I know it's been discussed before but I want to make sure I'm doing it right. the HID's on my '02 MCS are aimed low (like they all are). I have been meaning to adjust them for a while but never really got motivated to do so. I'm going to be doing quite a bit of highway driving at night starting next semester so I'm getting myself motivated.

I know where the adjustment screws are on the lights so that isn't a problem. My main question is how exactly should I aim them? Headlights on, off; bonnet open, closed... Other forums on NAM tend to say keep the headlights on while MINI2 folks adamantly oppose having them on. MINI2 forums also tend to say let the dealer do it because you can screw up the auto-levelers. Could this be because they adjust with the lights off?

Right now, I'm leaning towards turning them on, opening bonnet and adjusting, then close bonnet and test, and repeat if necessary. Will this keep the auto-levelers from cancelling out my adjustments?

Thanks

 

when i did mine, i had the bonnet opened, lights on... starring at the ceiling of my garage... essentially.. i made pretty sure that my car was parallel to the wall.... minor differences in height wasn't too much of a concern as we got a deflector from producing glare in case we set our lights too high anyways

and no, it hasn't messed the auto leveling either... if you do it when it is off... i'd think that it'd damage it...

 

This is funny...

Mine have been apparently adjusted too high since we have owned the car. Every time we drive our car at night with just the low beams on.. Somebody flashes us like the high beams are on. We have xenons.

I have been wondering how to adjust this down.

Do tell....

Thanks, J

 

there are 2 adjustment screws (i believe they are a 8mm socket), one is for left-right, the other is up-down... i can't quite remember if the one closer to the bottom is for vertical or horizontal, but just play with it a bit and you will get it

 

Are the screws the same for the 2005-2006 vehicles?

 

Thanks. I'll give it a try this weekend. I need to re-aim my fogs anyway.

 

Well I got them adjusted tonight. I tackled the drivers side first and took it 1/2 turn up. Then onto the passenger side where I started adjusting it down instead of up . Once I figured that out, I just matched it up with the drivers side. Overall, I'm very happy. They shine 2 or 3 times as far down the road as before. I keep thinking people are going to flash me but nothing so far. They're still aimed lower than the HID's on my parents Prius...those things are HIGH.