A system for detecting deviations from an optical axis of one or more individual component beams (16, 18, 20) associated with plural laser beams. In the specific embodiment, the system includes a mechanism that automatically corrects (14) the detected deviations of each component beam of the plural beams. A beam pick-off device, such as a pick-off collimating lens or beam splitter (36), redirects a sample of the plural beams, which represents separated plural beams to a color wheel (90). A beam splitter (98) splits the isolated component beam into a first split beam (100) and a second split beam (102) and directs the first split beam and the second split beam along a first optical path that terminates at a first detector (70) and a second optical path that terminates at a second detector (72), respectively. The lengths of the first and second optical paths differ by a predetermined distance. Software running on a computer (92) compares the relative position of the first split beam on the first detector to the position of the second split beam on the second detector with reference to the predetermined distance and provides a beam deviation signal in response thereto.