Why do headlights dim

Or how to achieve the most efficient lighting?

Let's talk about why over time the headlights begin to give a dim light, perhaps sufficient on a deserted highway, but completely ineffective on a busy one, especially if there is a lot of oncoming traffic.

Sometimes they sin on the generator and voltage regulator, there is some truth in it: malfunctions of these devices are noticeable by "movement" luminous flux, as if obeying the number of engine revolutions. It is clear that the unimportant operation of the generator and voltage regulator affects not only the efficiency of the headlights - first of all, the battery suffers, either not receiving a full charge, or, on the contrary, receiving it in excess, from which "boils" electrolyte. Headlights in this case play only the role of an indicator, although excess voltage greatly reduces the life of the lamps. Constant dim radiation occurs for other reasons: either the reflector is heavily polluted or corroded, or the inner surface of the lamp bulb is covered with a dark coating.

If the durability of the reflector depends on many factors, which we will talk about later, then even a perfectly serviceable lamp "gaining" dark plaque for some 30-50 thousand kilometers. Its effectiveness in this case is 20 percent lower than the new one.

Reflector "lives" longer. In modern cars, the reflector and headlight glass are, so to speak, an indivisible whole, which, of course, first of all provides the most optimal light beam, and secondly - tightness. It was the lack of tightness that contributed to the penetration of dust into the headlight, which then burned on the reflector and reduced its light output. The same thing happened with moisture, which actively condensed on the reflector, which caused corrosion.

About five years ago, they tried to fight corrosion in some incredible way, pouring red brake fluid into the headlight. The fashion for this rather harmful than useful undertaking has passed, but another extreme has appeared - plexiglass "glasses" on glass. In addition to the fact that such protection reduces light output, "smearing" the direction of the rays, it causes strong heating and burning of the reflector. In this case, what is the use of glass protected from stones, if the reflector suffers - it is not clear, especially, as already mentioned, the glass and the reflector now represent an indivisible whole? By the way, so there is no point in buying "lens" separately: good light from such a headlight can never be achieved.

Finally, with regard to adjustments. Even the best headlights equipped with halogen lamps can be useless on the road if they are adjusted anyhow. Not everyone, and not always, has the opportunity to make adjustments on the stand. Therefore, very good results are given by old, well-tested methods "home" adjustments. The car is installed on a flat area, 30 meters are measured and put on a mark, say, a brick. One of the headlights, switched on to the dipped beam, is hung with something, and in the second, the adjusting screws are rotated so that the illumination border is vertically brought to the set brick. Do the same with the other headlight. The high beam is adjusted in the horizontal direction, but without a brick: it is important to ensure that the beams from both headlights do not split in two and do not converge in the middle.