Night drives can be quiet and relaxing but can present added challenges and dangers that daytime driving doesn’t. Your car’s headlights are an important part of mitigating these dangers, so it is important to keep them in tip-top shape. Proper headlight maintenance is needed to ensure your headlights function effectively and so you can clearly see the road ahead.
These five tips below will help you keep your headlights shining bright when you need them.
- Inspect
The first step to headlight maintenance is to inspect the headlights frequently to see if they are operating correctly. Start by turning the headlights on dim and doing a walk around of the vehicle to see if either headlight is out, dim, dirty, or out of alignment and then repeat this process with the lights on the bright setting. By doing regular headlight inspections on your vehicle you can notice issues early and fix them before they become big problems.
- Clean
Just like your windshield can get muddy, dirty, and covered in grime, so can your headlights, so it is crucial to clean them when needed. Dirty headlights can appear dim and make it harder to see at night. Once a week or whenever your headlights appear dirty it is best to take a damp microfiber cloth and wipe off any dirt and grime from your headlights.
- Adjust
Headlights, much like wheels, can sometimes become misaligned by potholes, rough roads, or accidents. This can cause limited visibility and safety issues when driving. If you notice your headlights aren’t producing the same visibility you’re used to and suspect an alignment issue, you can check this by parking in front of a wall or garage door and turning your headlights on to check if one beam seems higher, lower, or to go in a different direction than the other. You also can use this trick, or a walkaround to look directly at the headlights outside of the car, to check your headlights’ brightness and determine if either light is dimming. If your headlights seem dim or out of alignment take your car to a mechanic to fix the issues as soon as possible to ensure your road safety.
- Restore
Over time you may notice your headlights appearing cloudy or yellowed. This can be due to multiple factors such as sun or chemical exposure and can not only reduce your visibility but potentially affect your car’s value as well. A headlight restoration kit can be helpful bringing cloudy or yellow headlights back to life but be sure to follow all instructions accurately. If you see no improvement or just do not want to use a headlight restoration kit, take your car in to your local dealer or mechanic to have your headlights replaced or repaired.
- Replace
It is not uncommon for one headlight bulb to burn out before the other. When this occurs, it can be advantageous to replace not only the dead bulb, but the working one as well. Because bulbs are usually installed together and are used together, if one bulb goes the other can be sure to follow suit and replacing both at once will prevent you from driving with only one functioning bulb in the future.
By following these five illuminating tips for headlight maintenance you’ll be ready to hit the road day or night!