It is hard to find another car part as versatile as headlights. First and foremost, they are a safety feature that allows you to see ahead of the car in the darkness and poor visibility or informs other drivers and pedestrians of your approach. But it is also the easiest thing to upgrade or modify and instantly achieve a different look for your vehicle.
However, as amazing as they are, all headlights have the same drawback. They don’t last forever and can lose efficiency over time due to improper installation, harsh conditions and wear. And when the time comes to replace old bulbs, some car owners prefer to do this by themselves.
Usually, it is a straightforward process that doesn’t require any special equipment and techniques. Yet, there are some things you should keep in mind if you decide to try replacing your headlights without professional assistance.
Find Out What Bulbs Fit Your Car
Naturally, the first thing you need is a pair of replacement automotive bulbs. You can find new headlights with better light output and a different color temperature to meet your requirements. It’s possible to even switch to a different type of bulb altogether. But there is a catch.
Every car is designed to be compatible with a certain bulb size and sometimes bulb type. Sometimes these specifications vary from one year or trim level to another, making things more complicated. So you must always check the specs before looking for new headlights.
There are many different ways to learn this information. The most obvious source is your car’s manual. It is also the most reliable one, but not the most convenient. The best option that can help you save time is using a reliable car bulb finder to filter out your options. It will not only give you the necessary specs but also provide information on bulb types that can easily go into your car’s headlights without additional work.
Replace Both Headlights In One Go
Some bulb types are more durable than others and stay efficient longer, but they eventually grow dimmer and illuminate less and less road. This change is usually gradual and hard to notice. Your eyes grow accustomed to it. And people don’t swap such headlights for quite some time unless they get really bad and tire their eyes at night. In this case, the steps are obvious — all headlight bulbs must be replaced.
It is not the same with burning out, though. Headlights rarely burn out at the same time. There is usually one bulb that suddenly won’t light up or lose most of its power while the other one works just fine. Automotive bulbs are not cheap and some car owners try to save some money by only replacing one bulb.
“It’s not a rule, but changing both headlights simultaneously has more benefits,” says Ben Collins, the content editor of the LightningLab project. “This is a good way to make sure the old bulb doesn’t blow out next week.” Your old headlights might just be nearing their end and burning out one after another. So even if the other bulb still seems okay, there is no way of telling how much it has already deteriorated from the inside.
Look For Signs of Close Burnout
There are some common signs shared by all types of car light bulbs, like flickering, dimming, and change of color. Whenever you face these problems, start with troubleshooting the reason. If the wiring is fine and other potential causes are all eliminated, then your bulbs have reached the end of their service life and it is time to look for a replacement.
LED headlights are the most durable partially because they don’t need to use a filament to produce light. The filament itself is a fragile part that makes popular classics like halogen bulbs burn out sooner than any other automotive bulb type. There is a special tell-tale sign for halogen and HID headlights that indicates near burnout.
For this, you might have to remove your bulbs to look closely at them for any dark buildup inside. It resembles soot, but it is actually a deposit of tungsten that evaporates from the filament when it burns. It covers the bulb, reducing light output and it also shows that the filament has significantly deteriorated.
Always Wear Glover
A pair of rubber gloves is your best friend in changing headlights. When you replace bulbs with bare hands, the oil from your skin sticks to the surface. Washing is not enough to get them really clean and dry since your skin produces it all the time. So, protect the glass and metal parts from that oil.
When it sticks to the glass, it creates a small patch that heats more because the oil traps heat very well. It makes the temperature distribution uneven and can cause premature burnout. And you would also benefit from not getting oil and sweat on the connectors to prevent early corrosion that kills bulbs even faster.
How To Remove Stuck Headlight Bulbs?
Corrosion is not only deadly to your headlights, but it is also a huge headache when you replace seized bulbs. If your bulbs start to fail and you have trouble removing them from sockets, it means they most likely fell victim to oxidation. Check the assemblies for any signs of damage later and seal them well when you are done.
Patience is the key in this situation. Any anti-rust solutions can cause more trouble than good if they get past the socket and onto some other vulnerable parts. So don’t twist too hard and be careful with the glass. Go slow and steady and it will loosen up.
Use Dielectric Grease
If you want to protect your headlight bulbs from oxidation, carefully apply a small amount of dielectric grease or bulb grease on the connectors. These products are made of various materials, and they all serve some very specific purposes. But we recommend looking for products that do not harden over time and in the cold.
Bottom Line
A lot depends on how you approach this process. If you want your new headlights to serve you longer and illuminate the road efficiently as long as possible, take care while installing them and think ahead.
Written by Charles Farrell
