RamAirRckt

I have had the common problem where the low beams are too low and if you mess with the underhood adjusters, you screw up the high beams.

The self leveling headlights are more of the problem, those level based on the sensor on the right rear control arm. I took the link and shortened it approx 3 full turns and it brought up the headlights nicely and now the high beams are lining up properly per the Lexus service information.

The key is to have the front lights adjusted properly from the get go, being many of us (including me) have adjusted the headlights to get them from pointing so far down, you have to bring them BACK down to where they were, then adjust the link in the rear to bring the low beams self leveling to bring it down to match the high beams.

I found that the rear suspension on my wife's RX was sagging a bit due to weak rear shocks. I bumped up with coil spring blocks till I get new shocks in there.

To adjust low beams separate from high beams:,

1. Adjust the headlight adjusters under the hood to get the HIGH BEAMS adjusted to where you want them, do NOT worry about low beams. This will be handled by the suspension adjuster.

2. Jack up the right rear, allowing the right rear wheel to hang some, don't need to get off the ground, just some room. Use a jack stand for safety.

3. Put a 10mm wrench on the lock nut and a 10mm (I used vice grips, but be very gentle!) and losen both locks, Then hold the middle of the adjuster and turn the lock nuts towards the middle of the adjusting bolt, I moved it one hex flat at a time, and moved it 21 hex flat turns on the top and bottom. I did it 7 turns at a time, but ended up with 21 turns shorter (top and bottom each). I might adjust it a little more, but I want to look at it during the day.

4. Then turn the adjuster to shorten the adjustment, I wouldn't lock down yet, remove jack and then go drive car, see how the high beams and low beams work. It will re-level when you start the car.

Repeat till you get the low beam adjustment you desire.

jakenbake

The adjusters are for the low beam only. The auto leveling feature compensated for loads on the car (extra passengers, trailer, etc). The adjusters set the low beams to the standard position for the auto leveling system. Also if you adjust the screw for the level of the beam, you also have to adjust the second screw for the direction of the beam, otherwise the light pattern will be off. It describes how to do this in the owners manual. As for the high beams...the beam pattern of the high beam will shine correctly regardless of how the low beams are adjusted, hence there is no separate adjust for the high beams.

RamAirRckt

No, the adjusters are for high beams and low beams ONLY, they are not separate. On the HID RX's the High Beams and Low Beams share one adjuster.

The PROPER way to adjust is really to align the high beams proper with the RX loaded properly (Lexus states a 68 KG driver), but I feel that it should be how the vehicle is typically driven at night is more accurate. Then once that is done, THEN adjust the rear suspension adjuster to obtain proper LOW beam direction. Then and only then you will have correct lighting.

Do NOT arbitrarily start adjusting the underhood adjusters to obtain low beam position. Chances are that Lexus has this set correct already. With age the RX suspension sags in the rear some and when that happens, as in most all FWD cars/or FWD based AWD cars/SUV's, the noise points more upwards, thereby screwing up the high beams and the self leveling starts pointing them down.

High beams are NOT self leveled. I wish they were. Then we could adjust solely underhood and "get away with it", but we can't. To get it right the high beams must be set correctly, and then the only way to set the low beams correctly is to change the suspension adjustment.

jakenbake

I never said that you could adjust them separately...I said that there is no need for high beam adjustment because the shape of the reflector will always throw the beam correctly. And yes, there are two adjusting bolts. For every turn of the first bolt you have to also turn the second bolt 1.25 times.

RamAirRckt

I haven't seen that screw yet, and it isn't in what my Lexus documentation shows at all, What year is it from?

Everything I have read on the forums people adjust the underhood adjusters and correct low low beams and the high beams are too high, no one yet has a solution, this is a solution for it.

Mine were bad enough the high beams shot completely over the cut off line of the low beams. High beams essentially useless. They are very effective now.

I'll look for the other adjuster, but what does it actually do?

jakenbake

2006 with HID and AFS. The manual says it is also a vertical adjuster but on mine it moved the beam horizontally. After adjusting the vertical aim I had to adjust the second screw because the beams were pointing really far inward.

RamAirRckt

Mine is not AFS, was hoping for it when we got it, but it is not. Just HID. I haven't seen a AFS RX yet.

It is very different, only 1 adjuster underhood, up/down.

iMSQ

I have the same problem. I adjusted low beams with only 1 adjuster I found (I have HID+AFS) and high beams went up, as a result, I have a "dark" spot between low beam and high beam areas. High beams highlight the top of the trees, but not the road in front of me... (((

RamAirRckt

the absolute best way to adjust the low beam high beam aim differential is to adjust the arm on the right rear control arm (shorter/down longer/up IIRC) to bring the low beams, the high beams remain in place. So before you start adjust the main adjustment to bring the high beams where you want them. Then Adjust the rear control arm turn buckle to bring the Low beams in where you want them.

amradio

I'm having issues adjusting the aim of my lights. I have HID's with auto leveling, non AFS. I started by adjusting the headlight first and didn't know about the second adjustment screws. I have them all messed up now. In picture 3 from Lexus is states that both adjustments are for vertical. One a screw and one a bolt. If you look at pictures 1 and 2, and as others have stated, the second screws looks like it adjusts the projector horizontally. Screw 1 is for vertical adjustment on the projector, screw 2 for horizontal, correct?

Now that I have mine all messed up, should I start with adjusting the low beams first, then turn on the high beams and make sure they are close? Or go back and forth between lows and highs on to get them close, or high beams don't matter as you can't adjust them? Then adjust for side to side? Then once this is dialed in, adjust the auto leveler by the rear passenger tire. The going 1.25 on the second adjustment screw will not work now, as I'm way off, and I don't think the passenger side was ever aimed correctly from a previous accident (previous owner) when the headlight housing was changed out. Does the second screw adjust left to right, and is there a way to tell if I'm close on these? I'm guessing a little wider to the right on the passenger side is still ok.

silva1181

were you able to figure this out?

amradio

Bolt 1 is for vertical, bolt 2 is for horizontal. Waiting for new HID bulbs.