Ford Taurus Owners Manual: Adjusting the headlamps

The headlamps on your vehicle are properly aimed at the assembly plant.

If your vehicle has been in an accident, an authorized dealer should check the alignment of your headlamps.

Vertical Aim Adjustment

1. Park the vehicle directly in front of a wall or screen on a level surface, approximately 25 feet (7.6 meters) away.

• (1) 8 feet (2.4 meters)


• (1) 8 feet (2.4 meters)

• (2) Center height of lamp to ground

• (3) 25 feet (7.6 meters)

• (4) Horizontal reference line

2. Measure the height of the headlamp bulb center from the ground and mark an 8 foot (2.4 meter) horizontal reference line on the vertical wall or screen at this height (a piece of masking tape works well). The center of the lamp is marked by a 3 millimeter circle on the headlamp lens.

3. Turn on the low beam headlamps to illuminate the wall or screen and open the hood.

To see a clearer light pattern for adjusting, you may want to block the light from one headlamp while adjusting the other.

On the wall or screen you will


On the wall or screen you will observe a flat zone of high intensity light located at the top of the right hand portion of the beam pattern.

If the top edge of the high intensity light zone is not at the horizontal reference line, the headlamp will need to be adjusted.

4. Locate the vertical adjuster on


4. Locate the vertical adjuster on each headlamp. Using a Phillips number 2 screwdriver, turn the adjuster either clockwise or counterclockwise in order to adjust the vertical aim of the headlamp.

5. Close the hood and turn off the lamps.

HORIZONTAL AIM IS NOT REQUIRED FOR THIS VEHICLE AND IS NOT ADJUSTABLE.

    Air filter(s)
    WARNING: To reduce the risk of vehicle damage and/or personal burn injuries, do not start your engine with the air cleaner removed and do not remove it while the engine is running. When changing th ...

    Changing a bulb
    Lamp Assembly Condensation Exterior lamps are vented to accommodate normal changes in pressure. Condensation can be a natural by-product of this design. When moist air enters the lamp assembly th ...

    Other materials:

    Specifications, Description and Operation
    SPECIFICATIONS Torque Specifications DESCRIPTION AND OPERATION Airbag and Safety Belt Pretensioner Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) Air Bag and Safety Belt Pretensioner SRS Components (Illustration 1 of 2) Air Bag and Safety Belt Pretensioner SRS Components (Illustration 2 ...

    Power Steering
    SPECIFICATIONS Torque Specifications a Refer to the procedure for the specification. REMOVAL AND INSTALLATION Steering Gear Special Tool(s) NOTE: 3.5L GTDI engine shown, 3.5L Ti-VCT, 3.7L Ti-VCT and 2.0L GTDI similar. Removal All vehicles If in ...

    Personal Safety System
    The Personal Safety System provides an improved overall level of frontal crash protection to front seat occupants and is designed to help further reduce the risk of airbag-related injuries. The system is able to analyze different occupant conditions and crash severity before activating the appro ...