Why it is Important to Replace Your Car Headlights

Car headlights are an essential safety item when driving during hours of darkness or low visibility. If you notice reduced visibility at night, your headlights may require replacement. Over time, all headlights will gradually lose their original brightness. Headlights are fairly inexpensive and should be replaced before they completely blow creating a safety hazard. You can find a wide variety of headlights for your vehicle at PartsMax.

When to Change Your Car Headlights

As stated earlier, you want to try and replace your bulbs before they actually fail. If you notice a reduction in brightness in one or both of your headlights, this is a good indication that they should be replaced. Car headlights should be replaced in pairs since both lights will have equal usage time on them. So if one is on its way out, the other one won’t be far behind. Also, you want to maintain balance in your headlight system with matched new bulbs. How long bulbs last will vary greatly depending on type bulbs, manufacturer, and usage. So if you have daytime running headlights, they won’t last nearly as long as headlights that are only used at night.

Headlight Types

Your vehicle will be designed with a certain type of headlight. Your car headlights type will either be halogen, LED (Light Emitting Diodes), or Xenon (HID). The majority of vehicles on the road have halogen lights. Below is an explanation of all three types.

Halogen: These headlights utilize a halogen style filament and gas to produce a bright lighter light than older style conventional headlights. Lifespan is about 1,000 hours.

LED: These lights are more efficient, run cooler, and lasts longer than halogen lights, but they will typically cost more. Lifespan is approximately 25,000 hours.

HID (high-intensity discharge): These headlights use a gas instead of a heated filament. These are usually the brightest type headlights and are standard in modern high-end cars. They also run cooler and lasts longer than halogen bulbs. Lifespan is about 5,000 hours. HID headlights are the most expensive of the bulb types.

How do I Know Which Headlights to Purchase for My Car?

You can find the correct headlight part number in your user manual. You can also contact PartsMax and we can tell you what headlight is required for your vehicle. There are three primary factors you should consider when purchasing headlights: Brightness, price, and whiteness (color temperature). If your car has standard halogen bulbs, it is possible to upgrade to LED or HID headlights. You also have the option of simply upgrading to a brighter halogen bulb which will be a simple plug and play installation. LED upgrades may plug into your existing sockets and harness, or a conversion kit may be required. HID upgrades will require a conversion kit with a ballast because of the high energy demands of the lights. This may not be compatible with some electrical systems. We at PartsMax can advise you on your upgrade options. HID lights have a distinctive bright white or blue appearance due to their color temperature rating. These conversion kits may require professional installation if you are not familiar with these systems.

It is important to remember that no matter what type of headlights you have, they should be inspected regularly and replaced at the first signs of degradation.