46
votes
Accepted
Car won't start, horn won't honk, headlights won't come on, what could cause this?
The symptoms all point to a faulty battery, and an incorrect test result for the Autozone battery test.
Starting with this: Hitting brakes: Brake lights come on and interior lights dim: a good ...
- 4,422
34
votes
Accepted
Do matching (left/right) lights often burn out within a short time period of each other? If so, why?
No, the salesman was spot on. If you think about it, bulbs are designed to last about the same amount of time. If they are installed in pairs, then the secondary light which matches the first will ...
- 153k
15
votes
How to upgrade a motorcycle battery to a bigger AH battery?
Sure you could put a bigger battery in .What may happen is that the total proposed draw is too much for the dynamo and it will go flat.Even if it does not go flat because your appliance usage patterns ...
- 2,083
15
votes
Car won't start, horn won't honk, headlights won't come on, what could cause this?
All symptoms point to a dead battery, but as you have already attempted to rule that out, the next thing I'd check would be bad connections or cables.
Turn on the headlights or something else that ...
- 151
13
votes
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Why are H4 LED headlights not designed correctly?
I think you hit it. Cost, most of the LED headlights are made to just pack as many LED as possible into the H4 package as possible, but a small percentage of them are actually designed to mimic the H4 ...
- 818
10
votes
Accepted
What is this extra light on my headlights?
According to this that extra space is for the integrated fog light, which is probably where the fog light would be if you didn't have the separate fog light.
- 1,502
7
votes
Accepted
Is it a cause for concern if one headlight beam points lower than the other
I would say the two peaks should be at the same height. In the UK, beam alignment is part of the annual MOT roadworthyness test, and the government publish a guide as to how to set them up:
https://...
- 28.7k
7
votes
Weird headlight issue!
Each bulb usually has 2 filaments in it, one for low beam and one for high beam. One possibility is that your driver's side bulb has a broken high beam filament and the passenger side has a broken ...
- 24.9k
7
votes
Do matching (left/right) lights often burn out within a short time period of each other? If so, why?
Lightbulb failure is a random event, which is not pre-set to happen after X hours of service or before a certain date. It is provoked by stress from vibration, repeated heating up and cooling down and ...
- 2,642
6
votes
Can I Mount auxiliary lights for Hero Honda Passion 2002 bike?
I would not want to increase load to your dynamo. I'm skeptical that you actually have that type of charging system but can't back my claim.
IF it is a dynamo then I would do something in order to ...
- 33k
6
votes
Single headlight does not come on but is not burnt out
Sounds like the bulb socket is corroded. You could try spraying it with contact cleaner, or trim an emery board to fit and giving a couple of passes with that to remove the corrosion. With any ...
- 2,311
6
votes
Accepted
low beam does not work, daytime running and high beam do
Most vehicles not using an LED headlight have multiple filaments in the bulb. These frequently do burn out independently. Low beam is also the most used filament, and likely to burn out first.
Given ...
- 583
6
votes
Are expensive high-brightness 55W headlight bulbs worth the investment?
I think there might be a regulatory component that effects stated brightness
I found in CFR (Code of Federal Regulations) 49
The maximum wattage at 12.8 volts (design voltage): 65 watts on upper ...
- 33k
6
votes
Accepted
Head light bulbs
If the bulb in question is the same fitment as the original (is just a higher wattage or whatever), then it should cause no issues with the wiring. I believe the main differences can be linked back to ...
- 153k
5
votes
Accepted
Are there any (legal) ways to increase halogen headlight brightness?
It is possible that the adjustment is not correct, i.e. the lights are still shining too steep down though the knob is set to 0. Though you can test this on your own, shops will do this with more ...
- 7,047
5
votes
Accepted
How to upgrade a motorcycle battery to a bigger AH battery?
As Autistic and Chenmunka say, if you want to increase the electrical power you're using (by having a higher-rated headlamp), you'll need to generate more power - by having a bigger alternator or ...
- 28.7k
5
votes
Sealing / effectively preserving restored headlights
The best way to keep them looking good is to utilize clear spray lacquer which is is not affected by UV. UV light is what causes the cloudiness in the first place. By spraying the clearcoat on there, ...
- 153k
5
votes
Accepted
How to fix 2007 Mercedes SLK daytime running lights?
After hours of tracing cables, removing panels and taking apart more of the car than I'd like to admit, I figured the issue out. Apparently there's a cable for control current (or something like that)....
- 251
5
votes
How important is bulb grease when changing low-beam or high-beam headlights?
No, you don't "really need" it. However, the purpose of the grease is to keep out moisture that can degrade the connection and the bulb's performance. So if you see any signs of corrosion when you ...
- 14.4k
5
votes
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How important is bulb grease when changing low-beam or high-beam headlights?
It depends.
What you are referring to is dielectric grease. It doesn't conduct electricity so it is safe to use on electrical connectors.
Modern vehicle assembly lines don't grease bulbs because the ...
- 1,571
5
votes
Accepted
Why do the headlights of supercars looking flashing on video
They flash because that's how their brightness is altered. Rather than use a large resistor to vary the current through the LEDs, they are flashed on and off faster than your eye can detect. When they ...
- 9,326
5
votes
Accepted
Is this headlight cover corrupted? (Small cracks from an angle)
Everyday driving puts small scratches and chips in the lens. That along with the impact of UV light from the sun distorts the light beam as it passes through the lens. The light gets scattered and ...
- 19.9k
5
votes
Is this headlight cover corrupted? (Small cracks from an angle)
This answer pretty much coincides with @mikes' answer, with a little different understanding of what's best.
The pits/marks on your headlight covers can easily be taken care of with a polishing kit ...
- 153k
4
votes
Headlight sealant?
Yes there is, but first a little story to explain why the headlights are going yellow/cloudy so quickly.
Any plastic headlight lens will yellow through exposure to UV radiation (which the Sun happens ...
- 39.1k
4
votes
Accepted
How can I secure the power block for my LED headlights?
The pictured tape, or any double sided tape for that matter, will fail quickly. Even the industrial 3M VHB tape isn't worth spit, under the hood.
Zip tie or find a natural crevice for it if possible ...
- 128
4
votes
Accepted
I need to replace the female part that a headlight bulb fits into
H11 Bulb connectors are readily available from Ebay sellers, but will no doubt be available from an automotive shop. They usually come with short wires fitted, so you will need some way of connecting ...
- 24.9k
4
votes
Accepted
Why would headlights stop working after turning over
Turns out what went wrong was my car was turning on the brights (highs) when I would go to unlock it, and the regular (lows) headlights were never working. I thought the car was turning on the lows ...
- 315
4
votes
Single headlight does not come on but is not burnt out
The filament could be broken in one spot, and moving the bulb could be shaking it so the broken section makes contact again and it illuminates.
I've seen this before with household light bulbs. I'll ...
- 13.3k
4
votes
Accepted
How to diagnose undervolt in electrical system
There are several things you can look for:
Complete paths
Electricity requires a complete path from positive to negative.
In a car with that kind of age, I would be checking that you don't have bad ...
- 9,326
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible