← Qashqai Nissan Qashqai repair manuals →
Autopapyrus · Nissan Qashqai
https://autopapyrus.com/guides/nissan/qashqai/adjusting-halogen-headlight-aim/
Compiled automatically from service literature and owner experience. Specs are for the typical configuration — check them against your exact car before you start.

Adjusting Halogen Headlight Aim

Headlight aim should be adjusted after replacing a headlight or bumper, when the vehicle load changes, or if the beam blinds oncoming drivers or points too low. The halogen J11 has a headlight leveling control (a wheel on the dash to the left of the steering wheel) and mechanical adjustment screws on the housing of each headlight. The exact procedure and screw locations for this model were not found in publicly available sources, so the general principle is given below. Check the details against the manufacturer's specifications.

Difficulty: Easy Time: 30-60 minutes Steps: 8 Tools: Level surface with a wall or screen, tape measure, chalk or masking tape, Phillips screwdriver or socket/ratchet for the adjustment screws (size depends on the headlight), helper

Part

  • 🔩 Not required. If the adjustment mechanism is broken, replace the whole headlight assembly (halogen headlight for Nissan Qashqai J11, left or right)
There's a full repair manual for this car Every system, wiring diagrams and torque specs — not just this job. Haynes and 7 more. See manuals →

Step by step

8 steps
  1. Prepare the vehicle: tire pressure correct, fuel tank about half full, nothing extra in the trunk. If you replaced a headlight or bumper, make sure everything is secured without misalignment.
  2. Park the vehicle on a level surface, square to a wall or screen, at a distance of about 5-10 meters. Keep the wheels pointing straight. Have a person or a weight of about 75 kg (165 lb) in the driver's seat.
  3. Set the headlight leveling wheel to position "0". This position is for minimum load.
  4. Mark the wall. Draw vertical lines at the center of each headlight and a horizontal line at the height of the headlight centers. Another horizontal line should be lower by the amount of the cutoff drop. For low beam this is usually about 1-1.5% of the distance to the wall. That means at 10 m the cutoff line sits roughly 10-15 cm below the headlight centers. Check the exact value against the specifications.
  5. Turn on the low beams. Cover one headlight so you don't get confused. The horizontal part of the cutoff should lie on the lower line. On headlights with a left-hand-traffic cutoff, the kink in the cutoff should be on the headlight's centerline.
  6. Locate the adjustment screws on the back of the headlight housing, under the hood. Usually one screw handles vertical adjustment and the other handles horizontal. Sometimes they are covered by caps or located on the side. Turn them in small increments, a quarter to a half turn, and check the result on the wall each time.
  7. Repeat for the other headlight. Check that both beams are symmetrical and at the same height.
  8. Test on the road. The lights should not blind oncoming drivers, and on a dark road they should light a sufficient distance. Readjust if needed. While driving, choose the leveling wheel position according to load: the more weight in the rear, the higher the number.

Common mistakes and warnings

  • If the screws spin freely, are hard to turn, or the housing plastic is broken, do not force them. This means the adjustment mechanism is damaged and the headlight needs replacement or repair. Always check the lights on the road before driving off, so you don't blind other drivers. If you have no experience, it is better to go to a repair shop with an optical headlight aiming rig.