Van Headlight Issue

[legion]

I bought this 2018 Chevy Express 3500 van in June. I was driving back from Springfield on Saturday night after a hockey tournament. This was the first time that I had driven it at night on the interstate. In my opinion, the headlights do not project out far enough. They are definitely designed with a cutoff and there is a visible dark line above which there is no headlight light when driving. I'd like to look out 100-200 yards further than the headlights project. They only seem to project out about 100 yards and beyond that I can't even see the reflective markers in the center of the interstate.

I looked in the owner's manual, and it simply says to take the van to the dealership to adjust the headlights. A google search yielded no results on how to adjust the headlights. Looking at the headlights, there is no visible mechanism for adjusting them. In other words, I don't think they can be adjusted.

So, my options, as far as I can tell are:
1) Buy aftermarket headlight housings.
2) Attempt to modify the parabolic reflectors in front of the headlights to allow them to shine higher
3) Install aftermarket fog lights or a lightbar and attempt to aim it towards the desired area (the van is already wired for this, so it would be fairly easy).

Thoughts?

[masraum]

I'd be surprised if they can't be adjusted unless they are of the self adjusting/leveling type which seems pretty unlikely.

[Mr. Merk]

1) NO!
2) Definitely NOT
3) Yes, but ONLY for highbeam use and ONLY a Hella 350 or 470. Note that you'll want to mount this in FRONT of the grille BETWEEN (not below) the Headlamps. It should also be aligned with your headlamps for best focus.

Reach out to Daniel Stern by emailing him dastern@torque.net ;

Tell him your issue and he will give you the best advice available. Which will probably look something like this:


I'm assuming you don't have the sealed beam (work truck style) headlamps. And that is unfortunate because there are some REALLY GOOD LED replacement options. It may be possible to retrofit that front end though.


If you have this front end you are still in luck because the 9006 low beam can be swapped out for a Vosla HIR2+30 and the 9005 high beam can be swapped out for a Toyota-sold, Toshiba-made HIR1 with minor trimming to the tabs on the base of the bulb.

More importantly have the headlamps aimed using an aiming device. Any German car dealership will have one. Embarrassingly, I worked at a GM dealership for 9 years and never even heard of such a thing. Your van will have vertical adjustment.

[pwd72s]

Could it work like a Silverado? Look here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFMjHoBcCW8

[cabmandone]

Gotta be a screwdriver slot to adjust bulbs. It won't look like a "typical" screwdriver slot. There is normally a hold that a Phillips screwdriver will go in. The phillips meshes with a gear and I think clockwise raises while CCW lowers. Post a pic of the nose of you van and maybe one under the hood straight down on the light. I'd bet there's an adjuster.

[gordner]

HID have mandated cut off areas to avoid blinding other drivers. I would not be surprised if in the changeover the idea of an owner adjusting his headlights was quashed along the way, to prevent you setting them high and causing accidents. The function is probably intentionally buried and labour intensive to do, all in an effort to stop you doing it.

If I were you, before adjusting, I would drive ahead of that van at night and see if they should be raised, from the perspective of the vehicle in front. Better for you to have to use high beam when necessary to see further than to have that all the time at the cost of blinding everyone else.

[pwd72s]

Originally Posted by gordner

HID have mandated cut off areas to avoid blinding other drivers. I would not be surprised if in the changeover the idea of an owner adjusting his headlights was quashed along the way, to prevent you setting them high and causing accidents. The function is probably intentionally buried and labour intensive to do, all in an effort to stop you doing it.

If I were you, before adjusting, I would drive ahead of that van at night and see if they should be raised, from the perspective of the vehicle in front. Better for you to have to use high beam when necessary to see further than to have that all the time at the cost of blinding everyone else.

good advice...if you find yourself getting frequent flashes to dim, you've aimed too high. Better to just not outdrive your lights.

[legion]

My van's headlights look like the second one pictured. They are not HID's but have the cutout (set much too low).

[john70t]

Chain the front bumper to a pole, then pull it out a smidgen.

[cabmandone]

Originally Posted by Zeke

Put several bags of concrete mix in the back.

I like it! Start with a couple 50lb bags and keep adding until visibility improves!

[legion]

So driving home from work, the cutoff is such that it illuminates no higher than the top of the bumper of the car in front of me, while I am one car length back. My headlights were about level with the roof of the car in front on me. They are aimed way down.

[pavulon]

When driving at night, install 2 spare tire donuts out back. Pull the valve stems out of the regular set up and throw them inside the van for the inevitable PoPo explanation.

[mattdavis11]

Taller tires in the front or smaller ones in the rear.

[pavulon]

If you can see or feel a spring somewhere connected to the headlight housing, they are adjustable. It would be difficult to imagine that they're not. Look for an adjustment screw that looks like these:

[john70t]

Add a couple rubber washers under the top mount screws?

A flat driveway aimed at a white wall will show before/after height.

[DanielDudley]

Looks to me like the adjustment screw is located between the two bulbs in the assembly, a couple of inches behind the bulbs and is pointed up.

[petrolhead611]

Is there not a load levelling adjustment wheel on the dash somewhere?

[cabmandone]

Originally Posted by legion

So driving home from work, the cutoff is such that it illuminates no higher than the top of the bumper of the car in front of me, while I am one car length back. My headlights were about level with the roof of the car in front on me. They are aimed way down.

My F250 was the same way. At 25 feet (owners manual adjustment range) the headlights were barely above the top of the lowest panel in overhead door. I have air bags in the back end so I don't worry much about the lights pointing up when I have a trailer attached. I adjusted mine up to mid way in the second panel which puts them decklid high on most cars. I CAN SEE!! But I did add LED's into the mix as well.

[billybek]

1 ton van is expected to run loaded with weight. Headlights are probably set low deliberately.

The bags of cement could be a solution...

[Mr. Merk]

Sounds like having them properly aimed with a machine would solve your issue. A good body shop should also have one, most don't. Upgrading the bulbs to the ones I had linked is a cheap and easy way to further improve nighttime vision.