07 with dim headlights
Thread Starter
Cruising
Joined: Dec 2023
Posts: 10
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07 with dim headlights
Hi all, I'm working on my cousins 07 base model with HID lights. He's complained for years about poor low beam Illumination. When I say poor, I'm suggesting about 60% brightness. He claims it's been like this for years and keeps bringing up the recall (that its never been in for... for several reasons). When I read on the recall, it mentions no low beams or intermittent. His always work, so I figure not the recall issue. With it being years like this and both sides (unaware if both sides started at the same time), figure the bulbs and ballasts if failing wouldn't last years without total failure. So I want to start with the basics and interested in learning where the grounds, relays and fuses are for the headlights. Thinking grounds... the high beams and signals are fine, and thinking they'd have a common ground??
Also, to reinforce starting with the basics (grounds), his car has been driven over 200k miles include full time through Canadian winters. I know! 🤦
Thanks for your help.
Also, to reinforce starting with the basics (grounds), his car has been driven over 200k miles include full time through Canadian winters. I know! 🤦
Thanks for your help.
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 17,388
Likes: 6,530
From: Melbourne, FL
HID bulbs age. As they age, they get dimmer. Every time they're turned on they do a "warm up" cycle, It's also possible that they were replaced in the past with cheapos. At 200k miles, they're probably just worn out, though you may have burnt projector bowls by that time.
New Phillips or Osram HID bulbs, or possibly one of the LED bulbs meant to replace an HID bulb. The trade off is a little bit of beam pattern accuracy for a little bit more brightness. Torque test channel didna review recently that included them, worth a look.
Being that he's got 200k on it, I'm gonna guess he's not looking to spend a ton on fixing it, but something like the sharp lights retrofits would work well here, or any of the other aftermarket housings.
All things considered, I'd try for HID bulbs because LEDs often don't generate enough heat to melt stuff off the lenses.
New Phillips or Osram HID bulbs, or possibly one of the LED bulbs meant to replace an HID bulb. The trade off is a little bit of beam pattern accuracy for a little bit more brightness. Torque test channel didna review recently that included them, worth a look.
Being that he's got 200k on it, I'm gonna guess he's not looking to spend a ton on fixing it, but something like the sharp lights retrofits would work well here, or any of the other aftermarket housings.
All things considered, I'd try for HID bulbs because LEDs often don't generate enough heat to melt stuff off the lenses.
