives you a reference point for where the beam should sit.

Reading the beam pattern and identifying misalignment

The correct low-beam pattern has a sharp cutoff line across the middle, with the brightest spot sitting just below that line. On the driver's side, the beam should angle upward to the right, so it lights the right shoulder of the road without blinding oncoming drivers. On the passenger side, the beam should be more symmetrical and not angle as far to the right. If you're in a country that drives on the left, reverse these angles.

A beam that's too high will light the wall well above your reference mark and may create a glare spot on the upper portion. A beam that's too low will concentrate light below the reference mark and won't illuminate the road ahead far enough. A beam angled too far left or right will be uneven between the two headlights. Take a photo of each beam pattern with your phone so you have a record of what needs fixing.

Locating the adjustment screws on your headlight

Open your hood and look at the back of the headlight housing. You'll see either two screws, two bolts, or a combination of both. One screw or bolt controls vertical aim (up and down), and the other controls horizontal aim (left and right). They're usually labeled with arrows or symbols showing which direction turns which way. Some vehicles have the adjusters on the top of the housing, others on the sides, and a few have them underneath.

Consult your owner's manual if you can't identify the adjusters by sight — it will show you exactly where they are and which tool to use. If you've lost your manual, search your vehicle's year, make, and model plus "headlight adjustment" online, and you'll find diagrams from other owners or the manufacturer. Take a photo of the adjuster location before you start turning anything, so you know where to look if you need to stop and restart.

Making vertical and horizontal adjustments

Start with the vertical adjustment (up and down). Turn the vertical adjuster screw or bolt slowly — usually a quarter turn at a time — and have someone watch the beam on the wall or step outside yourself to check after each turn. Turning clockwise typically raises the beam, and counterclockwise lowers it, but this varies by vehicle, so watch the beam move to confirm. Stop when the brightest spot sits just below your reference line. This usually takes two to four small turns.

Next, adjust the horizontal aim (left and right). Again, turn the adjuster slowly and check the beam after each quarter turn. The driver's side headlight should angle slightly to the right, and the passenger side should be more centered. If both headlights are off by the same amount in the same direction, you may have parked at a slight angle to the wall — back up, repark straight, and recheck before making more adjustments. Once both headlights look correct on the wall, turn them off and step back to visually confirm the beams look even from the front of the car.

Electronic headlight adjusters in newer vehicles

Some vehicles made in the last 10 years have electronic adjusters controlled by a dial or buttons inside the cabin, usually on the dashboard or in the headlight menu. These are often labeled "headlight leveling" or "headlight height adjustment." Check your owner's manual for the exact location and how to use it. Electronic adjusters typically have settings from 0 to 5 or similar, where 0 is the highest aim and higher numbers lower the beam.

To use an electronic adjuster, park at your 10-foot wall, turn on low beams, and turn the dial or press the buttons while watching the beam pattern. Make small changes and wait a few seconds for the adjustment to complete. Once the beam sits where it should, turn off the adjustment and you're done. Electronic systems are faster than manual ones, but they can fail — if your adjuster doesn't respond or moves only partway, you may need a technician to diagnose the issue.

When to seek professional help

If your headlight housing is cracked, cloudy, or leaking water inside, the adjusters may not work properly even after you turn them. Damaged housings scatter light and can't be fixed by aiming alone — the housing itself needs replacement. If you can't locate the adjusters, your screwdriver or wrench doesn't fit, or the adjuster won't turn without excessive force, stop and don't force it. Stripping an adjuster screw or breaking a bolt can cost more to fix than a professional alignment would have.

Some states require headlight aiming to meet specific standards for vehicle inspection. If your state has this requirement and your home adjustment doesn't pass inspection, a shop with a headlight aiming machine can dial in the exact angle. These machines cost shops several thousand dollars, so the service typically runs $15 to $30 per headlight. It's worth the cost if you're uncertain about your own adjustment or if your vehicle has electronic adjusters that aren't responding.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to adjust both headlights even if only one looks wrong?

Yes. Even if one headlight looks correct, check both at the same time so they match. Mismatched headlights create an uneven road view and can fail inspection. If one adjuster is stuck or broken, fix that one first, then check whether the other needs tweaking to match.

What if my headlights are too high and I can't turn the adjuster down far enough?

The adjuster may have reached its limit, or the headlight housing itself may be sitting too high due to a bent bracket or suspension issue. Check whether your vehicle is sitting level — a sagging suspension on one side can tilt the headlights. If the car is level and the adjuster won't go lower, a technician should inspect the mounting bracket.

Can I adjust my high beams the same way?

High beams typically don't need separate adjustment if your low beams are correct, because they usually share the same housing and aim. Check your high beam pattern at the wall — it should point straight ahead and slightly higher than low beams. If high beams look wrong and low beams are correct, the issue is usually inside the headlight housing and requires professional service.

How often should I check my headlight aim?

Check your headlights once a year or after any collision, even a minor one. Hitting a pothole hard or bumping a curb can shift the headlight housing slightly. If you notice your headlights look dimmer or the beam pattern looks odd during a night drive, pull over and do a quick 10-foot wall check to rule out misalignment.