Why older headlights are a 'major safety concern'

[Christerart]

https://eu.usatoday.com/story/money/...ys/2263336002/


Why older headlights are a 'major safety concern' for American motorists
Nathan Bomey USA TODAY
Published 1:34 AM EST Dec 11, 2018
Find yourself wondering whether your headlights are out, only to discover they've been working the whole time?

It might be because the plastic covering the bulbs has become clouded or yellowed.

In fact, at an average of 11 years old, the typical vehicle on the road today is generating only 22 percent of the light that it did when its headlights were new, according to a new study by AAA.

"We were really shocked by the amount of deterioration in light output that we saw," said Greg Brannon, AAA's director of automotive engineering. "It's a major safety concern out on the roadways today."

The automotive safety and insurance firm is advising owners of older vehicles to get their lights replaced to achieve maximum performance.

Restoration helps and is advisable if vehicle owners can't afford to replace their lights, which can cost several hundred dollars. But restoration, which costs less than $80 professionally, doesn't return the lights to their original output.

The problem is that new headlights have a coating applied to their plastic casings to protect them from sunlight — and that coating wears off over time, causing the casing to go from transparent to translucent.

"Picture putting a light bulb in a container that has a lampshade pulled over it," Brannon said. "That's what we're talking about."

Cars that experience a lot of sunlight are most vulnerable. For example, a car parked mostly outside in Florida or Arizona will likely begin to deteriorate in about three years. Other vehicles begin to deteriorate in about five years, Brannon said.

Part of the problem is that many drivers don't notice the issue since their lights degrade gradually over time.

Options for rehabbing headlights, based on two popular sedans:

Total replacement with parts from automaker: $331 to $427; achieves 100 percent performance.

Total replacement with certified aftermarket parts: $131 to $259; achieves 90 percent performance.

Total replacement with non-certified aftermarket parts: $104 to $190; achieves 83 percent performance.

Professional restoration: $77; achieves 70 percent performance.

Do-it-yourself restoration: $21; achieves 70 percent performance.

Source: AAA tests



We Volvo drivers all know this of course.....

[christheancient]

I (sort of) query that publication's story.

Bulbs covered in plastic??? They are usually made of quartz to handle the heat that a bulb generates. Plastic would melt?

However, a lot of 'newer' cars do have headlamp 'glass' that is polycarbonate which does degrade in transparency over time. Is that what the original writer really meant; but failed to understand?

[Clan]

Originally Posted by christheancient

I (sort of) query that publication's story.

Bulbs covered in plastic??? They are usually made of quartz to handle the heat that a bulb generates. Plastic would melt?

However, a lot of 'newer' cars do have headlamp 'glass' that is polycarbonate which does degrade in transparency over time. Is that what the original writer really meant; but failed to understand?

when I first saw the plastic covers on the New xc90 back in 2002 I thought, "I wonder how long they will last " It turned out to be about 8 to 10 years .. bring back the everlasting Lucas sealed beam … 50 years old and still going strong .

[tofufi]

Less of a safety concern in the UK as we have more stringent annual safety testing.

My parent's '97 Passat has recently had new headlamps for this reason. My '90 740 still has the original (glass) ones, though one had to be replaced after a stone went through it!

[DaveNP]

I somehow think my 20 year old British car hasn't quite experienced as much sun as a Florida registered one

[GreenBrick]

My V70 has glass headlights and the output is still poo :-(

[Brendan W]

Originally Posted by GreenBrick

My V70 has glass headlights and the output is still poo :-(

70% poo or 100% poo ?

[T5R92011]

Still not as bad as P1 with projector lenses.

[phil1968]

Originally Posted by tofufi

Less of a safety concern in the UK as we have more stringent annual safety testing.

My parent's '97 Passat has recently had new headlamps for this reason. My '90 740 still has the original (glass) ones, though one had to be replaced after a stone went through it!

I was going to say aren't headlamps in the UK checked for output brightness at the yearly MOT?

[green van man]

Originally Posted by phil1968

I was going to say aren't headlamps in the UK checked for output brightness at the yearly MOT?

Nope, only beam pattern/ setting and working.

My P1 v70 with glass headlights failed MOT because of tarnished reflectors causing the beam pattern to degrade, new headlights later and I needed sunglasses to sit behind them.

Paul.