How to improve car headlights?

2024 Author: Erin Ralphs | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-19 11:41

For any car enthusiast, it is important that his vehicle has good and high-quality lighting. It is impossible to do without it in the dark or in conditions of insufficient visibility. But sometimes the light from the headlights is uneven or dim. Then the problem arises, how to improve the headlights.

The quality of lighting is affected by a number of factors that will be discussed in this article. Many drivers, even with minimal experience, can solve most of these problems on their own. Let's list common cases and try to understand what could be the matter.

You can't drive a car without headlights

Any vehicle cannot do without light sources. In addition, according to the rules of traffic rules, the dipped beam should always be on, regardless of the time of day, which should have a better effect on the safety of all road users.

It is the headlights that provide drivers with the necessary visibility in front of the car while driving at night or late in the evenings. At the same time, it is important that both the dipped beam and the main beam work well, and each has its own task.

The role of low-beam headlights is to illuminate the space in front of the car, usually at a distance of 46-65 m. They are relevant when driving cars on tight roads and do not blind oncoming drivers. Without knowing this, it is impossible to understand how to improve the headlights on a VAZ or any other car.

With high-beam headlights should be clear. Their purpose is wider - to provide a wide and distant view of all objects on the road. The distance here is already much more than 230-250 m, and with the capture of the roadside at 15-20 m.

Factors affecting lighting

When a car is new, it pleases its owner, who literally loves it. But after two or three years, the light from the headlights begins to dim, which negatively affects driving safety. What can cause the quality of lighting to be lost? There are quite a few factors, and among them are the following:

• defects in headlight design;
• quality or material of reflectors;
• damaging environmental impact (dust, moisture, solar radiation);
• poor quality of the lamps themselves;
• cloudy windows;
• blocking headlights;
• presence of condensation.

Besides this, such a need to improve the headlights on the Daewoo may be caused by their incorrectadjustment. There is also a purely electrical reason, which is expressed in a weak battery voltage, poor contact.

The right choice

You need to think about high-quality headlight lighting at the stage of their purchase. We should not save here, because we all know how it ends up turning out according to one good old adage. Therefore, it is necessary to opt only for high-quality products that are made by manufacturers with a good reputation.

You can get advice from a specialist or manager of some specialized store. But first you need to understand your personal needs:

• How much money is available for the purchase of automotive optics.
• How often do you drive.

Most professional and experienced drivers prefer halogen lamps. The tungsten spiral in them evaporates in a very small amount, which increases the efficiency of work. Typically, the power is between 55W and 130W and the run time is 400-1000 hours depending on the brand and model.

In solving the problem of how to improve the headlights of a Volkswagen, the installation of xenon analogues helps, which will reduce the car's energy consumption (by about 3 times). They do not have a helix like halogen lights and are therefore considered to be more durable. With significant savings, the lamps give out more power (2 times), and the duration of operation can be 2800-4000 hours. Only they cost, respectively,more expensive.

Ways to solve the problem

Most of the accidents are connected precisely with the lack of vehicle lighting. In addition, not only personal safety depends on this, but also the he alth of other road users. Therefore, it is extremely important to solve the problem of poor headlights in a timely manner, before it is too late.

As for the ways of solving this problem, there are not so many of them, but also a considerable number. Moreover, they may suit one, while others may refuse them for various reasons.

There are options on how to improve the headlights on the VAZ-2110 (and not only on this make and model), which are not difficult, and any driver can handle the job, even without much experience. But before using other solutions, it is better to consult with a specialist who will tell you how best to do it.

Elementary procedure

An elementary solution would be washing car headlights. It is unlikely that anyone will want to completely disassemble them, however, the module will still have to be removed. At the same time, depending on the brand of the car, it is necessary to remove the grille or even the bumper along the way.

Most motorists know perfectly well how to do this on their vehicle, in extreme cases, there is an instruction manual. The whole procedure can be represented as follows:

1. After removing the headlight, you must remove all the lamps that are in the module (direction indicators, low and high beams, dimensions). If xenon lamps are installed, under no circumstancestouch the glass flask! Often, many VAZ car owners, deciding to improve the headlights (2114, for example), ignore this warning. As a result, fat stains from the fingers remain, which leads to premature failure of the lamps. If it is not possible to hold on to the plinth, it is better to wear medical gloves.
2. Pour a small amount of cleaning agent through the holes in the optics.
3. Cover the holes with tape or duct tape and shake the module well.
4. Open holes, drain liquid.
5. Repeat steps 2 and 3 several times until the water is clear.
6. Use a household hair dryer to dry the inside of the headlight. Just do not select too high a temperature, otherwise the module may be damaged. The goal is to get rid of small drops of moisture.
7. Before you put the lamps in place, you need to make sure that the inside is completely dry. You may have to give the optics a day to dry.
8. If everything is in order, put the lamps and the module back in place.

When using a soap solution, at the end of the cleaning step, rinse the module several times with distilled water. You can also wipe the outer surface of the glass. Usually this procedure gives a positive result.

The problem with lighting concerns not only domestic transport, but also foreign models, for example, the Nexia car. How to improve the headlights on it? Try the remedies described, since most headlights have a common device.

