My '97 Acura CL (2.2)l has a headlight problem. The headlights don't put out much light (or my eyes are going bad). I can drive on the interstate with the brights on and I rarely get flashed to dim my lights. I bought new bulbs (low beam) at O'Reilly's, but the new bulbs don't seem to help. Any suggestions? New headlights are high dollar items, but maybe this is the only fix for the problem. Thanks, Mark

 

I doubt your alternator output is too low or you would be having starting problems, however check the voltage w/ the engine idling and headlights ON. You should get at least 12.5-13V at the battery.

Perhaps the lens are fogged w/ age. This happens due to UV and chemical exposure. Do a search for lens cleaning. Some have had good luck w/ polish to remove the haze and yellowing.

Make sure your lights are correctly aimed. If you place the car on a very level surface, you can use the vertical bubble indicators and horizontal alignment mechanisms built into the lens to align the lights. There is a lock screw on the horizontal adjuster to be removed before changing alignment and replaced after.

good luck

 

have they always been this way or is this a recent development? my stocks also seemed a bit dim until i replaced them

if so, i recommend the SilverStars bulbs. Pricey but they are pretty damn bright

 

My headlights have always been dim. I suspect some damage to the right headlight bezel. I can level the low-beam side, but the high-beam points too high. If I level the high-beam, vice-versa. I have leveled the low-beam for now.

The lens do not seem foggy, but I swear these are the dimmest lights I have ever had. I'm thinking about trying a junkyard for a new bezel. Any thoughts?

Thanks

 

try cleaning your connections

 

Thanks so much. I will give it a try and report back.

 

i agree. try to clean your headlights. i did this and it was 100 times better.

 

my 99 had the same problem. i switch to alot of different headlights. but i just bought the Silverstar Headlights at wal mart and it made a big difference.

 

Silverstars are too much $$ for their worth. I had Silverstars for a year, about every 3 months I was back to get them replaced, b/c they kept blowing. I only kept them that long because the warranty is for a year. I got phillips extreme crystals now, been good for about 6 months. The light output is about the same. However, everyone on here talks about nokya arctic's being the best, I know you can find 'em on eBay.