Are car headlights less effective as they get older? It's hard for me to see when driving

[raccoon]

at night. I know I'm getting older but I read someplace that you need to replace the headlights occasionally.

My car is a 2004 and the headlights have never been replaced.

[Bandit]

1. I don't know about car headlights but our eyes get less effective as we get older

I have a very hard time driving at night now, but when I was younger I didn't even notice it. Oncoming lights blind me now. I had my eyes checked and they haven't changed.

[AndyA]

2. Do you have plastic lenses over your lights?

If they're yellow and cloudy looking, that does reduce the amount of light at night. They should be clear and shiny like glass. There are products at the auto parts stores that restore the original appearance, and yes it does make your lights brighter at night.

[IdaBriggs]

4. I'm going to check this out when I leave today.

Thank you for sharing this tip!

[Scuba]

5. You can clean/polish the lenses with toothpaste.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/09/clean-headlights-toothpaste_n_3046013.html

[IdaBriggs]

7. I would have never thought of that!

Now I want to go home and try it!

ON EDIT: Thank you!

[dipsydoodle]

12. That or tomato sauce.

I'm not sure that headlamps do in fact dim with age.

[madokie]

11. I used this approach first

and it restored them but they soon were back to the way they were. Plus it cost much of what the new assemblies cost.
a friend who does paint and body work says if I'd applied a clear coat over the lens after I cleaned them they would have lasted longer

[sharp_stick]

18. The clear coat will help it last

I found the Sylvaina Restoration Kit worked the best and lasted over a year on my Mother In-Law's Car and was doable by me with some elbow grease and time. Not the most fun chore I've ever done, it was a tedious crawl but I got there.

http://www.amazon.com/Sylvania-38771-Headlight-Restoration-Kit/dp/B00429NKWK

The other, better, but more expensive option is to purchase and replace the headlight assembly. You can do it yourself or get someone to do it pretty easily with Google (YouTube) help and save a pretty penny. I think I'll do that the next time MIL comes to visit with cloudy lights.

[pipoman]

15. These do work

but are temporary fixes. Plastic breaks down and oxidizes over time causing the cloudy surface. A mild abrasive cream can remove the oxidation but it does not restore the protective outside layer of the lenses..in fact it removes it. So the lens will re-oxidize much more quickly. The only long term fix is to completely replace the lenses.

Oh, and about any abrasive polish will work, however don't use a polish that contains wax, like turtle wax cleaner, etc. The wax in the product will leave a film that will act as a reflector sending some of the light back into the lens assembly. McGuires Mirror Glaze fine plastic polish works well and is a little cheaper than the products made for headlamps...actually about the same price but you get 3 times as much.

[TheCowsCameHome]

3. It's you.

Sadly, it's just the way things go.

I had a hard time accepting it, but it is what it is. And rainy nights - wet roads? Forget it.

[madokie]

6. If you'll look at the lens of the headlights

I think you'll see where the problem lies. I replaced the headlight assemblies recently in our 98 ford and I was totally surprised the difference it made. I can see to drive at night now.
New headlight assemblies were less than 50 bucks for both.
Bulbs themselves don't decrease in light output, either they work or they don't, no in between. Not true with Florescence though but cars don't have them.

ETA: let me add if you'll apply RainX to your windshield you'll be amazed at how much better you can see at night when its raining. I put it on all my windows and have been using it since it hit the market back in '72. Finally I ran out and had to buy a new bottle recently. Hell of a deal if you ask me.

ETA: I put RainX on my eyeglasses too, big difference in how easy they are to keep clean

[FSogol]

8. Ask you doctor if corrective glasses are right for you!

And seek medical assistance if it lasts more than 4 hours....

PS. Just started using reading glasses myself.

[raccoon]

9. Been wearing glasses for decades... :-) nt

[rock]

10. Over the years

the nights have gotten darker. I can attest to that.

[TheCowsCameHome]

14. and thicker.

Headlights don't penetrate the newer night very well.

[snooper2]

19. It's because we bombed chunks off the moon making it smaller

And people said it wouldn't be a big deal!!!!!

[JNinWB]

13. Have your eye specialist check you for cataracts.

I had cataract surgery early last year. The surgeon implants one lens and then does the other a week later. After the first surgery I noticed how dark, and dingy everything looked out of my other eye--it was especially noticeable when watching TV, where all the people had additional "tans".

Over the previous years, I had become increasingly troubled by glare---both day and night.

But, also, the head-light polishing. It does wonders for your HLs.

[MindPilot]

16. Yes.

The lenses, reflectors and bulbs all deteriorate over time.

The polishing will help, but it does does have to be done fairly regularly. The real problem is the plastic itself deteriorates, and the reflective material also loses its luster.

The real fix is to replace everything, but that can be shockingly expensive.

Next best thing is a polish and new bulbs.

[rgbecker]

17. The newer cars without sealed beams have headlights that fog up.

The plastic lens over the whole light goes bad and the reflector behind the bulb also will lose its shine. I replaced mine after ten years and it made a big difference.

Beware...these lights can be bought very cheaply on Ebay, for example, and there is no reason to pay big money to get new ones. I paid less than $50/light for my 1997 Caravan but have a friend that got charged $750 for her Volvo. The market is flooded with lights (apparently easy to make) so do a little shopping. The car is older, no sense in paying for something that will be in the junkyard in 5 or 10 years.