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Headlights & Bulbs

Headlights & Bulbs

Service / Headlights & Bulbs

Headlight bulb type differences diagram

In North Dakota, You Are Required to Have Two Working Headlights on Your Vehicle

North Dakota law requires you to have your headlamps, more commonly referred to as headlights, turned on from sunset to sunrise, along with any other time visibility is reduced. Snow, sleet, hail, rain, fog, and smoke are conditions that may contribute to reduced visibility. Your headlights are also required to be on and working when a lack of light or reduced visibility makes it difficult to see a person or vehicle clearly at 1,000 feet or less. It is important to make sure both your headlights are working correctly.

Does your vehicle have a headlight out, or are the headlights not as bright as they should be? It could be as simple as a burnt-out bulb, or there may be an issue with your vehicle’s wiring or lighting system. No matter what the problem is, our knowledgeable technicians can diagnose and fix it. At Rydell, we pride ourselves on quick and reliable service, which is why our customers always leave satisfied. If you are having any issues with your vehicle’s headlights, then let Rydell in Grand Forks, ND help you out.

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Looking for specific information on servicing your vehicle? Each category below has extensive information that may help your search for information.

Preventative Maintenance Alignment & Suspension Air Conditioning Heating System Radiator Service & Repair Engine Diagnostics Brakes Belts & Hoses Filters Batteries & Alternators Headlights & Bulbs Transmission Tires Fluid Exchange & Maintenance

Types of Headlight Bulbs

Most people do not think of their headlights or even what type of bulbs are used in their headlights until one of them goes out. It is important to know what type of bulb your vehicle requires when need to replace it. There are a few different options that are used in today’s modern cars and trucks.

Halogen bulb type headlights

Halogen Headlights

Halogen headlights are the most commonly used headlights out there. Approximately 80% of vehicles on the road today have halogen headlights, though they are slowly being replaced by brighter and more efficient bulbs. Halogen headlight bulbs are constructed inside an enclosed bulb filled with halogen gases and a tungsten filament. Electricity is sent to the filament which then starts to heat up and glow. The halogen gas within the enclosed bulb will help exaggerate the light that the filament is producing. Halogen headlights typically use a reflector or projector housing.

Advantages

The advantages of using halogen headlights are they are the cheapest to manufacture and the cheapest to buy. They are easy to replace and provide a bright yellow-white light on the average up to 1,000 hours.

Disadvantages

The disadvantages of using halogen headlights are they typically have the shortest lifespan, and they produce the lowest number of lumens, averaging around 1,000 lumens.

High intensity discharge (HID) bulb type headlights

High-Intensity Discharge or HID Headlights

High Intensity Discharge headlight bulbs, or HID headlights, are also commonly called Xenon or ARC headlights. HID headlights are constructed by enclosing electrodes inside a sealed bulb filled with xenon gas and other vaporized materials. Electricity is passed between these electrodes which creates a small light. The xenon gas helps expand this light which is then reflected off the headlights’ housing. HID headlights typically use a projector headlight housing.

Advantages

The advantages of using HID headlights are that they are more energy efficient and brighter than halogen headlights. High-Intensity Discharge headlights typically average 3,000 lumens. They also provide a brighter and cleaner light over halogen headlights.

Disadvantages

The disadvantages of using HID headlights are both cost and efficiency. They can cost more than halogen headlights but are typically less efficient than LED headlights. Additionally, they will typically not last as long and give off fewer lumens than LED headlights.

Light emitting diode (LED) bulb type headlights

Light Emitting Diode or LED Headlights

Light Emitting Diode, or LED, headlights work a bit differently than halogen or HID headlights. Instead of using gas, LED headlights convert electric power into light. LED headlights will have one or more electric diodes inside the headlight that will convert the electricity into light. They typically use projector headlight housing or just a strip of lights.

Advantages

The advantages of using LED headlights are they provide bright white light, and are more efficient than halogen headlights. LED headlights on average provide 4,000 lumens. Also, because they do not create any heat to glow, LED lights on average are up to 90% more energy efficient than halogen headlights and do not have to be replaced as frequently.

