I am having issues with headlight brightness. My headlights do not seem to project very far in front of the vehicle and I am starting to think this could be a safety hazard as the days get shorter. I was in an accident last year and my front lights/lenses were replaced along with the headlight bulbs. I do not remember this problem before things were replaced. Is there something I can adjust to fix this problem or do I need new bulbs.

If I do need new bulbs what would be the best value.

1998 Ford Ranger XLT 4x4 Off Road, 4 liter V6, 5 speed manual.

Thanks

 

This is a question that you will probably recieve a thousand replies to. Honestly in my opinion, You should take it to a garage that has the equipment to check the aim of the headlights. This will at least see if they are aimed in the correct position. Then if the bulbs aren't bright enough there are several upgrades that are available. The shop that repaired your truck may use a bulk supplier of bulbs. That is very common of body shops to keep the cost lower. New bulbs should run anywhere from $8.00 to the sky is the limit. But new bulbs will not help at all if the aim is not properly set. You can do this yourself in your driveway with the proper size socket wrench. Park you truck 5 feet away from a wall or garage door and see where the headlights hotspot is aimed at. If it is low adjust the adjustment screw till it aims just below level. Then take it for a drive and readjust if nessesary.

 

Thanks. I will try to adjust them.

 

LMC Truck has a setup with a new wiring harness and relays that feeds power from the battery directly to the headlights that will give you brighter lights and takes the load off the light switch.

I did this on my '91 Ranger and it really improved the brightness of the headlights.

Let us know what you find out.

 

Food for thought.

You mentioned the truck was in a front end collision right? Was the repair done by a body shop?

There are times that these repair shops buy replacement headlight housings and don't realize that the aiming has be changed for the specific vehicle it is being put on.

Just something to think about

 

I checked the aiming of the headlights and it seems fine. Maybe a little low but not by much. And I compared it to a Chevy Express 3500 (which seems to have brighter headlights) and the brightness (at 5-7 feet) seemed about the same. I'm a little confused now.

 

Also when the repair shop installed other lenses were they new or used lenses? Is the lense yellowed from age and wear from the road? If so they make headlight lense repair kits that work ok.They simply just smooth and buff the lense till it is clear again. If the lense is not clear it will seriously affect the brightness of the light. I have an explorer i am going to buff out the lights if I can I will get a couple of pics and load them for comparison.

 

If it is due to the lenses not being clear, I have tested Sylvania's Restoration kit, and have to say, I am pleased with them. In my opinion, that kit is the best bang for the buck on the market right now. Don't waste your time with a kit that doesn't replace the clearcoat.

A good bulb replacement in the Sylvania Xtravision or the GE Nighthawk. Don't waste your money on the Sylvania Silverstar or the GE Nighthawk Ultra, those are dimmer and shorter lived than the regular versions. They work by overworking the filament to make the bulb brighter, then coating the lens in a colored filter that removes some the light to give it a whiter appearance, but in the process making the final output dimmer. There is no proof that a whiter headlight makes you see better, and between the extra cost, the shorter life, and the total lower light output, the alleged upgrade bulbs are a major downgrade.

The two bulbs I recommended work by making a brighter filament and a good gas to match. They do not last as long as factory bulbs (those are dimmer long life bulbs) but are rated in the upper end of the safe and legal limit.

As stated above, no bulb can put out its maximum output if it cannot get enough power. Almost all factory headlight systems are undersized and too restrictive. The best way to get maximum output is to use relays to take the load off the factory switches and route the power directly from the battery. This can increase output dramatically, plus it makes your switches last longer.

 

Here is a link with illustrations on how to check/align two & four lamp headlight systems.
http://www.coolbulbs.com/HID-VISUAL-...-PROCEDURE.pdf

If the plastic lenses are cloudy, I just successfully polished out the wifes 2000 Neon lenses with 600, then 800, then 1000 grit wet sand paper to remove the cloudy coating & scratches, then polished them out using an electric shoe polisher with the wool polishing attachment loaded with Meguires 1 & 2 step paint polish.
If you don't have that, use compound polish & if you don't have that use tooth paste. They all work & are low cost. Spritz the surface with a spray bottle of water as needed to keep the surface damp, but not so much that the polisher will sling the polish. Took about 30 min total for both sides & they now look new!!!! Haven't over sprayed them yet, but did apply a coating of NXT until I can find the overcoat I want.
More thoughts for consideration, let us know how it goes.

 

The lenses look brand new. From the right angle you I can see the bulb clearly (angle being a factor because the lenses have those lines in them). I will try the alignment procedure recommended by pawpaw.

I also wonder if clear lenses would help.

Thanks everyone for the suggestions.