Does Your Chrysler Need New Headlights?

Over 40 percent of accidents happen after dark despite far fewer cars on the road. Reduced visibility is a major cause of these accidents. It’s essential to keep your lights functioning at the maximum possible brightness. With this in mind, let’s look at three key indicators that it’s time to visit your local Chrysler dealer for a set of new headlights.

Your Headlights Are Dimming

If you find it more difficult to see the road ahead at night, then your headlights are probably on the way out. High-Intensity Discharge (HID) and Light-Emitting Diode (LED) will usually stay near maximum brightness right up until they fail. So if you use these types of bulbs, any dimming requires immediate replacement or you might suddenly find yourself driving in the dark.

The more common, shorter-lasting Halogen bulbs, on the other hand, might lose up to 20 percent of their power before finally failing. So you can keep using them even after you notice dimming. This isn’t advisable, however, as any reduction in visibility reduces your safety on the road.

Your Headlights Are Flickering

Flickering headlights usually indicate a bulb on its last legs; the filament is probably broken or loosened. Flickering might also be caused by faulty wiring. You’ll have to test your bulb with a multimeter or replace it to find out which it is.

It’s best to replace both bulbs at once, even if only one is flickering. This is because when one bulb dies, the other is often soon to follow. It can also be hard to find identical single bulbs, so if you replace just one, you might later end up with mismatched headlights.

Your Bulbs Are Nearing the End of Their Lifespan

If you know which type of bulb you use, then you can have a good estimation of how long they’ll last. Traditional halogen bulbs last for 500 to 1,000 hours, which amounts to about 40,000 miles of driving.

HID bulbs last far longer: about 2,000 to 3,000 hours. Xenon headlights can last up to 10,000 hours. And LED bulbs last a staggering 30,000 hours, which is often more than the lifespan of a car.

How a Chrysler Dealer Tests Your Headlights

It isn’t always easy for a driver to know if a headlight issue is caused by the bulb, the wiring, the battery, or even the alternator. A technician at your local dealership can run all kinds of tests to diagnose the problem. They’ll also be able to check the wiring behind the bulb, which is often difficult for the average driver to do.

Have experienced professionals test or replace your headlights today at Pearl Chrysler Jeep Dodge and Ram. We’re a welcoming local dealership with courteous, knowledgeable staff who are committed to providing exceptional customer service to each and every customer who steps foot through our doors.

Tags: Auto Service, Headlight Replacement, Pearl CJDR, Peotone IL
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