Disadvantages

The disadvantage of LED headlights would be the cost. LED headlights are typically more expensive to replace than halogen or HID headlights.

Halogen bulb type headlights

Laser Headlights

Laser headlights are the newest headlight technology to be introduced in the world of automotive. Laser headlights are constructed of one or more blue laser diodes mounted inside the headlight. The laser is then projected at a yellow phosphor located inside the housing.

Advantages

Advantages of using laser headlights are they are extremely energy efficient, they produce an extremely vibrant white light, and they are smaller than other headlights. They can produce brighter light than LED and at the same time use less energy and space.

Disadvantages

Disadvantages of using laser headlights include cost and availability. Currently, laser headlights can run in the thousands to replace. They are also typically only offered on high-end vehicles such as BMW and Audi.

Types of Headlight Housing

Lightbulbs are not the only part of your headlights that are important. It is also important to understand what type of headlight housing your vehicle uses. Headlight housing is what is seen from the outside of your vehicle. Headlight housings can offer some of the most distinguished styles on a vehicle. The housing is also used to disperse and magnify the light that is produced by the lightbulbs. There are two different types of headlight housing:

Reflector housing type for your headlights

Reflector Housing

The most commonly used headlight housing is reflector housing. Mirrors are set around the bulb and reflect and disperse the light that the headlight bulb produces. Reflector housing is shaped like a bowl with the lightbulb in the middle. Mirrors are placed in the bowl to help reflect the light. A clear lens is placed outside of the housing. This clear lens is what you see from the outside of your car or truck.

Reflector housing is on average less expensive than other housing options. This is because of its simpler design. One of the disadvantages of reflector housing is that it cannot control the direction of light as well as other housing options.

Projector housing type for your headlights

Projector Housing

Projector housing is designed similar to reflector housing except instead of using a bowl shape to reflect the light, projector housing uses lenses. These lenses direct and increase light created by the light bulb. Projector housing also typically combines both low beam reflectors and high beam reflectors inside the housing. Because projector housing is typically more complex than reflector housing, the light produced from the bulb is more controlled and the light is more focused and evenly distributed.

Headlight Beams

Your headlights can project different amounts of light and can also control how the light shines on the road. It is important to understand the different types of beams and when it is appropriate to use them.

Low beams in your headlights

Low Beams

Low beams are to be used during normal nighttime driving, or when visibility is diminished. They are typically used in urban areas or where there is other light available. The light on low beams is positioned forward and down. They are meant to provide light on the roadway directly in front of the vehicle. They are also positioned this way to prevent the light from bothering other drivers. Low beams will on average shine up to 160 to 200 feet in front of the vehicle.

Fog lights in your headlights

Fog Lights

The reason fog lights were created is in the name. They are meant to be used when it is foggy. Here in North Dakota and northern Minnesota, you may also want to use fog lights when driving in a blizzard. Fog lights use your low beams with a further constraint of the light. Fog lights will shine the light close to the ground so you are able to see the road, but they will not shine the light forward, thus preventing reflection from the precipitation in the air.

High beams in your headlights

High Beams

High beams are meant to be used in rural areas where lighting is limited, or where there is no other light at all. High beams do not constrain the light that is being produced and do not restrict where the light shines, so the beam shines directly forward. On average the high beam will shine 350 to 400 feet in front of the vehicle. This will provide the driver with more light, making their driving experience safer. However, high beams can be dangerous for vehicles driving towards you, or for vehicles that you may be following.

There are laws dictating when high beams must be switched over to low beams. In North Dakota, high beams must be switched to low beams within 500 feet of an oncoming vehicle and within 300 feet of the rear of a vehicle that you are following. If you are driving on the interstate or a divided highway with a center median, you do not have to turn your high beams off for vehicles driving towards you in the opposite direction.

Common Issues with Headlights

HID Ballast Failure

What is the HID Ballast?

