DIY Toyota Camry 40 headlight repair

In detail: do-it-yourself repair of a Toyota Camry 40 headlight from a real master for the site my.housecope.com.

The headlights on Camry 40 and 50 may sometimes need to be removed. This is done not only in cases where the optics are damaged and need to be replaced or repaired, but also in those cases when you need to clean it, replace the reflector, lamp, and adjust.

In order to remove the Toyota Camry headlights, you first need to dismantle the bumper from the car, then find the bolts located on the radiator grill under the hood and unscrew them, after which you need to carefully pull out the caps that control the central part. It is worth noting that when installed, they are "cocked". In order to pull out the piston, you need to turn it 90 degrees and pull it towards you.

There is a bolt under the wheel arch liner that will need to be unscrewed. Please note that 6 more bolts are attached to the bumper protection, they also need to be unscrewed. After that, you can remove the latches that attach the headlight to the bumper. After that, the optics can be easily removed.

The most common problem is that the lenses that are installed on the V40 from the factory will fade. This is due to the natural stresses that the headlight experiences during operation. In addition, the low light or its disappearance can be caused by lamps that need to be replaced.

Replacing lenses with the V40 is also relevant if you want to get better quality light. Factory presets are rather weak and dissipate.

There are several types of lenses that will fit the V40: in addition to the standard Koito lenses, the V40 will fit the Hella 3R lenses. They give a fairly bright light with an excellent border, the module meets high quality standards and surpasses the factory brightness in terms of brightness.

Video (click to play).

Manufacturers offer a large selection of halogen headlights, if necessary, you can find bi-xenon lenses or luminous rings. The result is an effect similar to Eagle Eyes, but technically similar to Sonar.

Replacing and cleaning lenses on the V40 does not cause problems: just remove the headlight, pull out the lens, replace it without breaking the mount. You can clean the optics using a building hair dryer, a soft cloth that will not leave scratches. Examine the reflector carefully; it may need to be replaced if it becomes faded and does not diffuse light well enough.

Headlight adjustment on Toyota Camry 50, 30 or V40 is carried out in approximately the same way. It is required after any intervention in the structure, it does not matter whether the light bulb, the whole optics or its individual elements have changed. In any case, the factory settings will be knocked down after that. With correct adjustment, the light should fall on the road, making it well-lit, while when the dipped beam is operating, the headlight should not strike the drivers of oncoming cars in the eyes.

You can adjust the optics yourself, for this you need to turn a special adjusting screw. It is located on the headlamp assembly in the engine compartment. When you turn the screw, the headlight on the Camry 40 or 30 body will move up or down, in addition, you can adjust it in the horizontal plane. Better alignment can be achieved using movable optical instruments, a screen can be used. If you don't have the necessary equipment.

In order for the adjustment to take place correctly, the car will need to be refueled and placed on a flat surface. A person weighing at least 75 kg must sit in the driver's seat. The car should be parked in front of the screen at a distance of at least 5 meters, a wall will do.

Before adjusting the headlights and marking the screen, check that the tire pressure is correct. Any little thing affects the correctness of the settings.When operating a car, you will definitely notice if it is adjusted incorrectly. Before starting work, it is recommended to tilt the machine to the side so that the suspension is in the correct position.

You will need to draw several vertical lines on the screen or wall. Designate them with numbers or letters. They must be symmetrical in relation to the vehicle line. The first line should be located at a certain height, it should correspond to the distance from the ground to the center of the headlights. The second strip should be 75 mm below the first. Lead her from the center of the messenger spot.

The headlight range control for Camry V50, 40, 30 and other models is located on the dashboard. This device will help to adjust the light in the desired position based on the load that the car must withstand at the moment, that is, with one driver, a full tank and no passengers. If there are more passengers in the cabin, you will need to adjust the light again. To do this, you will not need to leave the passenger compartment, since the adjustment of the headlamp housing will no longer be required.

Image - DIY Toyota Camry 40 headlight repair

On some cars, there is no hydrocorrector; to adjust the optics, you will need to use the set screws located under the hood of the car. This method is not so convenient, most often you can find it on Toyota 30 series, since these are older copies.

