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In addition to the housings being almost opaque, it's probably been 10 years since we last replaced the headlight bulbs. The result is that you could see better at night if you strapped a phone in flashlight mode to the bumper.

I know the bulbs age out over time, but what about the ballasts? After 20 years do I need to replace those too or are they good as long as the lights come on?

IMO with a Xenon, if the light flares, then dims out a bit, then comes back to full brightness the ballast is working. I'd change the bulbs first - besides they're way cheaper than the ballasts.
I need to change my bulbs someday, too.

I agree. I thought the ballast fires the light then maintains a steady current flow to keep the light stable. If they were not lighting or flickering I would suspect ballast. If they are just dim I would guess bulbs. Your yellowed lenses are probably greatly affecting your headlight quality on their own right.

theprf wrote: ↑Fri Apr 16, 2021 4:27 pm IMO with a Xenon, if the light flares, then dims out a bit, then comes back to full brightness the ballast is working. I'd change the bulbs first - besides they're way cheaper than the ballasts.
I need to change my bulbs someday, too.

I have found HID ballasts to be like warehouse fluorescent ballasts - they work great until they don't work at all.

Threadjack: Am I the only person on the planet who _hates_ LED headlights?

What an awesome technology: blind everyone coming toward you, and still put less light way down the road than you would with shitty halogen bulbs.

I have not found that to be true on my Honda toy. No-one has ever flicked their lights at me thinking I have the brights on. Even with just the daylight running lights on during a cloudy day I can see the light reflections off of signs I am approaching. It's weird to see the amber front turn signal lighting a reflective sign during the same cloudy day. At night it is like watching a concert when they do the "flood the stage stage with the brightest whitest light you got." I don't think I've ever used the high beams because I don't need them and my eyes are 70 yo! Maybe poorly executed LED conversions is what you have been seeing?

5chn3ll wrote: ↑Fri Apr 16, 2021 7:03 pm Threadjack: Am I the only person on the planet who _hates_ LED headlights?

What an awesome technology: blind everyone coming toward you, and still put less light way down the road than you would with shitty halogen bulbs.

5chn3ll wrote: ↑Fri Apr 16, 2021 7:03 pm Threadjack: Am I the only person on the planet who _hates_ LED headlights?

What an awesome technology: blind everyone coming toward you, and still put less light way down the road than you would with shitty halogen bulbs.

I don't know about LEDs, but Halogens fucking suck. After driving with HIDs almost exclusively for 20 years, there is no way I can ever go back to Halogen. It's like driving blindfolded.

In my experience with blinding HIDs it is either improperly maintained (out of alignment or just a POS conversion) or they are on trucks where the driver is clearly compensating for something...

Since there are tons of high end cars running around this area I have to assume I've seen on coming LEDs, but they have never stood out to me.

5chn3ll wrote: ↑Fri Apr 16, 2021 7:03 pm Threadjack: Am I the only person on the planet who _hates_ LED headlights?

What an awesome technology: blind everyone coming toward you, and still put less light way down the road than you would with shitty halogen bulbs.

I put LEDs in my 914 over the holidays. I think it is a dramatic improvement over the not-that-old sealed beams that were in there. These were complete units rather than just an LED bulb.

So, yeah, you're one in 6 billion.

P.S. - There are LEDs that are plugged into halogen housings that are truly crappy.

So I will have no answer for the original question (though I accept the reasonable answers given). I've opted to just bite the bullet and replace the housings and they apparently come with new bulbs and ballasts.


Now please excuse me while I go pawn a gold IMSB and sell a kidney...

gnat wrote: ↑Tue Apr 20, 2021 2:21 pm So I will have no answer for the original question (though I accept the reasonable answers given). I've opted to just bite the bullet and replace the housings and they apparently come with new bulbs and ballasts.


Now please excuse me while I go pawn a gold IMSB and sell a kidney...

When I was looking at that '02 996 cab at the dealers' auction a couple of weeks ago, they had the old IMSB in the glove box. Had I been a complete dick, I could easily have pocketed it and then hit it with some gold spray paint to become a "poor man's gnat." I guess you could even say that had I done that, I would have been a double-dick: for stealing it in the first place and then double for owning a gold IMSB.