5 Tips For Headlight Repair
If you frequently drive your car at night or very early in the morning, you already know how important it is to have properly functioning headlamps. The headlamps in many cars are designed to serve you for a long time, but this doesn't mean they'll last forever. Exposure to the elements and other factors will cause degradation of the headlights.
Additionally, there's always a good chance that the headlights will sustain some damage in a collision. As part of the collision repair process, it's a good idea to follow certain headlight repair tips.
1. Don't Touch Bulbs Without Gloves
When you're replacing a blown or damaged bulb, one of the important rules to observe is that you should never touch the bulbs with your hands. The dirt and grease that could be on your hands can spoil the bulbs, and the risk is greater when you're handling halogen bulbs. If you have to touch the bulb for any reason, ensure that you have latex gloves on.
2. Know the Location of the Bolts
Sometimes, headlight repair isn't just about changing bulbs, you may have to replace the casing as well. The casing is normally secured using bolts so you should know the location of all the bolts before you try to remove the casing. Some of the bolts might be under the car.
3. Remember to Align the Headlights
If you had to remove the housings of the headlights, you'd need to ensure that your headlights are properly aligned. Properly aligned headlights will enable you to see at the optimum distance.
If you have no idea how headlights are aligned, you should get in touch with a mechanic to do this instead. If your car uses halogen lights, this is not something you need to worry about. The headlights are automatically adjusted to the correct alignment once you've reattached the case.
4. Mask off the Car Body When Cleaning
You can easily scratch the paint off your car when cleaning the headlights. Cleaning headlamps is sometimes necessary due to accumulation dirt. Use tape to mask off the body around the headlamps before you clean them.
5. A Single Crack Doesn't Warrant Replacement
Don't rush to buy another headlamp the moment yours get a small crack. Cracked headlamp lenses can be fixed in different ways including using repair patches. Many of these solutions will make the cracks almost impossible to see, and you'll be able to still use your headlights for a long time afterwards.
To learn more, contact a company like Downtown Garage & Auto Body today.