Need New Headlights? Visit Your Honda Dealership

Poor visibility plays a role in many nighttime accidents. Without strong headlights, you put yourself in danger when driving after dark. It’s wise to check all the external lights of your car once a month. If you notice the following warning signs with your headlights, visit your local Honda dealership to have new headlights installed without delay.

Flickering Light

There are three main types of headlights: halogen, high-intensity discharge (HID), and light-emitting diode (LED) bulbs, which have a typical lifespan of 1,000 hours, 5,000 hours, and 50,000 hours, respectively. When nearing the end, halogen bulbs will often start to flicker as the filament breaks or burns out. HID and LED bulbs are less likely to flicker but might, especially if there’s a problem with the harness, wiring, or underlying electrical system. 

Dimming Light

If you find yourself squinting to see the road ahead at night, pull over and inspect the brightness of your headlights. One or more of the bulbs may be fading, which is common with all bulb types as they fail. If one bulb is dimming, you may need to replace both bulbs in the pair as the second one probably doesn’t have long to live.

Dirty, Hazy Lenses

Headlight lenses can gradually become excessively dirtied or scratched, causing the light to become hazy or yellow. You can try cleaning a dirty headlight lens to see if it resolves the problem. If your lenses are severely scratched or oxidized by too much exposure to UV rays, you’ll need to have them replaced. 

Moisture Behind a Lens

Headlight lenses need a watertight seal to keep all moisture out. If you notice water behind the lens, remove it, dry the harness out, and ask a technician to properly seal the lens. If left unresolved, moisture can quickly damage the bulb socket and connected wiring. 

Only Low or High Beams Working

Sometimes, electrical problems cause only the low-beam bulbs to fail, or only the high beams. Although you still have light, your visibility is greatly diminished with low beams alone. And it’s hazardous to drive with only high beams working, as you need to dim them whenever another car passes, which would leave you driving in darkness. 

Blowing Headlight Fuse

A fuse protects the headlight bulbs from unexpected electrical surges. A repeatedly blowing fuse might point to trouble with the wiring, battery, or alternator. It might also be caused by a faulty or incorrectly installed bulb.

Have your headlights inspected and repaired today, with new bulbs installed, at Ed Martin Honda in Indianapolis, IN. We’re a local dealership providing terrific vehicles, deals, maintenance, and customer service to the drivers of our community and farther afield. 

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