Upgrading headlight bulbs for safer night time driving
Have you noticed how some vehicles seem much brighter with their lights on at night than others? Some really light up the road in front of themselves whereas others seem more dim. Yes, it is possible that this could be due to cloudy headlight lenses which is a rampant problem today, but we will talk about that later. Right now we are going to stick to the problem of headlight bulb brightness and how new upgraded headlight bulbs can make a big difference.
There are improved or what you would call premium headlight bulbs that can be purchased relatively cheap (about twice the price of regular replacement headlight bulbs) and have basically 50% or greater illumination when driving at night than the regular headlight bulb’s. This may not sound like a lot but actually it is and can be difference between safe driving and unsafe driving. It can literally be the difference between having a fatal accident and being able to stop in time.
See, if there is a deer or a person or some other hazard outside of the illuminated area of your headlights you can’t really react to that very well when you can’t see it or barely can see it. By using premium and brighter headlight bulbs you undoubtedly will extend the illuminated area and greatly increase your field of vision when driving at night. So whereas before you saw something with maybe only 100 feet left before you would hit it. You might now have 150 feet which might give you enough time to safely come to a stop before running into the hazard.
Some premium bulbs are better than others and you need to read the actual package insert to determine what the actual manufacturers recommended illumination distance is and whether or not it will work on your vehicle. Make sure before you go to the store to get your upgraded or premium headlight bulb’s for your vehicle that you first either read your owner’s manual or open your head and take up headlight bulbs to see what exact bulb part number you would need. This is important as there are many different types and sizes and attachments for these headlight bulbs and they’re definitely not one size or one style fits all cars or trucks.
The greatest car buying tip you never knew!
Also be careful and make sure you get one to work in your car. You see, some, like the HID kits will actually need ballasts like on the new BMWs and Corvettes and these will not work in regular vehicles without the ballasts. When you go to the store you will see regular priced headlight bulbs and the average about $10-$15 possibly even $20 for a pair. The premiums will tend to be about $40 or so for a pair and they can have names like Bright White and others.
Now when you’re thinking of upgrading or replacing your headlight bulbs be sure and take a look at your headlight lenses themselves. If they are worn, cloudy, dirty or opaque and don’t let much light through then new premium headlight bulbs will not be the answer in this case. They will help to some degree but what you really need is to restore and clean your headlight lenses to new again. This will make the biggest difference is not very expensive and is easy to do.
Whereas prior to this you would have to buy expensive replacement headlight lenses at your local car dealer and these average around $400-$500 per pair or more, now you can save a bunch and buy a highly effective headlight restoration kit for under $20. MDWholesale is the best-selling and most effective headlight restoration kit on the market. So if you want to see better while driving at night the best advice I can give is to upgrade to premium headlight bulbs and be sure in make sure your headlights are restored and clean to new condition. This will help ensure you have the maximum possible illumination distance and definitely make you safer while driving at night.
More great articles and posts from MDWholesale.com that you will want to read:
1. Headlights and their importance to your night time driving safety.
2. The single greatest car buying tip you never knew!
4. The real secret behind that new car shine!
5. Headlight cleaning and restoration – save big and do it yourself (DIY) !
6. How to protect your car from rust.
7. GM service bulletin on headlight oxidation.
8. What are cloudy, foggy headlights?
Thanks for sharing, I found this article while surfing for music lyrics, useful comments and great points made. My car has always had a problem with dim headlights. I read your ideas and agree with you. Upon looking at the headlight lenses they are cloudy. I will buy one of these headlight cleaner kits.
Great idea on upgrading to premium headlight bulbs. I also liked your idea on scratch repairs. I love this automotive blog. It has so many great ideas.
I never thought of the importance of my headlight bulbs. I took your advice and upgraded to Sylvania premium white bulbs and the difference is clear as night and day. I can see a good 50 feet or more and have a wider range of vision at night. Things are also lit up much better and I feel much safer driving at night. Thanks for the great advice!
Have you ever noticed that some headlight bulbs are easier to fix then others? Some are a pain in the neck like my Volvo. There is this spring clamp that is extremely hard to remove and even harder to get back on. You have to apply so much pressure that you can snap the spring and possibly even break the headlight bulb. Must be Volvo didn’t want anyone to be able to change a headlight without the dealer.
I never really thought to upgrade my headlight bulbs. I also noticed like you said that the problem could be cloudy or dirty headlight lenses. Bought the product on MDWholesale.com and was truly amazed. It was easy to apply and cleared both headlight lenses to where you couldn’t tell the difference between these 6 year old lenses and new ones! Thanks for the great advice!
I read about this the other day. Thanks for the tips. I have looked into buying new or premium headlight bulbs for quite some time, but I’m wondering if anyone has an opinion on the new LED headlight bulbs that are starting to enter the market?
Great blog man. I love to read free automotive tips and you guys are loaded with all kinds of stuff like car care, car repairs and saving money. Keep up the great work. I’ll keep on reading your blog and look forward to what new tips you will post each week.
Interesting idea of using premium headlight bulbs. They are more expensive, but if they really do produce more light they are then worth the added price.
Can a OBD1 scanner be used in place of an OBD2 scanner. I have an older model that says for OBD-I.
Wonderful, I often like your posts. I never thought of buying premium headlight bulbs. I also never thought of the headlight cleaning. My lights are looking a little yellow so I will try that.
I upgraded my headlight bulbs and only saw a minimal difference. But then I followed your advice and purchased the New Lite headlight cleaning system from MDWholesale.com – the difference was massive! It took my cloudy and scratched headlight lenses and made them indistinguishable from new ones! Thanks for the great advice!
Great article. Bought a headlight cleaner kit from MDWholesale.com and that totally did the trick – lights look like new! Thanks for the great advice!
great post as usual! i like the info on headlight bulbs. i also like the info on the plastic headlight shell itself. i had very cloudy or worn headlights on my Ford Explorer. I bought a headlight restoration kit at Walmart (CV headlight cleaner) it only made my headlight lenses worse and didn’t work in the least. Not only that, but it said it was guaranteed – they would not return phone calls and would not refund my money.
I then purchased another headlight cleaner from Turtle Wax at Walmart. That one actually left my headlight lenses all scratched up. They looked like I took Brillo or SOS pads to them. They were absolutely horrible – atleast Walmart refunded my money on that.
Then I bought the New Lite headlight restoration kit. It was quick and easy and my headlight lenses looked as good as new when I was done. That really worked, unlike the other two products which were absolute crap! Thanks for the great advice and tips. If I had found your website earlier I wouldn’t have had to waste my time on the other 2 products which in my opinion are absolutely worthless.
Great article. I love reading this blog for all the helpful advice and tips.
Hello adminstrator . Great article. Very informative on headlights.
Another great article here. I am an avid daily reader of your site.
Great ideas. Thanks.