Headlight Alignment – Drive Safe At Night

Headlights are a crucial safety system for your car or truck but they are often overlooked when it comes to maintenance. By making vertical and horizontal adjustments to your headlights we are able to ensure you can see far enough at night to avoid any obstacles on the road. Without proper headlight alignment you put not only yourself but others sharing the road at risk which makes it even more important to ensure they are correctly adjusted to keep everyone safe.

Everyone has experienced being blinded by high beams and understands how disorentiating it can be. Determining the right alignment is dependent on a variety of factors such as the height of your vehicle and what type of lighting is being used. It’s also important to understand how your car performs in terms of braking at speed in order to correctly adjust your low and high beam alignment. Proper understanding of these metrics comes with experience developed over decades of working with various makes and models.

Signs You Might Need Headlight Alignment

Being able to determine when your headlights need adjustment can often come from others sharing the road with you. If your lights are blinding others on the road there is a good chance they are going to let you know by flashing their lights at you. If your lights are not giving you enough vision of the road ahead you will have to trust your instinct and bring it in. It always pays to play it safe and if you are concerned about any aspect of driving at night it is no different.

It is also recommended to have your headlights aligned after having work done to certain parts of your vehicle, more importantly those that change its height. These include having suspension adjusted and the installation of new components that lower the sitting position of your car. Any auto electrician worth their salt will carry this out but you should always ask to make sure this has happened before you take your car back onto the road.

If your headlights are not performing as usual, the answer is not always improper alignment. It could mean that your tyres are not properly inflated, therefore lowering your vehicle beyond its normal sitting position. It could also be an issue with your battery or other electrical systems within your vehicle. The bottom line is that any changes to your headlights should always be investigated as soon as possible by a qualified professional who understands your car.

How Headlight Alignment Is Carried Out

Correct headlight alignment starts with making sure the vehicle is on flat ground and under conditions that are as close to normal operation as possible. This means having the tyres properly inflated, the fuel tank filled to half and even having people seated in the vehicle. If we are working on a ute or truck your tools and any other object you have in your vehicle on the daily should also be there. This means we can make adjustments to determine the best overall alignment to keep you safe at all times.

A specialist tool called a beam setter is then used to check the orientation and intensity of your headlights in order to determine if everything is aligned correctly. Without a beam setter we would have to make multiple measurements at different distances in order to get the right alignment. Any adjustments needed are made by turning certain screws within the headlight housing to raise or lower. Adjustments to horizontal alignment are made in the same way as this is also an important factor in proper headlight illumination.

Improving Your Vehicle’s Headlights

Modern cars will, for the most part, come with LED lights that perform significantly better than the halogen lights found in older models. In fact, a quality LED bulb will put out three times the light, leaving you with a safer lighting system. There are multiple options when it comes to LED bulbs so talking to a professional is always recommended to get the best results. We have decades of experience in providing safe lighting systems and carry a wide range of options when it comes to LED lighting.

Drive Safe At Night With Properly Aligned Headlights

Having your headlights properly aligned is a no brainer. It not only makes driving at night safer for you and those in your vehicle but also for others on the road with you. This means it is the responsibility of everyone on the road at night to make sure their vehicle is as safe as possible. Having your headlights adjusted doesn’t take long and will afford you peace of mind, particularly if you live in a rural area where no streetlights and an abundance of wildlife place even more emphasis on proper alignment.

If you are concerned about your safety at night or want to know more about upgrading the lighting system in your car get in touch with Bashi’s to talk with an experienced, qualified auto electrician. The team at Bashi’s Auto Electrical are dedicated to making your night time driving as safe as possible by providing sound advice and carrying out any work to the highest standard possible. To arrange a time to bring your car or truck into Bashi’s for headlight alignment, call us on 07 5495 7333 or contact us online.