Adjusting 2010 Outback/Legacy Headlights

[DM3415]

Originally posted by bikergeek

I looked under my hood and your photo is basically useless in finding the correct screw. Don't get me wrong...I appreciate your attempt to help us but the adjustment screw is not so easily found.

You should probably go to the dealer and have it fixed then.

[ardvark11]

The posted photo from the OP is incorrect in regard to adjusting the low beams. That screw in addition to holding headlamp assembly in place allows for slight overall adjustment of entire headlamp assembly which would effect both high low beams. The low beam adjustment is next to the low beam bulb in the rear. The driver side adj can be seen if look from the rear of the battery towards the front. The passenger side requires you to remove air intake piece which is quite easy. I would tread lightly making adjustments if you are not experienced. I use a white garage door and some blue tape for reference points while I make the adjustments. They are not easy to get to adjustment wise but it can be done. I used a flexable 10mm driver but a small wrench or possible a phillips stubby may work.

[ardvark11]

driver side low beam adj screw.

[Ignatius]

I just wanted to relate that I did this mod last night and it worked like a charm. I'd like to note that from the factory my passenger side headlight was aimed slightly higher than the driver side light. So anyway I ended up cranking the passenger side screw one quarter turn and the driver side one half turn. The results were great, the passenger side is still a little bit higher but not as off as it was previously. One problem though, I did end up snapping off the head of the driver side screw. This was totally by accident as I was only applying firm controlled force while turning it, everything was fine and then it just snapped.

Hopefully the driver side light won't need to be readjusted in the future

[imprezaspeed]

The 2011 has the black plastic tabs with "u" and "d" but they function only to fasten the light housings. Instead there are adjusters on the rear of the assemblies with 8mm heads on the ends and star wheels on the sides.

[fun2drive]

Those tabs don't mean squat.
The adjuster for vertical drivers side is located forward of the battery using an 8 mm (memory so could be 7 mm) socket cw to raise ccw to lower. Pass side you take the air snorkle out to the air filter and you can see the adjuster bolt.
The picture shows the adjuster with the housing out off the car. It must be a cadium plated bolt because you can see it fairly well.
Hope this helps...

[scoobydoo2]

Originally Posted by DM3415

I've had some requests on how to adjust the height of the OB lowbeam headlights.
It's so easy, you'll kick yourself for not doing it earlier (if it needs it)

1) Open Hood

2) Adjust screw shown in picture, there is "up/down" markings next to the screw

That's it! I did it in 1/4 turn increments. It's not my fault if you crash from lack of headlights, do this at your own risk

...okay...this might be a silly remark but...the lights are aimed correctly at the factory. This is so people are not doing it themselves and adjusting their lights up higher so as to blind the living $hit out of the oncoming drivers. I have found the stock setup plenty good for illuminating what is supposed to illuminated with low beams.

You may ask me "why the theater lighting on the front of my OB?" MOOSE at night on the highway in our province...when there is no oncoming traffic.

[fun2drive]

You make the assumption that people are adjusting the lights up. In my case installing HIDs I needed to adjust mine down to get them to not blind oncoming drivers. Also the factory might have the lights adjusted to their spec but every BMW I have ever owned had the lights adjusted way too low so low in fact you can easily over drive the lights at 50mph. This was the US market. I lived in Europe and my BMW there never had this issue. Don't assume the lights from the dealership is correct unless you can really see down the road. So far everything on the OB has been in spec but still not always suitable for me. Tweaking things is what makes the OB worth owning...

I like the light bar. I don't run extra sets of lights on my OB but I did on my Super Duty since where I live is in the sticks and there are significant numbers of deer that are out at night all the time.

I dispise the idiots running HIDs in halogen non projector light buckets and you can always count on then having their fog lights adjusted like a driving light. Cops around here have way too much to do ticket these clowns even though they blind every driver on the road...

[Spike]

Originally Posted by scoobydoo2

...okay...this might be a silly remark but...the lights are aimed correctly at the factory. This is so people are not doing it themselves and adjusting their lights up higher so as to blind the living $hit out of the oncoming drivers. I have found the stock setup plenty good for illuminating what is supposed to illuminated with low beams.

You may ask me "why the theater lighting on the front of my OB?" MOOSE at night on the highway in our province...when there is no oncoming traffic.

You also make the assumption that everyone carries the same weight in the car. Fact is that the aim of the headlight is greatly affected by whether you are carrying 2, or 4 passengers. With a full car or when towing a trailer the factory-set headlights on low beam will blind oncoming traffic. And when headlights are correctly adjusted for the weight, the lights are set way-too-low if it's just the driver in the car.

In other cars, I always carried a philips screwdriver in the glove box so that I could adjust the headlights according to load. Two seconds per headlight and a half turn. No way to do this in my 2011 outback.

All cars should have self leveling suspension, or self leveling headlights. It's the only way around this potentially dangerous situation!

[Peaty]

I'm sorry but the screw you are showing is the one that holds the assembly in place and not to adjust the aim. Although I suspect it will alter the aim of both high and low beams. It may also make the whole assembly loose and cause it to vibrate a lot more than it should shortening, the life of the bulbs. Here are some screen shots from the 2010 Legacy service manual showing how to remove the assembly, note the screw you show never says it's used for adjustment. However, the bolt shown in fun2drive's pic above (and I've use it myself) is the one that you use to adjust the up and down aim of the low beam.

I suspect the marking you are referring to just shows that a screw goes there and not a push plastic fastener.