North American Motoring

Mini Cooper 2001-2006: How to Adjust Headlights

A common complaint with Mini's is that the headlights are too low. This article will show you how to adjust them.

By Jared Hammond - May 31, 2016

This article applies to the Mini Cooper (2001-2006).

Adjusting your headlights is all about balance. If you adjust them too low, you won't be able to see enough of the road, but if you adjust them too high, you risk blinding oncoming traffic. Either outcome could be dangerous, so it's important to take care when adjusting your headlights and not overdo it. The information below will tell you all you need to know.

Materials Needed

  • A wall
  • Masking tape
  • Some heavy material

You'll need to do this next to a wall while parked on a level surface. For the most accurate adjustment you should add weight to the car equivalent to what it weighs during an average trip; so, you could add weight to the trunk or have someone sit in the driver's seat.

Step 1 – Set up marks on a wall

To do this properly you'll either need to wait until it's dark or do it in a large garage. Park the Mini Cooper in front of a wall. You'll be using masking tape to mark up the wall. The first mark will be a horizontal line directly opposite of the center of both headlights. The second and third lines will be vertical and directly opposite of the center of either headlight. In the end you should have two cross shapes (or similar to Figure 1) on the wall.

Figure 1. Make marks on the wall with tape.

Step 2 – Adjust the headlights

Move the Mini Cooper back about twenty feet away from the wall. Locate the hood release latch underneath the dash and pull it. Unhook the catch on the front of the hood and open the hood. Locate the two adjustment screws on the back of the headlights. The screw on the outside will turn the headlights left or right while the screw on the inside will turn it up or down.

Turn your headlights on and turn the screws to adjust the headlights. Do not turn the screws too much, just an eighth or a quarter turn should be enough. Turning them too far in one direction could damage the headlights. Your target should be to get both headlights just a little below the horizontal line you made on the wall. The driver's side light should be aimed just a little to the inside of the vertical axis so as to not blind incoming drivers while the passenger's side light should be dead center.

Figure 2. Turn the two black screws to adjust the headlights.

Pro Tip

If you have self-leveling headlights you may not want to manually adjust them because this could throw off the ECU when it tries to automatically adjust the headlights. If you have a problem with self-leveling headlights you should bring them to a dealership to be adjusted.

Featured Video: How to Remove/Adjust Mini Headlights

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