How to maintain your headlights at home

By: Klon Perez Updated 00 Apr 2022, 9: am EDT

Your car’s headlight bulbs, like many other components, require minimal maintenance for them to function optimally and give us the necessary lighting when driving in low visibility conditions.

Being able to observe the road and also be clearly seen by other drivers is as important as the brakes on your car. That is why you must have a lighting system in perfect condition.

How to maintain your headlights?

In addition to making proper use of our lights, it is important to check the condition from time to time of our lighting. It is likely that over time a light bulb has burned out or that we have poorly adjusted headlights.

In general, the headlights tend to dull or turn yellow due to constant exposure to the sun’s rays. This is also influenced by the accumulation of dust and dirt.

The first recommendation is to go to a workshop that does a professional polishing. But if they only need a superficial cleaning, you can do it at home with anti-grease products or foam, let it take effect and then rub gently with a cloth.

Prevent moisture from entering the headlight dome

It is important to check that the headlight domes are clean and that there is no moisture inside. Any element of dirt could reduce its effectiveness by up to a third. This could be caused by a small break or by poor adhesion of its joints.

In this case you must:

Remove headlight and inspect for cracks.

Examine the condition of the joints between the headlight and the bodywork. If there is nothing abnormal, it is checked and cleaned and then put in its place.

Small cracks in a headlight can be covered with clear tape.

In case of major breakages, the recommendation is to replace the headlight immediately.

How often should the lamps be changed?

Manufacturers have recommended changing the lamps every two years or after a few 30 thousand miles, since at this time the lights may have lost the 20 % of your performance. Something that few users really take into consideration.

On the contrary, xenon type headlights, increasingly used in the manufacture of current cars, have a useful life equal to that of the car itself.

Adjust the headlights depending on the vehicle load

Along with headlight maintenance, adjusting them becomes essential when traveling with a load. The usual change in weight in a car causes the inclination to increase with the risk of dazzling other drivers traveling in the opposite direction.

Some vehicles have automatic regulation, but if not, you must do it manually. It must be done in a balanced way because the lower the angle we will dazzle less but the visual field will be insufficient.

Check if your car has a burnt-out light

Doesn’t hurt to do a simple check of all the lights. It is very common to see cars with a light out with the risk that this entails. There are many sensors in cars today that cause the lights to turn on or off many times, an action that sometimes contributes to shorter lifespan.

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