Adjusting 2010 Outback/Legacy Headlights

[Peaty]

Originally Posted by Moose05

Anyone find any way to adjust left-right? Mainly checking for '05 (not trying to take over the thread)

On most head lamps there is a horizontal adjustment but it's typically blocked off because they don't want you messing with it for some reason. Here are a few pics I took when I removed a headlamp from our 02 OB Wagon. I've seen the same protective cap on my Miata and lots of other headlamps I've removed. You can remove the plastic cap by cracking it off with some pliers. I don't know about the newer head lamps on the 2010 though, I haven't seen the back. The way lamp assemblys are getting larger and larger they may be removing it to save money or something like that. Does anyone have a shot of the whole back of the lamp on an 2010? Maybe it does have one, I haven't removed my whole lamp yet on my 2010 Legacy.

[scoobydoo2]

Originally Posted by Spike

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!

...I would hate to have to do that every time I put something or some one into my car. It would have to be a sizeable weight difference to make that much of a difference in light projection. I agree with the self levelling comment though..it just makes sense to do that.

[Spike]

Originally Posted by scoobydoo2

...I would hate to have to do that every time I put something or some one into my car. It would have to be a sizeable weight difference to make that much of a difference in light projection. I agree with the self levelling comment though..it just makes sense to do that.

I think you would be surprised by how much deflection there is in the lights with the addition of just one adult passenger in the back seat of the car. If you are out at night sometime with two or three friends, check it out! If your car's headlights are property adjusted for a driver and one passenger, they will be too high if you have one adult passenger in the back. Placing the weight farther back will make the problem even worse - towing a trailer is the worst.