Do you have foggy headlights?
One of the most important safety features of your car or truck, aside from your brakes and suspension, are your headlights. They shine light dozens (and up to a hundred) of feet in front of your car at night, providing the driver with much-needed visibility. You shouldn't drive at night without them, and in most municipalities you could be subject to fines or get your vehicle impounded if the headlights are broken or missing. In fact, the NHTSA calculates that almost 50% of all highway deaths occur as a result of accidents at night, while only 25% of our driving is done at night. Most of the time, front-end collisions will result in the damage of at least one headlight. Sometimes, the lenses on one or more of your headlights could be foggy or hazy from age or road debris. In that case, you could try some of those headlight polishing kits. But if those fail to give you the results you are looking for, then the only option left is to replace them.
Headlights: a brief history.
Believe it or not, the
first headlamps used on cars burned oil to produce light. This was a reliable and easy method of illuminating the road in front of any driver in the late 19th century, but as technology improved so did the demand for brighter and better lighting. Headlights soon became fitted with electrically powered filament burning bulbs, multiple beams (high and low), adjustment switches & levers, fluting on the glass to minimize glare - and the list goes on. Sealed beam headlamps were popular in the early and mid-20th century, until the 1908's when halogen headlights became the norm. These were preferred over sealed beams thanks to their brightness and longevity, and because the bulb could now be replaced if it burned out rather than the complete headlight. Fun fact: your standard low beam headlamp provides an asymmetrical puddle of illumination on the road in front of you that skews slightly to the right.
D.I.Y. in 5 easy steps.
Replacing your headlight assembly can be time-consuming, but it is not difficult. With the right tools and preparation, following the steps towards replacing your lamps should take anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours (depending on how your car or truck's front end is assembled).
- Usually, the first step is to disconnect the battery. Since you are dealing with electronic components, removing the battery before installing headlamps is recommended.
- Next, the removal of your fan shroud, intake air box, or washer fluid reservoir may be required. This will vary from vehicle to vehicle, so be sure to identify all the components that may interfere with installation and systematically remove them.
- Then, find the screws for your front grille and bumper cover. In most instances, these will need to be removed as well in order to get to your headlights lower and/or inner mounting bolts.
- Now, disconnect your headlamp wire harness, and unscrew all mounting hardware. Your headlight can now come out.
- Finally, reconnect your new replacement headlight assembly and all other components in reverse order.
We are your guiding light.
When it's time to purchase new headlights for your car or truck, you have some choices. Some companies online sell cheap parts that sacrifice quality in order to get your business. But we at Car Parts Discount sell only US DOT and SAE compliant headlight assemblies for a variety of vehicles. We even have a selection of vintage European spec headlamp lenses and sealed beams for a few classic cars. As well as affordable reproduction headlights, we have some OEM headlamps as well. Either way, we have the headlight parts you need at prices you can afford.
