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GS - 4th Gen (2013-2020) Discussion about the 2013 and up GS models

headlight beam height

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Old Jan 14, 2019 | 07:30 AM
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Default headlight beam height

I have 2017 F Sport, I noticed there is no adjustment available for headlight beams, There are no adjustment screws under the cover.
I find it bit low. Is it possible to adjust the height.
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Old Jan 14, 2019 | 08:49 AM
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I also was not able to find them on my 2018. Even checked the manual and it doesn't match up with what's actually going on under the hood (though this is unsurprising and is not the first time I've noticed the manual being incorrect in describing functions vs actuality).
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Old Jan 14, 2019 | 09:41 AM
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The adjusters were a bit hard to find IMO and the manual wasn't super helpful to me. I knew they were there and kept looking around and found them eventually. Take off all the plastic covers in the engine bay and look for the metal channels that you feed the screwdriver through. I assume your car has them... I have 2013 GS350 Lux package and I have them. Raised the headlights a couple inches and wish I did it sooner, huge difference.

Edit: I was a bit worried I'd blind oncoming drivers by raising the headlights, but no one has flashed their highbeams at me yet after a couple months of having them raised.
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Old Jan 14, 2019 | 11:31 AM
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This may help: Anyone feel the headlights are factory adjusted too low?
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Old Jan 14, 2019 | 12:03 PM
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Originally Posted by CottageChz
The adjusters were a bit hard to find IMO and the manual wasn't super helpful to me. I knew they were there and kept looking around and found them eventually. Take off all the plastic covers in the engine bay and look for the metal channels that you feed the screwdriver through. I assume your car has them... I have 2013 GS350 Lux package and I have them. Raised the headlights a couple inches and wish I did it sooner, huge difference.

Edit: I was a bit worried I'd blind oncoming drivers by raising the headlights, but no one has flashed their highbeams at me yet after a couple months of having them raised.
Same. I thought I raised them too high but nobody has flashed me either and now I have the illumination I want at certain distances around dark roads where I drive regularly without having to use the high beam. I did about 25 clockwise wrist turns on each side after I had my car lowered.

I wouldn't be surprised tho if the manual reiterates info from the 2013-2015 MY and does not accurately reflect what is/isn't doable on the 2016+. For example, my manual states there are *****/screws to turn for L/R adjustment on the headlights. I can turn these for hours and nothing changes. It might be because this adjustment is not applicable to USDM cars, but is for other markets, but the info still made it into our manuals.

I find it odd that there would be zero adjustment options though, there must be something.
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Old Jan 14, 2019 | 07:27 PM
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Originally Posted by bclexus
Already seen this thread. The 2016+ models do not have those same adjustment points that the earlier GS models have.
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Old Jan 17, 2019 | 12:03 AM
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I adjusted my 2017 headlights. They are in the same spot and labeled UD. You have to use a long screwdriver.
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Old Jan 18, 2019 | 07:49 AM
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Originally Posted by dchar
I adjusted my 2017 headlights. They are in the same spot and labeled UD. You have to use a long screwdriver.
The end of channels where the long screw driver was supposed be inserted is empty, there is no screw . There is only a cog wheel there but there is nothing to turn that cog wheel. I can turn the cog wheel using a sockets it seems to be held by a 5mm nut. It will be great if you can post a pic.

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Old Jan 18, 2019 | 10:19 AM
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Originally Posted by vclifford
The end of channels where the long screw driver was supposed be inserted is empty, there is no screw . There is only a cog wheel there but there is nothing to turn that cog wheel. I can turn the cog wheel using a sockets it seems to be held by a 5mm nut. It will be great if you can post a pic.
If I recall even the earlier model year GS 350s had an empty channel that a screwdriver couldn't be used to make an adjustment. I believe those empty channels were for non-USA or non-North America models. However, at least in my case with a 2013 model year I did find a channel for each headlight that would accept a long screwdriver to adjust the headlight aim 'only' in the vertical dimension. It doesn't surprise me that you found an empty screwdriver channel. No guarantee that you'll find a channel to accept a screwdriver to adjust the vertical aim on your model year GS 350, but you may want to look further...
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Old Jan 18, 2019 | 01:02 PM
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I used the same instructions from that referenced low-light post to adjust my lights on a 2017. Gotta use the long #2 phillips screwdriver and it works fine.
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Old Jan 18, 2019 | 01:22 PM
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Originally Posted by vclifford
The end of channels where the long screw driver was supposed be inserted is empty, there is no screw . There is only a cog wheel there but there is nothing to turn that cog wheel. I can turn the cog wheel using a sockets it seems to be held by a 5mm nut. It will be great if you can post a pic.
It may not look like it, but that cog wheel could actually be turned with a very long screwdriver(and it is technically not a Phillips as any Japanese car fastener will be JIS). Just stick it in one of the slots, and turn the screwdriver.

A ratchet is easier but that means you have to remove some covers, which is very simple as well).

This is not from the GS, but it looks something like this.


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Old Jan 18, 2019 | 01:32 PM
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Originally Posted by er34
It may not look like it, but that cog wheel could actually be turned with a very long screwdriver(and it is technically not a Phillips as any Japanese car fastener will be JIS). Just stick it in one of the slots, and turn the screwdriver.

A ratchet is easier but that means you have to remove some covers, which is very simple as well).

This is not from the GS, but it looks something like this.

Lexus says it takes a Phillips-head screwdriver:





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Old Jan 18, 2019 | 01:37 PM
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A few more pictures (from a IS model) of the gear-type fitting so you can better see how the screwdriver fits into the gear mechanism.








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Old Jan 18, 2019 | 02:19 PM
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Originally Posted by bclexus
Lexus says it takes a Phillips-head screwdriver:
Because this is a North American manual, and everybody knows what a Philips head screwdriver is. In this case, since it's not an actual "screw", either will work just the same, but for other fasteners that "looks" like Philips head on a Japanese car, I assure you a proper JIS screwdriver will remove it much better(again, not saying it wouldn't work, it just won't work as well as a JIS ever will).

https://www.instructables.com/id/Whe...ot-a-Phillips/
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