• Welcome to the Contour Enthusiasts Group, the best resource for the Ford Contour and Mercury Mystique.

    You can register to join the community.

1998 Headlight Adjustment

95zetec

Be Gentle I'm New Here
Joined
Oct 7, 2007
Messages
3
Location
Blaine
So my g/f just picked up a 1998 2.0L GL. Its a nice little car, somewhat clean. I just put about 4-5 hours and over $250 in upkeep and repairs, most of the time and money went into the alternator install. Anyway the driver's side headlight is misaligned and points down, instead of out and away from the car. I have aligned headlights in the past but I haven't a clue on how to align the headlights in a 1998 Contour.. alittle help:shrug:
 
You obviously know how to pop the hood but you didnt bother to open the manual and look at the headlights themselves?
 
I need to do this too. The guy I just bought mine from installed new OEM units right before he sold it and they are REALLY badly misaligned. So I take it instructions on how to are in the owner's manual? Hope so and I actually am not sure if there is one in the glove box lol.

edit: Just found how to do it on the googlemonster. Amazing what 2 minutes of search engines will do.
 
hehe.. That's lesson one of CEG.. search before posting.


Lesson two is about to come: "When you finish a problem or find the answer to a question you asked, don't just walk away happy.. POST IT.. post the answer, the link, the how-to, or the pictures in order to help others in the future that find THIS thread.

:)

Glad you found the instructions... now post that link!
 
1- There are built in levels in these headlights, the bubble level is for up/down and the caliper type one is for horizontal. The bubble gauge is blatantly obviously right there, the caliper looking one you have to peer down by the outside corner to see.

2- The big screw next to the level adjusts vertical and the screw with the really long shank going down by the outside corner of the headlight does horizontal.

3- The rest should be self explanatory, adjust as needed and make sure the adjustments match on both sides to maintain symmetry. Its pretty easy to figure out just by looking at it actually. There are 2 phillips head screws sticking up out of both headlamp units that don't hold it on so they're the ones to adjust.
 
And find a level spot to park to make the adjustments, preferably facing a wall at night so you can fine tune the adjustment by sight as well as using the built in indicators.
 
Drove mine this morning and the adjustment was still way off even with the levels being dead on. What I will do tonight is to go to a big parking lot, turn the lights on and adjust them manually. Probably what I should have done in the first place lol. Oh well they are probably the easiest light fixtures to adjust ever.
 
My guess is that you aimed them with the car not parked on a level surface... If you park the car with the front facing up, the headlights will be pointed at the ground using the bubble levels, and if the front is facing down, the headlights will be aimed up.
 
Screw the levels, I parked it and adjusted them manually. The right one is still a little off but I'll fix that tomorrow morning while the car is warming up with about 2 turns of a screwdriver.
 
Back
Top