Sometimes motorists are faced with situations where the headlights begin to shine insufficiently efficiently. Part of the road surface is not visible, or the high beam does not shine far enough, and when the low beam is turned on, it is barely possible to notice approaching objects in a timely manner.
There can be many reasons. But the main thing here is to solve the problem and restore full functionality of the lighting fixtures.
It is important to understand what is affected by correctly and efficiently working light and how dangerous it can be if the optics turn out to be faulty or simply too dim.
What does the technical regulation say?
Every vehicle operated on the territory of the Russian Federation must comply with the adopted technical regulations. It concerns many aspects of the vehicle, its design and design.
Separately, the technical regulations stipulate the requirements for the front and rear optics of the vehicle.
There are several reasons, since the car must fully comply with this technical regulation:
- good visibility on the road is ensured;
- possible accidents and collisions are prevented;
- the ability to notice the car in time in bad weather conditions increases;
- drivers in front and behind clearly understand the actions of other motorists;
- protection against glare from headlights of drivers of other cars, etc.
The technical regulations establish clear requirements regarding the color and intensity of the low beam, high beam headlights, turn signals, emergency stop signal, brake light, and so on.
It is important to comply with headlight regulations. Otherwise, violation of requirements leads to natural consequences. Usually this is a fine, as well as the need to correct the discrepancy. Without this, the car will not be allowed to operate on public roads.
It is worth saying that there are quite a lot of ways to improve the level of headlight illumination. But not all of them comply with the law and may be outside the permissible norms.
Therefore, only those methods of improving the performance of headlights will be considered that do not contradict current legislation and are also not capable of harming or creating discomfort for other road users.
Therefore, such an option as replacing halogen optics with xenon ones will not be considered. Yes, xenon has better glow quality. But at the same time, xenon optics greatly blinds drivers of oncoming cars. Even with the most correct installation.
Technical regulations prohibit the use of xenon optics for high and low beam.
A more rational solution may be to install LED headlights. But this is only allowed if the car is equipped with LED optics from the factory, but your equipment was more affordable and came standard with halogen lights.
The main task is not to install new headlights. Although in some cases there is simply no other option left. The thing is that the optics on the car usually work better from the factory. Over time, the situation changes and we have to look for solutions to restore the performance of factory headlights. We will work on this issue.
Why shouldn't you trust experiments from the Internet?
photo: car-revs-daily.com
“If we are talking about photo and video experiments from the Internet, they will be misleading, even if the photographer has the best intentions. Pixels and film have a much narrower dynamic range than the human visual system, so even a photographer who carefully keeps all camera settings identical when photographing under different light beams cannot provide more than generally general comparative information: a sharper edge, for example versus less clear or a wider beam versus a narrower one.”
But even if you have comparable light sources in front of your eyes, you may not be able to figure out the best light just by being "brighter."
Here, measurements and professional equipment with specialists are needed, and not to “measure” by eye and trust false information, where also no standards, GOSTs are provided and no devices are used, such as a regoscope.
Ways to improve the performance of car headlights
Now directly to the question of how you can improve the low and high beam headlights on a car and what needs to be done in these situations.
Practice shows that the main directions are precisely improving the quality of light from short- and long-range headlights. There is little point in making the brake light or the same turn signals brighter.
In order to improve the performance of the low beam and the quality of the high beam headlights on the car, a number of measures can be taken. The question is what exactly caused the deterioration of the optics.
Practice shows that most often this is due to:
- glass;
- fogging of headlights;
- light bulbs;
- reflector;
- generator;
- the headlights themselves.
Depending on the specific situation, you can take certain actions. These issues should be considered separately.
Cloudy headlight glass
One of the most common solutions to improve dim low or high beam headlights is to polish the glass. If this is not possible, then you have to completely replace the glass.
Tarnished glass is a common and quite serious problem. The material becomes yellow or darkens from the inside. Usually these are indicators of malfunctions or a long service life.
If the glass has turned yellow or cloudy due to multiple scratches, you should try polishing the surface. Here you can use the following tools:
- buy a quality polish, choosing trusted brands;
- thoroughly wash the surface of the headlight glass, wipe with a dry, lint-free cloth;
- apply polishing paste in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions;
- rub the polish into the glass and observe whether any effect appears or not.
Polishing or replacing the lens
The front glass lens begins to become cloudy if the car has been in use for at least 5 years. This happens because the headlights are sandblasted while driving. Even minor damage causes the required lumens to scatter to the sides. If many scratches occur, illumination is reduced by 50%. Clouding of the glass also occurs due to the high temperature of the light bulb. Under such conditions, it becomes completely cloudy, and only replacing the lens or the entire headlight can help.
This option costs a lot, so you can polish the lighting fixtures yourself or turn to experienced craftsmen. The cost of manipulation is low and will allow you to return the headlights to functionality.
Anti-fog
Sometimes the low and high beam headlights on cars begin to work worse because fogging occurs. Moreover, there are no problems with external fogging. All you have to do is go up and wipe the glass.
Much more serious is the situation with fogging from the inside. This indicates a violation of tightness and ventilation in automotive optics. And ordinary polish cannot solve the problem.
To begin with, it is recommended to remove the headlight unit, check the tightness of all elements, sealing rubber bands, etc.
Practice shows that headlights begin to sweat after microcracks and damage appear. Or these are the consequences of improper assembly of the optics, which were removed for repair or other purposes.
Another reason may be age. The rubber seals have lost their elasticity, the sealant has dried out and cracked.
