HOW TO NOTICE A HEADLIGHT PROBLEM ON TIME -

Many times, in traffic, I’ve seen people drive with a headlight problem.

It isn’t working, and most times I think the driver is not even aware of it. This can go on for days, weeks, or even months without noticing.

Needless to say, how big a risk this is, especially when driving at night, in fog, and in rainy weather.

This article will show you how to spot a headlight problem almost immediately, so you can solve it on time.

Besides this website, you can also watch videos on our YouTube channel, where we have many car-related videos that may help with maintenance, driving, etc.

HOW TO NOTICE A HEADLIGHT PROBLEM?

1. 1. PEOPLE FLASH THEIR HIGHBEAMS AT YOU

The first sign of a headlight problem you’ll notice (at least from personal experience) is people flashing their high beams at you from the opposite direction.

This is one of the unofficial ways through which other drivers on the road contact you and tell you something’s wrong.

You’ll get the hint for sure once you see a couple of cars flashing at you from the opposite direction, especially at night.

Once you see this, check the headlights as soon as possible.

2. 2. YOU NOTICE A DARK SPOT AND UNEVEN LIGHTING

Next, at night, you’ll notice a dark spot in the field of light produced by the headlights.

You’ll first notice this by the weaker intensity of the beams; soon after that, you’ll notice the dark spot.

One side of the road will be well-lit up, while the other side is almost completely dark. This also tells you which side of the headlights is not working.

3. 3. YOU SEE THAT THE LIGHT IS NOT WORKING FROM THE OUTSIDE

headlight-not-working — STUCK IN OPEN POSITION – 233

Of course, once you notice all these previous symptoms of a headlight problem, the next thing to do is to check the headlights from the outside.

You’ll easily notice the problem by the difference in the light intensity. One headlight will be bright while the other will be dim.

In one headlight, you’ll notice only the small position light bulb working, while the main bulb is not working at all.

If you conclude that the headlight bulb is burnt out, we have an article where you can see how to change it. Click here to read the article.

You can also watch the video:

On this part, I would like to mention that if you have LED headlights, you may have to replace the complete headlight unit instead of just changing the bulb.

4. 4. A DASHBOARD WARNING LIGHT APPEARS

Finally, on lots of modern cars, you will conveniently get a warning light or sign on the dashboard that there is a problem with the signalization.

The usual icon for this is a flashing light bulb.

The good side of this is that you’ll immediately know that there’s something wrong with the signalization. There’s pretty much no chance that the problem will go unnoticed.

But have in mind that this warning light comes up not only for the high and low beams. It also appears for other parts of the signalization (the position lights, for instance).

As soon as you see this warning light, check the headlights, but also the rest of the signalization.

CONCLUSION

So, the moment you notice a change in the headlight beam intensity, check out what’s wrong.

Sometimes it’s just a dirty lens, which is common in rainy and snowy weather, for instance. In that case, you need to clean the headlights from time to time to have good beams.

Also, if you notice that the reflector at the back of the headlight is damaged and has less reflecting power, try to fix it if possible or change the headlight unit.

Once more, good headlights with strong beams are a matter of safety, not only for you but for other participants in traffic.