If you’ve noticed that your headlights aren’t as bright as they once were, it might be due to headlight bulb degradation. This natural process happens to all types of headlights, including halogen, HID, and LED bulbs, whether they’re factory originals or aftermarket replacements. While it can be challenging to detect the gradual dimming of your headlights, it’s important to replace them long before they become too dim to provide adequate illumination while driving.
Halogen bulbs have the shortest lifespan of any headlight option and are the most susceptible to degradation. The filament inside the glass capsule eventually breaks down due to the process of superheating and cooling off that occurs when the bulb is in use. This degradation results in a decrease in brightness, which can be up to 70-80% over the bulb’s rated lifespan of 500-1000 hours. It’s vital to replace your halogen bulbs before they become too dim, and you have the option to upgrade to new halogen bulbs or switch to a different technology, like HID or LED, that provides significantly brighter illumination.
HID headlights, which were introduced about 20 years ago, are entirely different from halogen bulbs. They feature an outer shell made of glass and an inner capsule filled with various chemicals like xenon gas, metal halides, and minerals. When the power source is connected to the bulb, an electric arc ignites the chemicals, creating a plasma that produces light. While HID bulbs have a longer lifespan of about 5000 hours, they still suffer from significant light degradation of up to 40-50% before needing replacement.
The newest headlight option is LED bulbs, which are the brightest of all the options and have the longest lifespan. LED bulbs can be up to 3-6 times brighter than halogen bulbs and 2-4 times brighter than some HID systems. They have a lifespan of 50,000 hours and experience only 20-30% degradation of light during their useful lifespan. LED bulbs have LED diodes that create the light source, which are more durable and robust than the filament and chemicals used in other bulbs. While LED bulbs do experience some degradation due to heat cycling, it’s much less severe than the degradation experienced by halogen and HID bulbs.
Whether your bulbs are dimming due to degradation or have experienced catastrophic failure, it’s crucial to replace them promptly and with the right replacement. At Headlight Revolution, we offer a wide range of headlight options and expert customer service to help you find the right upgrade for your vehicle and application. Don’t settle for dim headlights – upgrade to a brighter, longer-lasting option today.