Dealer doesn't believe that headlights can be adjusted

[kettledrum]

I have a 2006 with the standard halogen headlights, which I have a suspicion are out of alignment.

I've just taken my car in and asked if they could check the headlights to see if they are out of adjustment, and three different people in the service department have insisted that the headlights cannot be adjusted. I know this is not true based on what I've read in a few threads on here. I also know the 2004 owner's manual had a section on adjusting the headlights, which was omitted from later owner's manuals.

I would do it myself, but I figured that it would be best left up to the techs to check it out and know what the specs are for headlight aim.

What can I do to prove that the headlights can be adjusted? Is it in the service manual? I unfortunately don't have one.

If it is indeed in the service manual, does anyone have a page reference for this that I could point out to the techs? Or does anyone have any other suggestions??

[bedrock8x]

The headlight can only be adjusted vertically.
Is your headlight aiming too high or too low?

[kettledrum]

Originally Posted by bedrock8x

The headlight can only be adjusted vertically.
Is your headlight aiming too high or too low?

It appears to be too high. I was going to leave the determination up to the experts, but being they say they are not adjustable, they're not even looking at it.

[jayman]

If they claim the headlights can't be adjusted, would you trust that dealership with even an oil change, let alone anything complicated?

There have been a few threads on adjusting Prius headlights

Headlight Allignment

Near the bottom of this thread, I posted a pdf of how to manually DIY aim headlights

manually adjust headlights

Also

how does one aim headlights?

I really don't see how you can bugger it up any worse than the dealership who claims "can't be adjusted." Follow the above, give it a try

Good luck!

[yardman 49]

Originally Posted by jayman

....I really don't see how you can bugger it up any worse than the dealership who claims "can't be adjusted." .....

Jay:

There's another thread where the OP has a 2010 with LEDs that the dealer says can't be adjusted. I don't believe that, either.

Never mind oil changes, I wouldn't even trust them to check the tire pressure.

[kettledrum]

So I went back in this morning in cooler weather to try to reproduce the noise from the CHS water pump under T-SB-0087-08, but with no success. Very frustrating to say the least. I'll try again at the next service interval...wherever it is that I end up taking my car to.

Anyway, while I was there the tech had a printout from the TIS website that detailed the headlight adjustment. This is quite a difference from their repeated previous statements when they said that the headlights were not adjustable. The tech said he would have to show this to all of the other guys in the shop. I asked if I could get a copy of that printout and he didn't want to do that, saying that he isn't even supposed to show it to me in the first place. Oh well. I can get the same info if I pony up the $$ for it.

Based upon what I saw, one of my concerns seems to be by design. There was a diagram showing that the right side is supposed to be higher than the left which I found interesting. Based upon seeing that diagram and being that other people flashing their lights at me happens infrequently, I'll let it go.

[firepa63]

The right side headlight is aimed higher and towards the right to illuminate the side of the road better.

[icarus]

Moronic dealers!

Icarus

[jayman]

Originally Posted by yardman 49

Never mind oil changes, I wouldn't even trust them to check the tire pressure.

Frank

No doubt. I can only imagine the tire pressures after they got done with it: 80, 22, 65, 34

[jayman]

Originally Posted by kettledrum

Based upon what I saw, one of my concerns seems to be by design. There was a diagram showing that the right side is supposed to be higher than the left which I found interesting. Based upon seeing that diagram and being that other people flashing their lights at me happens infrequently, I'll let it go.

Have you tried following the instructions from the links I posted? It really is simple enough to adjust the headlights yourself.