Both headlightsshine differently

Sometimes it happens that one of the headlights shines brighter than the other. This can be caused by a number of reasons:

• Bad contact. Here you will have to disassemble the headlight in order to carefully check all the connections, which will eliminate the malfunction.
• Mechanical damage. Everything is simple here, and there is only one solution - to replace the optics.
• Dirty surface. The most common case, which is easily solved, is by wiping with a wet cloth or by adding some non-aggressive cleaning agent.
• Lamp failure. Here, too, only a replacement is needed.

In this case, if halogen or xenon lamps are used, it is recommended to replace not one, but two bulbs at once.

Headlights are sweating

A car can be compared to a person covered in drops of sweat in extreme heat. And this phenomenon is often noticed by many drivers, and it also negatively affects the quality of lighting.

How to improve the headlights on the VAZ, if there are signs of condensation? Here, the first step is to check the tightness of all module connections. It is necessary to assess the condition of the seals, as well as how tightly the covers close. In the case when the cause is not established on its own, it is worth visiting the service station, where the master will certainly do his job.

Polishing

During the operation of the car, the glass headlights inevitably begin to fade, which is not entirely good. Then you can correct the situation by polishing the glass surface. In this case, it is not necessary to remove the headlight, although ifthe driver wants, then you can dismantle the module.

Typically, the surface of all headlights is covered with a special varnish, which provides protection to the optics from many external factors. At the same time, it improves transparency and adds shine. And it is with the protective coating that problems arise.

The polishing procedure that will improve the headlights on 2110 and other cars is as follows:

• The first step is to purchase a special tool for polishing car windows. Saving on this is highly discouraged, since cheap polish will not remove small cracks and other defects.
• The garage (or any other suitable room) should be dry, and the headlight needs to be prepared: rinse well and dry.
• The right amount of paste is applied to the glass surface, after which it is rubbed with a rag over the entire area. To begin with, you can process a small area.
• Now you need to rub the paste into the surface of the optics, and act quickly and in a circular motion, while monitoring the change in the appearance of the headlight. The procedure is rather long.

Many advise using expensive toothpaste for this. In reality, it does not always help, so it is better to use tools specially designed for this.

Polycarbonate or glass

The question of how to improve headlights worries many drivers of older cars. Indeed, over time, dust, sand, dirt accumulates on their surface, which ultimately leads tothe appearance of scratches. Because of this, the light is scattered, which reduces the quality of illumination. To improve visibility, it is necessary to know what the surface of the optic is made of. If this is glass, then you can try to polish it, but it is advisable to replace the entire module, and it is better on both sides at once.

Many modern cars are equipped with polycarbonate headlights due to the following advantages:

• Safety. In an accident, glass shards are more dangerous than polycarbonate.
• Weight less.
• Easy production.

At the same time, polycarbonate is not without flaws. It is easy to damage and scratch, which leads to a rapid clouding of the surface. To avoid this, experts recommend using only special products.

As a good preventive measure to solve the problem of how to improve the headlights, purchase a protective film of medium thickness and stick it on the headlights. This will increase their service life.

Restoration of reflectors

Decrease in the quality of lighting may be caused by the deterioration of the reflective properties of the reflector. New cars, of course, do not suffer from this, which cannot be said with accuracy about vehicles that have traveled more than one hundred kilometers. Here it is necessary either to replace the reflector, or to restore. And since the cost of such work will be at least 1000 rubles, some motorists will prefer to do it on their own.

To repair the reflector, it is necessary to dismantle the headlight module and completelydisassemble. And there are two options:

1. Walk several times with hot air from a building hair dryer.
2. Place the headlight in the oven at 100 °C for 20 minutes.

After disassembly, all parts must be cleaned of adhesive sealant residues, rinsed well (liquids containing alcohol are not suitable) and dried. As for recovery, there are also several options here:

• Metalized tape. It is inexpensive, around 30 rubles. The adhesive base can withstand both low and high temperatures, and the aluminum film has high wear-resistant properties. It is worth preparing a few pieces of a suitable size, after which you can proceed to the sticker. This will result in a smoother finish with minimal seams.
• Metal foil. It is also an effective technique for improving low beam headlights. To keep the surface smooth, you need to make a paper pattern, and then cut out the details from the foil. It is better to glue the material on epoxy resin, removing its excess in the process.
• Mirror film. We are talking about a film from Oracal, which can withstand a wide temperature range from -40 to +120 ° C, with the preservation of operational properties for 2 years in the open air. Since the car headlight has a good tightness, the service life will be longer. It is glued in the same way as above. The film must be well smoothed so that air does not enter. Joints and edges can be painted over with chrome paint.
• Chrome paint. The method is very popularas you do not need to glue and cut anything, it is enough to spray the paint in an even layer. After processing, the paint must dry for a certain time (indicated in the instructions for the can). In order for the coating to withstand high temperatures, you need to try to find a heat-resistant option, which is not easy.

Immediately before gluing the films, the entire surface must be degreased. All the work is easy to do in your garage. In addition, the family budget can be saved.

Result

Many of the above ways to improve headlights can be implemented independently. However, if in doubt, it is better to visit a specialist who will tell you what can be done. Or just replace the module, however, this will cut the family budget somewhat.

Therefore, each motorist decides for himself what to do. Just remember that improper lighting leads to different consequences, sometimes even tragic. Your own life and the safety of those around you is priceless.