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Headlamp Aiming
The visual optical headlamp aiming system has
been preset at the factory and should need
no further adjustment.
However, if the vehicle is damaged in an accident,
the aim of the headlamps may be affected and
adjustment may be necessary.
If oncoming vehicles ash their high beams at
you, this may mean the vertical aim of your
headlamps needs to be adjusted.
It is recommended that the vehicle is taken to your
dealer/retailer for service if the headlamps need
to be adjusted. It is possible however, to re-aim the
headlamps as described.
The vehicle should be properly prepared
as follows:
The vehicle should be placed so the
headlamps are 25 ft. (7.6 m) from a light
colored wall.
The vehicle must have all four tires on a level
surface which is level all the way to the wall.
The vehicle should be placed so it is
perpendicular to the wall or other at surface.
The vehicle should not have any snow, ice, or
mud on it.
The vehicle should be fully assembled and all
other work stopped while headlamp aiming is
being performed.
The vehicle should be normally loaded with a
full tank of fuel and one person or 160 lbs
(75 kg) sitting on the driver’s seat.
Tires should be properly in ated.
The spare tire is in its proper location in
the vehicle.
Headlamp aiming is done with the vehicle’s
low-beam headlamps. The high-beam headlamps
will be correctly aimed if the low-beam headlamps
are aimed properly.
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To adjust the vertical aim:
1. Open the hood. SeeHood Release on
page 313for more information.
2. Locate the aim dot on the lens of the
low-beam headlamp.
3. Measure the distance from the ground to the
aim dot on the low-beam headlamp. Record
the distance.4. At the wall measure from the ground
upward (A) to the recorded distance
from Step 3 and mark it.
5. Draw or tape a horizontal line (B) on the wall
the width of the vehicle at the height of the
mark in Step 4.
Notice:Do not cover a headlamp to improve
beam cut-off when aiming. Covering a
headlamp may cause excessive heat build-up
which may cause damage to the headlamp.
6. Turn on the low-beam headlamps and place a
piece of cardboard or equivalent in front of the
headlamp not being adjusted. This allows
only the beam of light from the headlamp
being adjusted to be seen on the at surface.
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7. Locate the vertical headlamp aiming screws,
which are under the hood near each headlamp
assembly.
The adjustment screw can be turned with a
6 mm socket.
8. Turn the vertical aiming screw until
the headlamp beam is aimed to the
horizontal tape line. Turn it clockwise or
counterclockwise to raise or lower the angle
of the beam.9. Make sure that the light from the headlamp is
positioned at the bottom edge of the horizontal
tape line. The lamp on the left (A) shows
the correct headlamp aim. The lamp on the
right (B) shows the incorrect headlamp aim.
10. Repeat Steps 7 through 9 for the opposite
headlamp.
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GAWR FRT:Gross Axle Weight Rating for the
front axle. SeeLoading Your Vehicle on page 279.
GAWR RR:Gross Axle Weight Rating for the
rear axle. SeeLoading Your Vehicle on page 279.
Intended Outboard Sidewall:The side of an
asymmetrical tire, that must always face outward
when mounted on a vehicle.
Kilopascal (kPa):The metric unit for air pressure.
Light Truck (LT-Metric) Tire:A tire used on
light duty trucks and some multipurpose passenger
vehicles.
Load Index:An assigned number ranging from
1 to 279 that corresponds to the load carrying
capacity of a tire.
Maximum In ation Pressure:The maximum air
pressure to which a cold tire may be in ated.
The maximum air pressure is molded onto
the sidewall.
Maximum Load Rating:The load rating for a tire
at the maximum permissible in ation pressure
for that tire.Maximum Loaded Vehicle Weight:The sum of
curb weight, accessory weight, vehicle capacity
weight, and production options weight.
Normal Occupant Weight:The number of
occupants a vehicle is designed to seat multiplied
by 150 lbs (68 kg). SeeLoading Your Vehicle
on page 279.
Occupant Distribution:Designated seating
positions.
Outward Facing Sidewall:The side of an
asymmetrical tire that has a particular side that
faces outward when mounted on a vehicle.
The side of the tire that contains a whitewall, bears
white lettering, or bears manufacturer, brand,
and/or model name molding that is higher
or deeper than the same moldings on the
other sidewall of the tire.
Passenger (P-Metric) Tire:A tire used on
passenger cars and some light duty trucks and
multipurpose vehicles.
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Uniform Tire Quality Grading
Quality grades can be found where applicable on
the tire sidewall between tread shoulder and
maximum section width. For example:
Treadwear 200 Traction AA Temperature A
The following information relates to the system
developed by the United States National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which
grades tires by treadwear, traction, and
temperature performance. This applies only to
vehicles sold in the United States. The grades are
molded on the sidewalls of most passenger car
tires. The Uniform Tire Quality Grading (UTQG)
system does not apply to deep tread, winter-type
snow tires, space-saver, or temporary use
spare tires, tires with nominal rim diameters of
10 to 12 inches (25 to 30 cm), or to some
limited-production tires.While the tires available on General Motors
passenger cars and light trucks may vary with
respect to these grades, they must also conform
to federal safety requirements and additional
General Motors Tire Performance Criteria (TPC)
standards.Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative rating
based on the wear rate of the tire when tested
under controlled conditions on a speci ed
government test course. For example, a tire
graded 150 would wear one and a half (1.5) times
as well on the government course as a tire
graded 100. The relative performance of tires
depends upon the actual conditions of their use,
however, and may depart signi cantly from
the norm due to variations in driving habits, service
practices, and differences in road characteristics
and climate.
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