Headlights are considered to be one of the most important safety features in your car yet they are not considered to be one of its strongest selling points. Front lights are especially designed to ensure that the driver can see and be seen by others as well. Keep in mind, though, that they only work as intended if they are properly maintained.
Maintaining your headlights is not difficult to do. Follow the tips below to keep your headlights clear and make the road safer for you, your passengers and other drivers on the road.
Clean dirty headlights. This is especially important as night vision is greatly reduced by dirty headlights. If you can’t see other drivers or pedestrians or vice versa, your chances of getting into an accident will increase greatly.
So, next time you fill up your gas tank, we recommend giving your headlights a thorough cleaning.
A large part of headlight maintenance is the ability to catch headlight issues. However, these issues are not easy to catch when you’re driving. They may seem pretty straightforward, but you’ll actually be surprised to see the number of car’s with headlight issues on the road. After all, how often have you had a vehicle driving or stopped behind you at night and their headlights are glaring in your rear view or side mirrors? Pretty annoying, isn’t it?
Tip: Headlights will loose their alignment just through normal driving conditions including driving through highway construction, bumpy or dirt roads, potholes, etc. That’s why we encourage regular alignment testing.
We encourage our customers to check the aim of their headlights themselves … and follow a few simple recommendations in this Popular Mechanic’s link which include:
– make sure you have a full tank of gas for maximum weight
– have someone in the driver’s seat
– park your car on a flat, level surface
– face the car at night towards a flat wall or garage door
Most drivers think that as long as their headlights power on when they need them, they’re in good shape. Big mistake! Your headlights may work, but are they bright enough to allow you to see during bad weather?
Tip: Park your car at least 5 feet from your garage door or a building wall. Turn the headlights on. If the headlights are nice and bright white, then you’re good. But if they seem dim or yellow, then you may be due for a replacement.
Make sure to have your headlights checked every time you have an oil change – it’s easy enough for us to check your headlight alignment when you have your car in the shop for regular service. By having your headlights regularly checked for proper illumination and aim/alignment, you can prevent unsafe driving, something we all can appreciate. Remind us the next time you bring your car into Allegiance Automotive, your friendly car care repair shop here in Boulder Colorado!