headlight observation (not really farm)

[INCase]

mostly an FYI observation. we have 2 2014 cars, both Chrysler products and both suffer from really weak headlights. both are 10+ years old with 142,000 and 180,000 miles and both have the original factory bulbs. both take the same 9012 bulb and both have factory Phillips brand bulbs.

did a bit of research and i guess those things do "wear out" with use as the filaments supposedly burn off with time and then cannot produce as much light. PUt a new set in the wife's car and now she can see in the dark. It really did make a difference. My Jeep is next but just had a heart stent put in so i'm not supposed to do too much lifting for a bit and i have to take the battery out to do the drivers side.

I have never had a car, let alone 2, go that long to ever "wear out" a headlight so i never had or never thought about this type of situation. seemed like a couple years and i was replacing bulbs. My daughters 2006 Honda CRV gets a new bulb at least once per year... sometimes i swear its 6 months and she's getting a new one. (i suspect a voltage issue)

 

[timcasbolt]

I had a car fail inspection for "inadequate lumens" once. To this day I have never seen the device that checks that.

 

[wjytexas]

Remember in the old days when the mechanics had the headlight alignment scope. In Texas we had an annual safety inspection requirement (no more) and the inspector would roll that thing out. Often they needed "adjustment" for a fee. Now we have bobbing headlights that drive me crazy.

 

[DRussell]

mostly an FYI observation. we have 2 2014 cars, both Chrysler products and both suffer from really weak headlights. both are 10+ years old with 142,000 and 180,000 miles and both have the original factory bulbs. both take the same 9012 bulb and both have factory Phillips brand bulbs.

did a bit of research and i guess those things do "wear out" with use as the filaments supposedly burn off with time and then cannot produce as much light. PUt a new set in the wife's car and now she can see in the dark. It really did make a difference. My Jeep is next but just had a heart stent put in so i'm not supposed to do too much lifting for a bit and i have to take the battery out to do the drivers side.

I have never had a car, let alone 2, go that long to ever "wear out" a headlight so i never had or never thought about this type of situation. seemed like a couple years and i was replacing bulbs. My daughters 2006 Honda CRV gets a new bulb at least once per year... sometimes i swear its 6 months and she's getting a new one. (i suspect a voltage issue)

I've got a 2010 VW Jetta, bulbs burn out regularly with it. I've never had to replace one in my 2015 Jetta.

 

[Mule Meat]

I had a car fail inspection for "inadequate lumens" once. To this day I have never seen the device that checks that.

The device used to test lumens is called a Illuminance Meter Tester. Fluke and Minolta are two companies that makes them. Photographers use them a lot. I have one but never used it to test headlights.
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I believe that a lot of short bulb life on Hondas are caused by the type of charging system they have.

 

[shaun wallace]

How cloudy /oxidized are the lenes? I replaced the ones on a 99 chevy pu twice before before it was retired and the 10 chevy pu are getting that way .

 

[38 Sears Roebuck]

What ticks me off is being blinded by those LED lights on the newer cars and aftermarket add on.

 

[showcrop]

Do they have the plastic covers? sanding and buffing will clear them right up.

 

[miner09]

I changed wife mail jeep Cherokee 2000 with 6000 K headlight. World of difference. Talked to young kid that knows all the things that kids do to their vehicles. He said don’t get anything less than a 6000 K. Wife loves it. She can see the boxes now. LOL

 

[bc]

I'm looking for new headlights for the 2000 Ford f150. Bot some projector headlights but they never worked well. Adjust the brights up about as far as I can and the dims still pointing down in front to low to see very far. Trashed them and put in the originals.

I need to see long distances in flat land Kansas deer country and still get good distance on dims that can be independently angled to the right.

I prefer the 5000k lights. 6000 too blue and 4000k too yellow for me.

I see some semi trucks with bright long distance lights but not sure what they use.

Any ideas out there? Thanks.

 

[Texasmark]

Remember in the old days when the mechanics had the headlight alignment scope. In Texas we had an annual safety inspection requirement (no more) and the inspector would roll that thing out. Often they needed "adjustment" for a fee. Now we have bobbing headlights that drive me crazy.

I surely remember that the headlights were always out of adjustment. Looking at the bracket that holds the bulb and all associated with that, doesn't take long to figure that the service dept. is just trying to make a living.

In current Texas, a county like mine, is a high population county and the state requires smog testing which consists of hooking your car up to a machine that is connected to Texas DOT and if your engine is running right you get a positive result which is available at your local tax collector's office where you renew your license plates annually. Send in your application which they send to you about a month in advance, with a copy of your insurance and the fee, and they will send a little sticker back for you to put on your plate. The cost has gone up (obviously) with the state and the inspector both getting a cut of the $35 current inspection fee.

I have watched them do the current inspection several times and no longer are my headlights out of adjustment, nor my wiper blades worn nor my windshield cracked nor my tires don't have enough tread, or any of that "stuff" that used to go wrong with my vehicles.

 

[Texasmark]

Do they have the plastic covers? sanding and buffing will clear them right up.

Sandpaper needs to be 2000-4000 grit and used with the proper liquid/paste cleaner.

 

[bc]

What ticks me off is being blinded by those LED lights on the newer cars and aftermarket add on.

The law on the books still here is dim before 500 feet head on and 250 feet from behind. Kinda laughable now. I get flashed sometimes in the Prius anywhere from .5 mile to over a mile.

 

[showcrop]

Sandpaper needs to be 2000-4000 grit and used with the proper liquid/paste cleaner.

Yup, quick and easy.

 

[showcrop]

I'm looking for new headlights for the 2000 Ford f150. Bot some projector headlights but they never worked well. Adjust the brights up about as far as I can and the dims still pointing down in front to low to see very far. Trashed them and put in the originals.

I need to see long distances in flat land Kansas deer country and still get good distance on dims that can be independently angled to the right.

I prefer the 5000k lights. 6000 too blue and 4000k too yellow for me.

I see some semi trucks with bright long distance lights but not sure what they use.

Any ideas out there? Thanks.

Look at complex reflector headlights. I put a pair on my antique sports car.

 

[Non-farmer]

Photographers use them a lot.

Not to mention cinematographers and film directors.

 

[shaun wallace]

Here in Texas I havent had headlites checked in almost 40 years and since inspection is no longer required as of Jan 1 2025.

 

[Fritz Maurer]

What ticks me off is being blinded by those LED lights on the newer cars and aftermarket add on.

My S10 sits pretty low, so a full size pickup or SUV headlight is right in my eye when they're on my rear bumper. I have stops on my mirror so it aims in a specific direction when I push it out... then they back waaaay off .

 

[[email protected]]

Most of the people who replace standard bulbs with LED lights don't realize the LED lights must be turned and aligned properly in the socket to shine properly. A 2 sided LED must have the center bar perfectly vertical in the housing. IF that is done, it will not shine in the eyes of oncoming drivers. I have 2 dodge chargers with LED lights and was very disappointed when I first installed them on my car. I didn't know about the alignment in the housing and most of my light was being bounced up into the eyes of others. When I read up on what I did wrong, a simple adjustment was all it needed. I do not get brighter at all. Mine are 10,000 lumen bulbs. The only thing I don't like about LED lights, is that you can't see animal eyes as it's a different type of light.

 

[BarnyardEngineering]

What ticks me off is being blinded by those LED lights on the newer cars and aftermarket add on.

Yeah but you sure do enjoy it when you're behind them. I've had more than one older person proclaim that they don't care if their LED light bar blinds oncoming traffic, "I ain't dimming my lights, I need to SEE!"