Headlight bulb question

Is it possible that the plastic covers are starting to glaze a bit?

mg

Your lens may be clouded over. UV light causes the coating of the lens to become opaque over time. Sand and dust hitting the lens has the same effect.

Jeff

But how do you get rid of the glaze?

Jeff

I used a kit called Crystal View that worked pretty well. 20 bucks at Advance Auto Parts, IIRC.

mg

Actually my lenses are the crystal clear type plastic and although they have a few small pits from road debris hitting them they haven't clouded over one bit, yet...I put a good coat of wax on them about every month or so the protect them.

You are correct, clouded leases are for the most part a result of owner neglect. Proper preventive maintenance will keep ones lenses clear.

The preferred cleaner is a polymer cleaner which both cleans the lenses, like the dedicated plastic cleaners sued on motorcycle windshields, and lets a protect coating as well.

We used NuFinish, a comparably low cost polymer, on thousands of fleet cars with great results.

Hey guys- Since my lenses are the crystal clear variety and they are not one bit clouded....getting back to the original question though...do any of you know if the actual Silverstar bulbs dim over time? I hate to spend $40 on a new set if their 'bright' life is less than 2 years...

Thanks, Eric

ALL Halogen lamps loose output with age. Coated or coloured glas likely faster than clear.

Actually, the color of the glass shouldn't make a different in how fast the output goes down, as a percentage of the light when the bulb was new.

Jeff

But some of the "colored" bulb glass is also an emissive or Phosphour coating that changes the light colour to a whiter or bluer colour which is not visible by looking at the glass.

If the coating is destroyed, then, you're right, the light output would decrease at a faster rate than if there is no coating.

Jeff - the glass on the bulbs have a slightly bluish tint to them, but they still look good after 2 years, just seem dimmer than before...maybe it's just me, who knows...thanks for the input anyway

Eric