Beam Pattern

[otaku19]

I installed the Morimoto Elite HID kit for my low beams and a set of GTR Lighting LEDs for my high beams. I removed the cover piece for the L/R adjustment screw but when I go to adjust my lights, the beam pattern does not move in any direction. The adjustment screws turn but do nothing for the beam pattern. Has anyone had this problem before?

[LPSISRL]

Nope, but I'm interested as my HIDs have a very different beam pattern than the stock halogens. The stock pattern was almost straight across. The HIDs have two high points like an ocean wave.

[otaku19]

Nope, but I'm interested as my HIDs have a very different beam pattern than the stock halogens. The stock pattern was almost straight across. The HIDs have two high points like an ocean wave.

This is the same problem that I am having. I can still see much better at night but I would still very much like to tighten this pattern

[otaku19]

Quick update on my HID setup. I had the headlights off to change out the turn signals and went ahead and properly seated the bulbs. My beam pattern is much better but I definitely need to order the B type bulbs since the return wire shadow is very noticeable now.

[KuroNekko]

Sorry about the late reply but yeah, any time you cannot adjust the headlight aim and the beam pattern looks significantly off, it's pretty much caused by the bulbs not being seated properly. It's easy to not seat them properly with HIDs and LEDs because the housing was made for halogen bulbs.

[otaku19]

Any reason as to why I can't adjust the beam pattern? My adjustment screws move but nothing happens to the beam pattern

[KuroNekko]

Any reason as to why I can't adjust the beam pattern? My adjustment screws move but nothing happens to the beam pattern

Make sure the bulbs are seated properly and the additional components like ballasts, drivers, and wires aren't obstructing the movement of the headlight housing via the adjustment screws. My headlights adjust fine with my HID and LED bulbs and I made sure all the components are affixed outside the headlight and the wires are tidy. Make sure the LED bulb fan/heatsink isn't too big to restrict adjustment.

[otaku19]

I've got everything tidied up so I don't believe that there is anything stopping the housing from moving

[KuroNekko]

I've got everything tidied up so I don't believe that there is anything stopping the housing from moving

I wonder if it's bulb fitment, especially because you said the dust caps won't fit over the LED bulbs. Mine are fanless bulbs with a smaller heatsink design. I specifically sought this design because sealing the headlights with the caps was a priority for me. I know some LED bulbs prioritize output power in terms of lumens thus require much beefier cooling components due to the heat generated. I'm more in the camp of having smaller designs with less output and heat so they fit in the headlight. Lumens are not very useful without focus thus bulbs that fit properly and can be indexed are going to be better. Getting the emitters to fire on the reflectors as close to halogens is going to give the best beam pattern and light focal point (lux). Being a flashlight collector (yes, we exist) I have some compact flashlights that output 3000+ lumens but in a flood pattern. These are bright but the throw is wide and short in range. The "throwers" or lights with the long range throw focus less on lumens and more in candela (light intensity). It's the reflector design that matters more here than emitter output. These flashlights have about 1/3 to 1/2 the lumen output but throw the beam much further with a tighter and brighter "hotspot" due to the reflector optics. The lower lumen output also means less heat and longer runtimes at the max output before regulated step-downs to prevent overheating. I apply these flashlight principles to my aftermarket headlight bulbs.