Modern headlights not easy to live with

Maintenance, fixes can be tricky, writes Brian Turner

With little doubt, modern headlights bring some top numbers in owner complaints. If you aren’t looking for something brighter, you’re either having difficulty swapping out a burnt-out bulb yourself or suffering chest pains when faced with replacement costs — and, no, lenses aren’t available separately for almost anything on the road.

First, when attempting to swap out a burnt-out bulb, take a close look at the access at the rear of the lamp — or, more commonly these days, a lack thereof. Almost all headlights on passenger vehicles have a round, twist-off plastic cap to access the bulb. Most will resort to partially removing the entire lamp in respect of their knuckles.

If you’re trying this job outside on a frosty day, be warned that the plastics used in the headlight’s assembly can be extremely fragile, especially the mounting tabs where threaded fasteners hold the lamp in place. This really is a fair-weather or at least warmer temperature job, so work inside when it’s chilly outside.

When it comes to brighter beams, LED retrofits have taken over from HID swaps as the bulb of choice with most consumers. But these LED kits can have the same problem as most headlamp designs: most LED kits use bulbs that project the majority of their light forward, while many factory headlamps are reflector style, meaning the bulbs emit their light back into the reflective dish, which focuses the light forward in a controlled pattern.

Like an improper HID swap, which are banned in certain Canadian jurisdictions on vehicles that didn’t come with them from the factory, using a forward-emitting bulb in conventional housings results in a great wash of unfocused light, creating unsafe glare to oncoming drivers.

When you’re replacing a damaged lamp assembly, take some time to check out alternatives to factory replacements. If you’re driving a fairly popular model, you may find there are aftermarket units at lower prices. For example, an OEM unit for a 2010 Chevy Silverado costs $461 from the dealer, while a new aftermarket version retails for about $160 at certain reputable retailers and specialists, such as Cross Canada Collision.

And if your headlight lenses are just hazy from age, there are do-it-yourself methods to get back some clarity. If you go this route and plan on keeping those lights for more than a few years, look for clear, custom-cut peeland-stick film so that once you remove any haze, it will take far less time to return.