Need Advice on headlights

[brcidd]

My '99 Tahoe headlights are terrible dim-- either faded or just not bright enough. I'd like to be able to see, especially in really dark wet weather. I'd entertain aftermarket lens/bulbs or kits. So what do you all recommend? The wife really hates to drive it after dark as well. I doubt just installing high powered bulbs will do it, but maybe it will, what are your experiences?

[maxwedge]

Dumb question here, but is it caused by clouded lamp lenses, that's all you see in Fl. Lol

[brcidd]

Yes, I'm sure a lot of it is due to cloudy lenses. Is there a good cleaner method for that?

[aleekat]

Look at my answer here:
https://mazda626.net/topic/47337-hea...comment-399360

[Schurkey]

First Three Things to repair crappy headlight brightness:

Check the plastic lenses, repair as needed. There's plenty of threads, and there's aftermarket "kits" to sand, polish, and coat the old plastic lenses. There's also a fair aftermarket (cheap Chinese) selection of "New" headlight assemblies although quality varies greatly.

Adding relays that will boost voltage to the bulbs can make a H-U-G-E difference, especially if you modify the system to keep the low-beams lit when the high-beams are selected. The downside is that you are very likely to get TOO MUCH voltage (above 13.2V) if you're not careful. Voltage higher than 13.2 will shorten the life of the headlights. 5--6% increase in voltage above 13.2 can result in 20% brighter filaments, but reduces the lifespan of the bulbs by half.

Check voltage at the headlight bulbs with the engine running and the bulbs lit: Ideally you want between 12.8 and 13.2 volts. You will probably find that there's less than 12 volts--11.x is common.

I thought I posted a long write-up on this forum about adding relays to these C-K trucks, but I don't see it. I'll have to fix that someday soon.

Aim the headlights properly so that they're not blinding oncoming traffic, but light the road appropriately. Almost nobody ever aligns the headlights, but ANY change in the ride-height of the vehicle including a chunky driver will affect where the headlights are pointed.

[j cAT]

[quote=brcidd;7207830]My '99 Tahoe headlights are terrible dim-- either faded or just not bright enough. I'd like to be able to see, especially in really dark wet weather. I'd entertain aftermarket lens/bulbs or kits. So what do you all recommend? The wife really hates to drive it after dark as well. I doubt just installing high powered bulbs will do it, but maybe it will, what are your experiences? [quote]


************* I was thinking of buying these as well as the DRL https://www.amazon.com/Passenger-Hea...ype=automotive