# 2018 Porsche Macan **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** porsche\ **Created:** [November 17, 2019, 4:55pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2018-porsche-macan/152956 "2019-11-17T16:55:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Judy58](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@Judy58](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Judy58)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2019, 4:55pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2018-porsche-macan/152956/1 "2019-11-17T16:55:00Z")
2018 Porsche Macan. Low beams are set too low. I live in northeast Indiana. Hilly area. At night, only a small portion of the road is visible. Salesman aware of problem. Customer service says Porsche follows safety regulations and nothing can be done. I can drive at night only with high beams on. What do I do. Ps. I hit the cayenne model because you don’t have the Macan listed. ---
**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2019, 2:38pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2018-porsche-macan/152956/2 "2019-11-18T14:38:29Z")
There really is nothing you can do about it. You might see if an independent mechanic can adjust the lights to your preference if the dealership will not. ---
**Author:** ![GorehamJ](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/gorehamj/32/24103_2.png) [@GorehamJ](https://community.cartalk.com/u/GorehamJ)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2019, 8:51pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2018-porsche-macan/152956/3 "2019-11-18T20:51:32Z")
Here in Mass, part of the annual state safety inspection is headlight aim. You could ask a shop to see if they meet the “spec” whatever that spec might be. I like the quirky Mitsubishi line. They actually have a headlight adjustment thumb wheel that allows the driver to aim the headlight up and down in the crossovers they build. ---
**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2019, 8:57pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2018-porsche-macan/152956/4 "2019-11-18T20:57:12Z")
> [@GorehamJ](#): > > Mitsubishi line. They actually have a headlight adjustment thumb wheel Do you think the Germans would allow such an adjustment? 🤔 ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2019, 9:16pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2018-porsche-macan/152956/5 "2019-11-18T21:16:13Z")
Have you tried posting this on a Porsche Macan forum? > **[Headlight beam too low 2016 Macan S](https://www.macanforum.com/threads/headlight-beam-too-low-2016-macan-s.168253/#post-2490661)** > > Hi, I did a search but found nothing... my headlight beams are definitely too low. It shines a bright path about 15 feet forward, then pitch black. I have to drive slower than normal unless I turn on high beams on dark roads. Anyone have this... ---
**Author:** ![GorehamJ](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/gorehamj/32/24103_2.png) [@GorehamJ](https://community.cartalk.com/u/GorehamJ)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2019, 9:37pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2018-porsche-macan/152956/6 "2019-11-18T21:37:07Z")
Haha. Culture and design is a fascinating topic. Some might even say that the lights are not to low, the road is too high. ---
**Author:** ![jtsanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@jtsanders](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jtsanders)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2019, 9:37pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2018-porsche-macan/152956/7 "2019-11-18T21:37:23Z")
It’s at least partly designed in so that you don’t blind oncoming cars. I use my high beams whenever I drive in the dark, even at 25 mph. I drive a 2017 Honda Accord. My wife and daughter both drive Cobalts, and it’s even worse on them. ---
**Author:** ![shadowfax](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/shadowfax/32/13026_2.png) [@shadowfax](https://community.cartalk.com/u/shadowfax)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2019, 10:20pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2018-porsche-macan/152956/8 "2019-11-18T22:20:05Z")
> [@Mustangman](#): > > Do you think the Germans would allow such an adjustment? Mercedes did for awhile. My old workplace had a Sprinter satellite truck with the adjustment wheel. … It was broken because it was an electrical system on a Mercedes, but it had it. 😃 And yeah, OP, a lot of newer cars are making people think their headlights are too low. That sharp cutoff line is kind of annoying for you, but pretty nice for the guy you’re following because you aren’t burning his corneas. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2019, 10:26pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2018-porsche-macan/152956/9 "2019-11-18T22:26:04Z")
> [@shadowfax](#): > > It was broken because it was an electrical system on a Mercedes Some of the bigger Opel models I worked on had electrical light adjusters, too. I was told it was a German requirement for the lights to be in adjustment no matter how many people or how much luggage was in the car. So either the headlights had an adjustment or the car needed air shocks, an on-board compressor and height sensor to level the lights. I like that! ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2019, 10:39pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2018-porsche-macan/152956/10 "2019-11-18T22:39:14Z")
> [@shadowfax](#): > > a lot of newer cars are making people think their headlights are too low. That sharp cutoff line is kind of annoying for you, but pretty nice for the guy you’re following because you aren’t burning his corneas. +1 When I first got my present car, I was convinced that the headlights were set too low, but the dealership demonstrated for me that they were set to specifications. The sharp “cutoff”–which I think is the result of European regulations–took a bit of getting used to, but I did get used to it after a few months. ---
**Author:** ![thegreendrag0n](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/thegreendrag0n/32/9265_2.png) [@thegreendrag0n](https://community.cartalk.com/u/thegreendrag0n)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2019, 11:03pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2018-porsche-macan/152956/11 "2019-11-18T23:03:16Z")
Both Subarus I used to have anew had headlights pointing pretty much to the ground. Fortunately, my work location had an underground garage with a very level floor, so I simply drove the car to almost touch the wall with a front bumper, marked beams position with a sticky note, then backed up straight to whatever distance Subaru specifies and used a measuring tape to find where beam centers should be. The stock configuration indeed was way too low, but a screwdriver was sent to the rescue 🙂 I did not have that problem on my new Nissans, recent new Honda also has aim just on the mark. ---
**Author:** ![keith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/keith/32/5518_2.png) [@keith](https://community.cartalk.com/u/keith)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2019, 12:23am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2018-porsche-macan/152956/12 "2019-11-19T00:23:01Z")
You may want to check the rear end first. I don’t know if Porsche uses this, but some vehicles with a high cut off headlights, that is lights that are very bright but designed to cut off so the beam only shines downward and not into oncoming drivers, sometimes have load compensators built into the rear suspension. If you put a heavy load in the rear and that makes the headlights aim higher, it could affect oncoming drivers. The compensators in the rear lower the headlights as the rear end lowers from load. Maybe it could be stuck or not installed correctly forcing the headlights down all the time. ---
**Author:** ![thegreendrag0n](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/thegreendrag0n/32/9265_2.png) [@thegreendrag0n](https://community.cartalk.com/u/thegreendrag0n)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2019, 2:59am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2018-porsche-macan/152956/13 "2019-11-19T02:59:56Z")
Great idea, @keith! Even my 2005 Prius econobox with HIDs has a rear axle load detect sensor, which senses how low rear sits and then commands HIDs leveling system to aim lower/higher depending on the reading. I might imagine Macan would have at least something similar to that, if not something more elaborate. ---
**Author:** ![shadowfax](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/shadowfax/32/13026_2.png) [@shadowfax](https://community.cartalk.com/u/shadowfax)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2019, 3:25am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2018-porsche-macan/152956/14 "2019-11-19T03:25:46Z")
My car has auto-leveling headlights that constantly readjust themselves as you’re driving based on vehicle angle regardless of what’s in the trunk. Kinda trippy to watch until you get used to them. ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2019, 3:53am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2018-porsche-macan/152956/15 "2019-11-19T03:53:00Z")
One time I had a headlight that I couldn’t adjust to spec for both high and low beams. One or the other, ok, but impossible to get it right for both hi and low. The only solution was to replace the headlight with a new one. After that the adjustment was simple as pie. Perhaps your car had defective headlights from the get-go. Porsche probably doesn’t make the headlights themselves, your bulbs came from a headlight vendor. Maybe just a bad lot made its way out their door and into your car. Ask to drive some other Macans at the dealership at night, see if they have the same problem.