Begin tuning with only the dipped beam on. Camry headlights are tuned one at a time, so the one that is not tuned is covered with cardboard. It is recommended to start by adjusting the right headlight, then proceed to adjusting the left one, having previously closed the right one. Several screws can be used for adjustment. When you finish adjusting, remove the cardboard from the optics, compare if the upper limit of the light of both headlights matches. The intersection points of the horizontal and oblique lines must also coincide.

Factory optics Toyota Camry V 50, 40, 30 can be modified on their own. It is easy to maintain, setting up will take no more than half an hour, you can feel a significant difference in the operation of the car's optics.

Over time, any headlamp, regardless of the quality of manufacture, begins to grow cloudy, due to which the range and illumination of the luminous flux deteriorate. To restore the intensity of the headlights, it is not necessary to seek help from a car workshop, it is enough just to understand the problem and eliminate the cause of the malfunction.

Insufficient illumination or irregular light beam contour is a common disease in the Camry 40. This malfunction occurs in the event of a failure of the head optics, the breakdown of which is possible when:

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  1. Installation of high power lamps;
  2. Insufficient distance between optics and lamps;
  3. Haze or tarnishing of the reflector coating;
  4. The presence of chips and cracks.

Image - DIY Toyota Camry 40 headlight repair

Powerful or nearby lamps cause the headlamp system to overheat, which leads to burnout of the inner coating of the reflector or lens on the optics, and the darkening of the luminous flux or the appearance of blind spots in the light beam indicates a headlamp depressurization and the accumulation of condensation.

Also, a weak or defocused beam can be the result of an accident or vibration.

In order to correct such situations and restore the quality of illumination of the main headlights and PTF to the factory level, it is not necessary to replace the entire headlamp system - it is enough to change the optics of the car.

The best solution when looking for lenses for your car would be to purchase original components from an authorized dealer that are used for a specific vehicle model.This option will prevent a lot of surprises and choose optics specifically for your car.

Also, a common solution is to order components from various online stores selling Japanese spare parts. In order to protect yourself from the wrong choice, it is recommended to select lenses not by the make or model of the car, but by the VIN code of the vehicle or the identification number on the body.

Optics on Toyota Camry differ in lens architecture and principle of operation. The form factor of optics does not affect the quality of lighting and depends only on the characteristics of the car body - they are classified:

  • Round or semicircular lenses;
  • Square option;
  • Stylized optics for angel eyes.

Image - DIY Toyota Camry 40 headlight repair

Also, the headlights differ according to the principle of action on halogen and bi-xenon ones. Installing non-stock optics with a different principle of operation will be a salvation for many drivers, improving the quality of lighting or preventing overheating of the headlight system by using less energy-intensive headlights.

The transition to a different type of optics has gained a lot of positive reviews among Toyota Camry drivers, solving the problem of personal driving comfort - halogen and bi-xenon lenses have different technical characteristics that allow you to customize the car to your style.

Mounting and dismantling lenses on the Camry 40 does not have any particular difficulties and is carried out with a standard set of tools. However, during repair work, you must be careful - careless movements can damage the glass on the headlight. Chips, scratches or cracks on the glass can be corrected by reusable fine sanding.

In order to remove the old optics, it is necessary to unscrew all the lamps from the headlamp system, and then warm up the lenses using a construction hair dryer or an air heater. Heating allows you to soften the structure of the sealant - if the substance is easily pressed through, the headlamp can be dismantled. Image - DIY Toyota Camry 40 headlight repair

Having picked up the glass on one side with a flat screwdriver, it is required to move evenly to the other edge, removing the headlight from the car body. Upon completion, the surface is cleaned of old sealant and degreased. Having removed the glass from the headlight, access to the fasteners that fix the lens to the reflector - four bolts - opens up.

On the treated surface of the headlamp system, it is matched to a dimensional bar for mounting, often this element is included in a set of new lenses. The bar is necessary to centralize the optics and adjust the light beam in the horizontal plane - otherwise the headlamp will be piled on its side and shine incorrectly.