Top 5 questions to ask yourself while buying a headlight

People usually change their car headlights when they find that the emitted light from the flash bulb is not illuminating enough. Such problems with car headlights are mostly observed after an average time of 2000 to 3000 hours. And this is the moment when you realize that you need to buy or change your existing car headlights.

When you're looking to buy a headlight, you have a lot of options. You can buy a headlight that is designed for your car and has pre-made brackets to mount it on your vehicle, the best option available in the market are OSRAM’s car headlights. They are available in different types and are the first choice of auto makers.

You can also buy a universal headlight that fits most vehicles. This option is more expensive than the first two, but it gives you more flexibility in terms of how your new headlights look on your vehicle.

Finally, if you want to be completely custom with your headlights, there are some options that allow you to choose from hundreds of different designs and colors for your lights. This can be very expensive because each design will cost more than standard models and take longer to manufacture than universal ones do.

However, we often as a layman take our decisions blindly without taking note of certain factors. Hence, we are here to provide potential buyers with a specific set of questions that they need to ask themselves before buying a headlight.

1. Do your car headlights need replacement or upgradation?

Do not go for headlight shopping the moment you feel something is wrong with your headlight. Ask an expert to do a full inspection of the car’s headlight and find the fault. Not all headlight problems require replacement.

Sometimes the reason behind the dim light from the car's headlight is the discoloration of the lens due to constant exposure to the sunlight hence making the lenses yellowish or hazy. In such situations, just change the lens cover, not the whole headlight.

On the other hand, if you want to change the quality of the light, you can go for an upgrade of halogen lights to LED or HID. In simple words, replacement means replacing the old light with the same kind of new headlight, and upgrading changes the quality of the flashlight altogether.

2. What are the best car headlight options available according to my budget?

Take a closer look at your pocket. Are you ready for upgrading or replacement? Remember, replacement requires less amount of money when compared to upgrading. For example, replacing an old Halogen headlight with a new one is pocket friendly while upgrading your existing headlight with a better version will consume money.

Additionally, some headlights are quite advanced and hence expensive. Xenon or HID headlights were launched in the market hardly 15 years back for luxury cars hence it is obvious that such headlights are costly. On the other hand, Halogen headlights are small, easily replaceable and affordable.

3. What headlight configuration is suitable for my car?

Gone are the days when there was hardly one kind of headlight available in the market. With changes in the automobile industry and the launch of new cars in the past years, a buyer needs to be aware of the configuration and settings of a car headlight. There are mainly two kinds of configuration one should be aware of while buying a new headlight.

(i) Sealed beams- The bulb and lens are attached in a single unit. This kind of configuration is usually found in old car models. 

(ii) Capsules- New vehicles are equipped with replaceable headlights that can be plugged unplugged into the socket.

4. Is it possible to put modern car headlights in an old car?

The good news is - Yes, you can replace the old headlights with a more. advanced version. The awful lightning of the old car is easily replaceable. One can easily install LED lights in their old cars without any fear. However one needs to remember that completing this task is going to be expensive. Not only do you have to change the bulb but also the source of the power supply and the container that holds the bulb. On the other hand, new Halogen high-intensity discharge (HID) or Light Emitting Diode (LED) are quite simple to replace unlike their older counterparts.

5. How bright is it going to be?

A good test is to look at the brightness of your current headlights and compare them to the ones that you are considering buying before committing to a purchase.

In addition, if you can buy two sets of headlights with different brightness levels and use one at night and another during daylight hours, this will help save money over time by avoiding having to replace both sets when only one needs replacing at any given time.

If you have clarity on the answers to the questions given above, you are ready to buy a headlight. However, if you still face a problem in making a decision, it is advisable to contact your vehicle manufacturer for more suggestions on car bulb fitting.

It's important that your new headlights are easy enough for anyone who wants to install them themselves since this is likely something that won't require professional installation services unless necessary. Or you can just open your car manual and see if you can get any help.