Headlights are essential to lawful driving. While low beams meet the minimum requirements for visibility, high beams help out in higher speeds in low light conditions. If yours stop working, you should uncover the issue and get it fixed right away. That said, here are the most common sources of headlight failure.
Failing HID Generator
If your vehicle uses Xenon headlights or high-intensity discharge headlights (HID), it also has an HID generator to get the voltage up to 30,000 volts and stabilize the charge while the bulbs operate. If this component goes out, the bulb will too.
Blown Blub
The most common reason for headlight failure, a single bulb burns out between 400 and 1,000 hours (having more than one go out at once is unlikely). It’s fairly easy to see when one has stopped working, and luckily the fix is as simple as a glance in your owner’s manual and a trip to the auto parts store. While there, pick up a few extras for next time
Blown Fuse
The element responsible for protecting the wiring, the fuse blows if too much current gets drawn through the circuit. Replacing a blown fuse involves locating the fuse box (check the owner’s manual for guidance) and reading the labels to find the one that coincides with the headlights. You can find fuse replacements at an auto parts store, but make sure you find a perfect fit
Bad Relay
Your vehicle’s headlight switch controls the lights through relays (the switch engages the relay which turns headlights on or off). If this gets out of whack, it will cause the light system to fail. The easiest way to diagnose this issue is to have the car evaluated by a professional.
Faulty Wiring
If a circuit problem has caused the fuse to blow, bad wiring could have caused it. Maybe there’s a damaged connector or poor installation practices set everything in motion, but broken wiring will kill the current either way. It’s possible that corroded or loose connections caused the headlight bulb to overheat, as well. Whatever the case may be, getting things back in order requires professional help.
You need headlights to safely operate a vehicle. If yours aren’t working, make sure you get the problem effectively diagnosed and repaired as soon as possible.
Remember, for all your vehicle’s maintenance and repair needs, call Village Autoworks in Woodbury or Roseville.