HID headlights need a high level of electrical discharge to create an electrical reaction or arc in the bulb, which then causes the bulb to emit light. The ballast is the device needed to supply this electrical current. High voltage is needed to create and then maintain this electrical arc of light.

The way the ballast works is simple. First, power is sent to the ballast where the modules that are integrated with the input wires smooths the power signal and deliver resistances to the circuit. Then power is sent to the ballast’s primary circuit. The primary circuit or the main controller circuit performs two functions: It converts the power into an AC signal and controls the amount of voltage that it takes to operate the bulb. If the ballast starts to fail, then you will start to have issues with your headlights. There are multiple reasons a ballast could go bad, and many different signs to look for when trying to determine if headlight failure is due to a faulty ballast. At Rydell, our highly trained service technicians are here to help get your headlights working properly.

Signs of a bad ballast in your headlights

Signs of a Bad Ballast

  • Buzzing or humming noise
  • Dimming or flickering
  • Headlights not turning on
  • Headlight color changing
  • Blowing fuses
  • Damaged casing
  • Burn marks
  • Internal moisture damage
  • Internal oil damage

Moisture and Condensation

Headlights with moisture or condensation

If you are seeing condensation and moisture in your vehicle’s headlights, it could be a sign that something is wrong with the headlight assembly. Condensation and moisture can cause your vehicle's headlights to malfunction or stop working completely. The condensation and moisture can cause corrosion on the bulb contacts, which will prevent power from reaching the bulbs, resulting in them not functioning correctly. This is because the water droplets act as a conductive medium, allowing electricity to arc between two points of contact that it would not normally be able to reach, resulting in an electrical short circuit.

The most common locations for this type of damage are within the headlight housing itself, damaging the wiring or relays. Moisture can also corrode metal components within your headlight assembly over time, leading to rust formation and eventual failure of parts, such as bulbs or light sockets. This may result in permanent damage to your headlights if left unchecked for too long. In some cases, condensation inside a headlight assembly can lead to fogging or frosting of the lens itself. This will reduce visibility while driving at night by reducing the amount of light output from your headlights significantly, thus creating dangerous situations on the road. To prevent these kinds of issues from occurring, you should regularly inspect all external lighting fixtures on your vehicle for signs of corrosion or other damage related to moisture buildup. If any problems are found, then they should be repaired immediately by replacing any faulty parts before further damage occurs. Additionally, using waterproof sealants can help protect against future water intrusion into sensitive areas such as those containing electrical connections or wires that could potentially become damaged due to exposure.

Headlights yellow or foggy?

Yellowing and Foggy Headlight Lenses

Have you noticed your headlights no longer seem as bright as they used to be? If so, you might be having difficulty seeing everything clearly at night. One cause for your headlights no longer providing adequate light is that your headlight lenses have become yellow or foggy. Foggy or yellowing headlights can be extremely hazardous not only to yourself, but also to other drivers and pedestrians. There are a few different reasons that your headlight lenses have become yellow or foggy.

  • Vapor: Water vapors, due to high moisture levels in the air, can get trapped inside the headlight casing. The moisture can then cause your headlight to look fogged. This moisture can also cause the light to diffuse in an unwanted way, making the headlight less effective and causing vision issues at night or in bad weather.
  • Oxidization: Modern vehicles use polycarbonate lenses instead of glass lenses that were used in older cars and trucks. When the polycarbonate is exposed to air, your headlights can start to yellow and become cloudy. This is caused by small, microscopic cracks that are created in the lenses due to UV radiation from sitting out in the sun.
  • Damage: Road debris, such as gravel or larger rocks, can crack or pit the polycarbonate lenses, allowing oxidation to happen. This causes your headlight lenses to turn yellow and become cloudy.
  • Chemicals: Road chemicals can coat your vehicle’s headlights. This thin layer of chemicals can lead to cloudy headlights, causing the light that permeates through the lenses to lessen, which is the reason headlights become dim.
  • Dirt: An older vehicle that has been on the road for a while can start to have thin layers of dirt coating the lenses. It is hard to notice this happening until there is such a layer of buildup that your headlights become cloudy.