Headlight beam alignment check (Every 10 000 miles (15 000 km) or 12 months)

Routine maintenance and servicing / Headlight beam alignment check (Every 10 000 miles (15 000 km) or 12 months)

Single unit
Caution: It is recommended that headlamp beam alignment is checked by a VW garage using modern beam setting equipment. However, in an emergency, the following procedure will provide an acceptable light pattern.

1 With its tyres correctly inflated, position the vehicle on a level surface, approximately 10 metres in front of a flat wall.

2 Draw a horizontal line on the wall or door at headlamp centre height. Draw a vertical line corresponding to the centre line of the vehicle.

Now measure off a point either side of this, on the horizontal line, corresponding with the headlamp centres.

3 Switch on the main beam and check that the areas of maximum illumination coincide with the headlamp centre marks on the wall. If not, turn the upper cross-head adjustment screw to adjust the beam laterally and/or the lower screw to adjust the beam vertically (see illustration).

27.3 Turn adjustment screws (arrowed) to adjust headlamp beam alignment

Twin unit
4 On models with twin headlamps, the inner lamps are adjusted laterally with the lower adjustment screw and vertically with the upper screw.