Car Headlight Maintenance and Care Tips

Posted by entri in Uncategorized

Headlights need proper care and maintenance to serve its lifespan. Learn how to perform a health check on your headlights below. 

Have you performed a maintenance check on your headlights from the time you first bought them? If not, now is the time you should.

Headlights need your attention as much as how you care for your car’s exterior, interior, and engine. Your safety when driving at night depends on it. Poor lighting means reduced visibility thereby increasing your risk of road accidents.

Keep yourself and your family safe when driving. Learn how to take care of and maintain your car’s headlight performance here.

#1 Check Bulb Condition

Regularly check the headlights bulbs. If you notice one of the bulbs is flickering, fix it immediately. Flickering bulbs are often caused by a loose wiring connection in the headlights. If one of the connections is loose, tighten it back. But if the whole wiring is damaged you’ll have to change the bulb.

Be careful in tightening loose connections and changing bulbs. You might electrocute yourself in the process if you are not careful. Make sure to follow the correct steps on how to change headlight bulbs. You can look it up on this page.

If your headlights require a new bulb, opt for a premium quality product. Choose one that has a longer lifespan and high lumens. Additionally, always replace the bulb in pairs since chances are the other one is not far from burning out. Also, consider the compatibility of the lamp with your headlights.

#2 Clean the Lenses

Plastic headlights are prone to damage and scratches from road debris and weather conditions. A damaged headlight lens causes the light output to deteriorate and damage the bulbs. Thus, after going on a rough road trip always check your headlight lenses for damage. If there are scratches or debris on the lenses, quickly clean them to prevent further damage.

If the lenses broke, replace it right away with the help of a professional.

#3 Headlight Alignment

Are you aware that improper headlight alignment reduces the performance of the bulbs and could cause damage?

Misaligned headlights can lead to accidents. It reduces your visibility and makes it harder to notice oncoming drivers or objects on the road. Various causes affect headlight alignment. These are heavy luggage, tire pressure, previous accident, and broken headlight internal components.

It is easy to tell a misaligned headlight. Below are indications of incorrect headlight alignment.

• The headlights reflect trees and posts instead of on the ground
• Strong glare from the ground
• Light distance is only 20 feet
• Oncoming drivers signals you to lower your beam

You can avoid misaligned headlights by checking its alignment daily. You can do it home by measuring the height of the lights. If your headlight illuminates below the normal height, fix it following the suggested steps of the manufacturer.

Fixing misaligned headlights is easy. Follow the steps on how to troubleshoot and fix misaligned headlights with the help of reliable online sources. But when in doubt, you can also ask for help from an auto-electrician. Also, consult a professional if the reason behind your misaligned headlights is broken internal parts.