Taking care of your car is one of the easiest ways to ensure its longevity. While oil changes, brake replacements, and engine checks are crucial to the upkeep of your vehicle, it’s also important to maintain vehicle headlights. Often overlooked, headlights play an integral role in passenger safety. When you neglect to keep them in proper working condition, a dimmer illumination will appear. This not only affects your visibility at night, it endangers other drivers and pedestrians on the road.
In this article, we’ll give you our top DIY vehicle headlights care tips so you can better protect your car.
Tip #1: Clean vehicle headlights regularly
Due to longterm exposure to UV rays, the sun will make your headlights appear foggy or even yellow hued. This is likely the first indicator that your headlights are overdue for a good cleaning. Although we recommend cleaning your headlights with soap and water at least every few weeks, the cloudy appearance means you’ll need a stronger remedy. Some DIY experts insist on the toothpaste technique, but you can also find a reasonably priced restoration kit at your local retailer.
Tip #2: Check in on bulb quality
Over time, your headlamp bulbs could loosen or become off-centered. When this happens, it’s easy to think you’re in need a total replacement. However, did you know each headlight has adjusters on the side or back of each headlight? Before you rush to your mechanic, take the DIY approach. Use the adjusters and test the headlights to see if everything is tightly aligned.
Tip #3: Switch to LED Bulbs
If your vehicle has halogen bulbs, consider making the switch to LED this year. Not only are they more energy efficient, they have a longer shelf life as well. If you aren’t up for doing it yourself, it’s best to trust the experts. You can talk with a headlamp professional and find out the best LED replacements for your make and model.
Tip #4: Always replace your headlights in pairs
Sometimes one headlamp bulb will fade before the other. In this case, it’s important for car owners to always replace the entire set. This keeps you from constantly having to check in on your illumination quality. Moreover, if one bulb is on the outs, it’s likely the other is closely following behind. Make your job easier by installing a new set all at one.
Vehicle headlights require year-round care
Though every car owner has their own standards for maintenance, it’s important to keep all features of your vehicle in good working condition. We encourage our readers to add routine headlight checks to their list this year. Hopefully these tips guide you in the right direction, whether you do the maintain yourself or seek help from the experts.