brightness of car headlights

How can the brightness of car headlights be increased?

Headlights are by far one of the most important features of a vehicle and one never truly appreciates their value until you are driving at night. The dangers of driving with a cloudy headlight at night can not be overemphasized. While driving with a dim headlight or burnout bulb is another ball game entirely. It is irresponsible, unadvisable and you would find that it may even be illegal in some states. 

However, several drivers have several reasons for choosing to brighten up their headlights – while some do so to be safer on the roads at night, others brighten up their headlights for the sake of personalization and stylishness. Brighter headlights usually give your car a neat, sleek, and favorable look but bright blinding headlights should be avoided

Whichever reason you choose to brighten your headlights, it’s fine. But, can it be done? Absolutely! Contrary to popular belief, you do not necessarily need to take your car to the shop to have them increase the brightness of your headlights, there are certain methods or practices that you can do to your headlights to increase their brightness and get the desired results right from your garage or driveway. It’s actually simpler than you think. 

In the course of this article, we would be examining some of the best practices to increase the brightness of your headlights, amongst other things. 

Headlight brightening method

Headlight brightening method

Just in case the reason for choosing to increase the brightness of your headlights is out of necessity and not style, more than one reasons exist for why you may have dim headlights or why your headlights are not as bright as they could be – some of these could be dirt, long usage, not facing the right direction, etc.  However, whether it’s for style or necessity, these few tips would be sure to give you the desired results 

  1. Readjusting or realigning 
Readjusting headlights or realigning

This may be a long shot sometimes, but the advisable first tip to getting more out of your headlights is to check if it is aligned and the aim is properly set. Sometimes, the reason your headlights may not be as bright as you want is because your car headlights aren’t working properly or the headlight aim has been shifted. So it is best to check the headlights first and ensure they are aligned properly. 

  1. Changing the bulbs
Changing car bulbs

The most common reason headlights get dim is because of the time spent. After a while, they begin to get dim due to oxidation which would need to be restored with a car headlight restoration kit. Alternatively, they might need replacing. Sometimes, it happens that only one of the bulbs is dim and so you may be tempted to replace the one bulb, don’t make that mistake. Usually, when one of the bulbs acts up or gets dim, the other is not so far behind, so to be safe, it is best you replace both bulbs. 

  1. Checking the wiring
Checking the bulbs wiring

Admittedly, you can only mess with the wiring when you are skilled in it, if not, you can skip this tip and move on to the next. But it’s possible to rewire the relays to get the best results and performance from the batteries which in this case would be brighter headlights. With a little rewiring, you may be able to lose less voltage between the bulb and battery which could result in a brighter beam. 

  1. Getting led headlights
replace to led headlights

If you are one of those that want your headlights to be the brightest it can ever be, perhaps you travel a lot at night, you may want to consider getting LED headlights. LED headlights are the brightest of the bright and for night vision, it is incredibly powerful. However, installing them can be a bit tricky, but you could consort with a professional for that. 

Usually, LED brightness is five times more than the halogen lamps and so, five times more powerful. A great choice, if you really want to go brighter. 

  1. Polishing/Cleaning your headlights
Headlights Restoration kit big pack

As mentioned earlier, the reason you may be getting dim lighting from your headlights can be as a result of dirt on the surface of the headlight or even oxidation – that yellowish coloring on the headlights can only not be really irritating, it can also bring down the performance of the lights. 

Now, there are several DIY methods to clean your headlights like using sandpaper, but a headlight restoration kit is your best option in this regard, it’ll clean the headlights perfectly without hassle and you can get the best of your headlights. 

Conclusion

So, to answer your question before clicking this post, yes! The brightness of your headlights can absolutely be increased, but be careful not to go overboard with it. Some states have laws about headlights to protect other vehicles. When your headlights are too bright, even though it may make you feel good, you risk blinding other drivers, especially at night. 

Also, it is not every time your headlights are dim that they need replacing. Sometimes, it may be grime or dirt, or adjustments that are the problem. So paying proper attention to your headlight is of paramount importance. 

It is also important to understand that you shouldn’t tamper with the wiring when you are not a technician. Playing around with the wiring may seem like a very logical tip to be able to get brighter headlights, but in the end, if you don’t know what you are doing, you may end up causing more damage or even injuring yourself, so stay off!

Finally, if you decide to go with the LED lights, know that it is a bit more complicated to install them. Seek the expertise of a mechanic or a professional to do the best job for you. 

It may be to make your car more stylish or to actually see and be seen better at night, but increasing the brightness of your headlights is a very sensitive issue that you have to approach carefully. Be aware of the state laws involved when it comes to headlights so that you do not unknowingly violate the laws. Take all the tips and advice we have given, and you’ll have brighter lights in no time. 

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