Dim Headlights in 96' Legacy

N

NikIndy

I drove my sister's car the other night and I was surprised how dim the
headlights are. They seemed to be aimed correctly, but they are just not
that bright. Have any of you Subaru drivers found replacements that work
well?
I personally am not a fan of the "blue" lights you see kids driving around
with, I just simply want to improve her ability to see at night (for
safety).
Thank you for your input.
 
@localhost.talkaboutautos.com>,
(e-mail address removed) says...
I drove my sister's car the other night and I was surprised how dim the
headlights are. They seemed to be aimed correctly, but they are just not
that bright. Have any of you Subaru drivers found replacements that work
well?

Did you double check to see if you were actually
running the headlights, not just parking lites &
daytime running lights?
 
tcassette said:
Sylvania Xtra Vision bulbs work well for me.

Is the "glass" of the lights clouded? SOA and a number of less
reputable car companies (FORD - clean ur mouth out) used headlights with
polycarbonate "glass" well known to decompose in the stronger sunlight
of the southern latitudes. Not much you can do about it - there are
magic potions on the web, buffing off the surface, paintbrush cleaner,
or new (after market) headlights($$$)
 
The car is an US car and does not have DRL's. Good suggestion though, it
is not that dark but close to it. Thank you for your suggestions.... I
guess I will try the sylvania bulbs and see if I can clean the lenses
 
John Gibson said:
Is the "glass" of the lights clouded? SOA and a number of less
reputable car companies (FORD - clean ur mouth out) used headlights with
polycarbonate "glass" well known to decompose in the stronger sunlight
of the southern latitudes. Not much you can do about it - there are
magic potions on the web, buffing off the surface, paintbrush cleaner,
or new (after market) headlights($$$)

Bad idea to buff the surface - especially so with abrasive plastic
cleaners. The plastic lens material is usually treated with a scratch
resistant UV coating. Once you start using any kind of abrasive,
the coating will deteriorate faster and the haze comes back quickly.
Once you've damaged the coating, only a replacement of the reflector/
lens assembly is going to help.

The best thing to do is to clean the lens normally (car washing
detergent and a chamois or soft cloth) and avoid using anything harsh
on it that will kill the UV coating.
 
The car is an US car and does not have DRL's. Good suggestion though, it
is not that dark but close to it. Thank you for your suggestions.... I
guess I will try the sylvania bulbs and see if I can clean the lenses

Some US Subarus *do* have DRLs. My 2000 Legacy wagon does. And, I drive
around only with DRLs plus the parking lights. I have never used the
"headlights" per se. Find them too bright.
 
y_p_w said:
Bad idea to buff the surface - especially so with abrasive plastic
cleaners. The plastic lens material is usually treated with a scratch
resistant UV coating. Once you start using any kind of abrasive,
the coating will deteriorate faster and the haze comes back quickly.
Once you've damaged the coating, only a replacement of the reflector/
lens assembly is going to help.

The best thing to do is to clean the lens normally (car washing
detergent and a chamois or soft cloth) and avoid using anything harsh
on it that will kill the UV coating.
Live in New York city,y_p_w ? D'oh
It is a decomposition of polycarbonate in intense sunlight. Simple
cleaning is useless + I didn't say I recommended buffing! Just that it
was one of the "magic potions" on the web.
 
@localhost.talkaboutautos.com>,
(e-mail address removed) says...
The car is an US car and does not have DRL's. Good suggestion though, it
is not that dark but close to it. Thank you for your suggestions.... I
guess I will try the sylvania bulbs and see if I can clean the lenses

Well, my WRX is a US car and does have DRLs...I'd
say oh, maybe once or twice a month, I'll start
out driving and nite and go for a minute or two,
before realizing I'm working with the DRLs.

Daniel Stern has a informative site for vehicle
illumination, with a lot of useful items.
 
That's just great, your car has too bright of headlights. lol
The car does not have DRL's, and I turn the lights on by turning the stalk
on the left. I am going to try the Sylvania bulbs and see if I can clean
the lenes a bit. Thank you again for all of your help. This is my first
time on this forum, and I am glad that people are so willing to give
advice.
 
y_p_w said:
Bad idea to buff the surface - especially so with abrasive plastic
cleaners. The plastic lens material is usually treated with a scratch
resistant UV coating. Once you start using any kind of abrasive,

I've had good luck with a Meguiar's product, Plastx. Guys who write the
local paper's car Q&A section recommend Brasso (the brass polish.) True,
you don't want to remove any scratch resistant coating if you can help
it, but once the lens starts to cloud, scratches are less of a worry
than overall loss of light IMO.

Rick
 
John Gibson said:
Live in New York city,y_p_w ? D'oh
It is a decomposition of polycarbonate in intense sunlight. Simple
cleaning is useless + I didn't say I recommended buffing! Just that it
was one of the "magic potions" on the web.

Nah. San Francisco Bay Area. Polycarbonate will yellow when exposed
to UV, hence the coating. Almost makes me long for the days of glass
headlight assemblies instead of the capsule/reflector combo - NOT!
 

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