Headlights Not Very Bright?!

nerox · Post by **nerox** » Thu Feb 03, 2011 5:06 pm

i've noticed that my headlights are not very bright

its been like it since i owend the car and i've tried some of the Osram and Philips bulbs which claim to be 80/90% brighter but it's no different.

the full beam lights seem to be ok but dipped headlights very dim to the point i can hardly see the road markings.

i've also had the alightment checked and adjusted but again ... no difference.

any ideas please?

iThane · Post by **iThane** » Thu Feb 03, 2011 5:16 pm

if you've got the money, get an hid kit

if you're just as broke as i am, i can say the Cool Blue headlight bulbs i got
from Autozone are some what brighter. we also put some Sylvania bulbs
in the jetta and those seem really bright too.

i've had the same concern before, so :

Haganracing wrote:It's a neon, you get what you pay for.. The lights aren't the best from the factory. Just buy some nice replacement bulbs and you will be fine.

nerox · Post by **nerox** » Thu Feb 03, 2011 5:18 pm

I would love to get a HID kit ... they have them here for about £50 ($100) so the price isnt an issue really

the only issues are legality in the UK with standard headlights - a shady area in the law.
and also if theres a problem with the wiring it might not work very well or cause more problems?

iThane · Post by **iThane** » Thu Feb 03, 2011 5:43 pm

HID's could cause problems anywhere from burning holes through your
headlight lens to random electrical problems like playing with your
gauges. i think anthony put up a beefy thread explaining everything you
need to know about HIDs.

where might anthony's thread be? ask the search bar.

ZeroChad · Post by **ZeroChad** » Thu Feb 03, 2011 8:31 pm

Try refreshing your headlight grounds. Each side should ground to the core support above it. Unbolt the ground use some electrical cleaner on the bolt and washer. Clean it with a wire brush. Then sand the paint away underneth where the bolt contacts.

Don't throw HIDs in reflective housings, its not a good idea.

Post by **occasional demons** » Thu Feb 03, 2011 10:20 pm

ZeroChad wrote:Try refreshing your headlight grounds.

I was going to say, check that, and the voltage to ground at the lights. If the wiring is corroded at a contact point along the line, it will reduce the voltage at the lights. The "full beam lights" or "high beams" here might be good, but the "dipped" or "low" beams might have a bad circuit.

nerox · Post by **nerox** » Fri Feb 04, 2011 1:37 pm

great idea!

i will go and refresh the grounds tomorrow and measure the voltages to the bulb.

the strange thing is, looking at the headlights they look bright and when you turn the lights on when your on a dark road you can see the light hitting a long way in the distance but there is nothing on the road in between!

Midnight_Rider · Post by **Midnight_Rider** » Fri Feb 04, 2011 2:24 pm

A shot in the dark (no pun intended)- since you are in the UK, have you used the headlight motor control on your centre console? Or have you already done this and this was what you meant by already having them adjusted?

nerox · Post by **nerox** » Fri Feb 04, 2011 3:07 pm

I have tried adjusting the headlight motor using the knob in the centre console and you can see the beam moving up and down but this makes no difference

when i said i had them adjusted i meant that i have had the alignment checked at a garage with the proper equipment.

ill try and get some photos this weekend to demonstrate the problem better

just had a thought ... the headlights are a little scratched, would polishing them up help at all ?

r/tguy02 · Post by **r/tguy02** » Fri Feb 04, 2011 3:46 pm

if they're just scratched probably not, but if they're getting the typical fogginess than i'd say yes it would improve light output.

nerox · Post by **nerox** » Fri Feb 04, 2011 4:00 pm

heres a photo of the headlight with just the sidelights on. dosent show the scratches up much, theres some minor scratches across the lens

picture of headlights on the trees at the back of my house. the car is about 4ft from the trees

lights off at work, it was sunrise so theres a bit of light but not much, the camera picks up more than is really there

and the lights on

you can see my lights on the car in front's front wheel and the sign at the back but very little on the ground

Post by **occasional demons** » Fri Feb 04, 2011 5:00 pm

Of course, the pavement being wet doesn't help. Dark rainy nights are the worst for seeing, as the wet pavement seems to absorb the light, or reflects it in a way that is not beneficial.

r/tguy02 · Post by **r/tguy02** » Fri Feb 04, 2011 6:57 pm

lens doesnt seem foggy to me so i dont think thats the issue, and like ^he said rainy nights are the worst no matter what.

Midnight_Rider · Post by **Midnight_Rider** » Sat Feb 05, 2011 1:26 am

nerox wrote:I have tried adjusting the headlight motor using the knob in the centre console and you can see the beam moving up and down but this makes no difference

when i said i had them adjusted i meant that i have had the alignment checked at a garage with the proper equipment.

That's good- now I don't feel like such a

for making the suggestion.

nerox · Post by **nerox** » Sun Feb 06, 2011 5:31 pm

I've done a quick bit of work on the ground connectors.

i took the crimp terminal off and cleaned it up to show off shiney metal then sanded down the body to bare metal. i dont have any real small files so couldnt get right down inside the dip but will get some and do it again this week.

i might be able to get a new crimp terminal and fit that ... or silver solder the wire straight to the bodywork

the lights definately seem brigher, i went for a half hour drive round the village down the real dark roads and BIG improvement!

the real test is this week to and from work but

so far!

im guessing it would be a good idea to put some clear laquer on the area afterwards to prevent rusting?

nineball · Post by **nineball** » Tue Feb 08, 2011 5:21 am

use dielectric grease not laquer. smear some on the exposed metal mounting point, screw down the terminal and then coat with more grease.

nerox · Post by **nerox** » Sun Jun 26, 2011 1:25 pm

i ended up cutting off the old crimp terminals and putting on some new ones

i filed down the bodywork to bare metal at the ground point and fixed the new crimp in.

then used some black paint to cover the metal bit of bodywork that isn't covered by the crimp

seems good