First, you should try replacing the rubber bands, seals and applying a layer of new sealant, after drying the headlight from the inside. If fogging continues after this, the best solution would be to replace the headlight.
Moreover, it is important to add that when replacing one headlight, it is better to immediately replace the second one.
The problem is the power of the light bulb
A typical problem for domestic cars, as well as for some budget foreign cars. From the factory, they are equipped with light bulbs of the minimum power, which is permissible for use in accordance with the technical regulations. And such lamps usually do not differ in quality.
Consequently, their glow level is low, and their service life leaves much to be desired.
This is a case where there are no significant problems or malfunctions. But the headlights still don't shine bright enough.
The problem is solved extremely simply. You need to take a new light bulb with sufficient power that will meet the requirements of the car itself. It is better to take products from well-known brands such as Osram, Philips, Bosch and others.
You definitely shouldn’t rely on cheap Chinese light bulbs. Often the stated characteristics do not correspond to reality. Plus, they fail quickly, without using up even half of their required resource.
Problem with the reflector in the headlights
Most cars have halogen headlights. Yes, now LED optics options are rapidly gaining popularity. But they are still far from halogen devices.
The design of halogen optics includes reflectors. This item has a reflective, shiny metallic finish. It is when the surface of the reflector burns out that the intensity of the headlights changes, and even powerful lamps do not provide the required level of illumination.
This happens under the influence of time. But more often the problem is associated with the installation of lamps that have a higher operating temperature than provided by standard optics. In simple words, it is impossible to install more powerful lamps in headlights that are not designed for such parameters. Otherwise, the reflector will quickly burn out.
As for restoring the reflector, this procedure can be carried out in several ways.
- Complete replacement. This is the best way out of the situation. But the difficulty is that the headlight will have to be disassembled and reassembled. Without certain skills and knowledge, an ordinary motorist will not be able to do this. Therefore, it is better to contact specialized specialists.
- Metallized tape. The idea is to cover the working surface of the reflector using metallized tape. But it is better from a trusted manufacturer. The solution is not the best. Rather, it is suitable as a temporary measure until it becomes possible to replace the reflector.
- Metal foil. Another option to improve headlight performance. An alternative to metallic tape. But the work requires increased accuracy. The foil should be laid in a perfectly even layer on the headlight reflector. Otherwise, the light will be refracted, which will negatively affect the operation of the optics.
- Chrome paint. Again, this is more of a temporary option. Even the highest quality paints do not provide the required level of reflection when applied manually. The problem is partially solved.
Mirror film. Quite a good way out of the situation. Mirror films are sold in specialized stores. You need to glue it carefully.
Installing xenon and bi-xenon
Many car owners are not satisfied with the intensity of the standard light. Indeed, in order to save money, automakers install the simplest lights on their cars, which do not provide high-quality illumination of the road at night. This problem can be solved by using xenon and bi-xenon, which can be easily installed in the basic optics of a car.
Bi-xenon and xenon provide high-quality illumination of the road surface, while the light bulbs themselves and the control units necessary for their operation are affordable. Replacing lamps is not particularly difficult. In specialized auto stores you can purchase ready-made kits of lamps and control units, the installation of which can be carried out independently.
If you doubt your abilities and have no idea about the structure of the car’s electrical network, then you can easily contact specialized workshops where you will be offered inexpensive and high-quality services. The cost of such headlight polishing today is not too high, which allows all car owners, without exception, to take advantage of the offer of specialized service stations and restore the performance of the car's head optics, without increasing the cost of operating the car.
Generator
It cannot be ruled out that poor headlights on a car are due to problems with the generator. This is a device that generates electricity and powers various consumers in the car. These include car headlights.
When the driver notices that the optics are working worse, the light becomes dimmer, the awareness of the fault on the part of the electrical circuit does not immediately come.
Of course, you need to check the integrity of the wiring and contacts going to the car's headlights. Sometimes the contacts oxidize and accidental wire breaks occur. If everything is intact, then the main suspect becomes the generator.
You need to check what voltage the generator produces and whether it meets factory standards. If the generator provides insufficient voltage for the on-board network, then the headlights will not be able to shine at full power.
Here you should pay attention to the following points:
- all electrical consumers work poorly, some do not turn on at all due to lack of energy;
- the headlights do not receive the required 12 V, but only 8-9 V, which is checked by turning on the headlights with the engine stopped (if the light becomes normal, then the reason is in the generator);
- car fuel consumption increases;
- When you press the gas pedal, all devices, including optics, begin to work better and more intensely.
The latter situation is related to the fact that pressing the gas increases engine speed. And the generator is connected precisely to the motor and receives rotational energy, converted into electricity, precisely due to direct connection with the internal combustion engine.
If the generator is old or defective, then it is natural and logical to replace the device.
Remember that one of the reasons may also be the use of a standard generator, but with an increased load on it. For example, the car was equipped with powerful acoustics or several additional consumers that were not included in the factory equipment. Since the generator is not designed for such a number of energy consumers, its efficiency decreases. The unit begins to work at the limit, wears out quickly, and cannot distribute energy to all points. As a result, the headlights shine dimly.
The simplest method
Before changing, improving or improving anything, it is worth performing a few banal actions (this is especially true if the headlights used to shine perfectly, but recently the light has dimmed).
So, first of all, it’s worth checking whether the devices inside are dusty and whether the reflector is clean enough.
If the parts still need to be put in order, they are carefully removed and washed with water. Dry thoroughly before reinstalling.
