Hey guys,
I didn't see a thread on this, so figured I would post up. This is how to adjust the xenon headlight level, vertically. This is for the North American X1, not sure about the X1 in other countries, though I would imagine they would be the same.
Okay, I noticed from factory, the headlight level is unusually low, which reduces visibility on the road up ahead. So, I wanted to move the level slightly higher. To do this, you have to pop open the hood, and look directly on top of the headlamp. There should be a metal bar going across the top of the headlamp (both headlamps are the same). On the very top of the bar, there are two holes. One of the holes should lead to a plastic adjuster piece. There is about 2 inches in separation between the hole on the metal part and the adjuster. This is to adjust the headlight level. You would need to insert a screwdriver which has 6 sides I believe, but I used a flathead screwdriver and it worked just fine. Insert it through the hole, and turn clockwise to move the level down, and counterclockwise to move the level up.
A small adjustment makes a noticeable difference! The best way to check the level is to park your X1 in front of a wall, parked on a
plain surface, i.e., a surface that is not slanted upwards or downwards, and adjust accordingly. This is a trial and error process. Adjust the headlights (when it's dark out), and go test drive it to see how it is.
To get both headlights adjusted evenly, park in front of a white wall, and place blue tape on the wall going across. Place it evenly based on where the ground is. OR, get one headlight up to where you want it to be, and then place the tape on the wall to get the other headlight at the same level.
Adjusting the level too high will blind the piss out of oncoming cars! You have to be careful on how much you adjust it. I parked my X1 about 25 feel from a wall, and adjusted both headlights approximately 3-3.5 inches up. This, I found, was absolutely perfect. I test drove it at night about 5 miles on a hilly road, and the level was exactly where I wanted it. It really lights up the road ahead, without blinding oncoming cars. Coming up to parked SUV's (Honda Pilot was one) the light cutoff was at the bottom of their license plates, and on cars (XV40 Toyota Camry, as I recall), it came up to the top of their license plates.
I will try to take pictures of everything (adjuster screw, cutoff level, etc.) soon. It was freezing out tonight, and didn't want to stay out there too long.
Feel free to ask any questions!