The standard factory equipment that comes with your vehicle is meant to be adequate for most drivers, but that doesn’t mean you can’t upgrade your ride with better equipment or with timely maintenance. Lighting is one area that is particularly susceptible to improvements. These enhancements typically do not cost a lot and they are something that you can often accomplish on your own.
If you do need a new 2009 Chevy Malibu headlight bulb, it is important to replace it right away. Driving with one light out can diminish your ability to see on a dark road and it could get you pulled over by the police. Better yet, you can use this as an opportunity to put in a better set of headlights, allowing you to see further into the darkness. Consider these advanced options for better lighting:
- A headlight and fog light pack from Sylvania XtraVision
- LED headlight and fog light by ZEVO
- zXe headlight and fog light by SilverStar
Greatly Improve Your Visibility
Excellent headlights are one of the best precautions to maximize safety on the road. Sometimes it is buying a quality product that increases visibility and performance, and sometimes it is taking care of your vehicle. Knowing how to restore headlights is a perfect example of the latter.
The lens coverings over headlights, usually made of polycarbonate plastic, become dingy with wear and decrease the candlepower of your bulbs. Fortunately, you can improve the transparency of your lens coverings and it can be done quickly and inexpensively. Follow these general procedures for best results:
- Clean the lenses with soap, warm water and a rag
- Put protective tape around the lenses to protect the finish
- Sand the lens coverings with wet sandpaper
- Clean, polish and wax
- Coat with a UV sealant
To make things simpler, purchase a headlight restoration kit. It will include all of the supplies you need to get the job done. Probably the hardest part of the job is sanding, which requires a fine touch and 1000, 2000 and 3000 grit sandpaper, beginning with the most abrasive paper first.
See Through Adverse Weather
It is a mistake to think that on your driving adventures you will only encounter a couple of types of weather, maybe clear skies and a little bit of rain and snow. In reality, over time, you could experience dense fog, blizzards, torrential rains, hail and other interesting conditions. What is more, you could meet with these conditions during the black of night.
Understanding the structure of your vehicle’s headlight assembly makes it easy to replace old bulbs or upgrade to high performance lights. It also enables you to deal with another common scenario: physical damage to your headlight components. This could happen after a small collision or could be the result of flying debris. A familiarity with the entire assembly allows you to fix things quickly and without much expense.
In every season, it is important that your headlights, and all vehicle lighting are performing at maximum effectiveness. Shop online now for the products you need to see more clearly in all conditions.
