Headlight protectors are aftermarket modifications that you can apply over your vehicle’s headlight lamps to protect them from debris, both on and off-road, and attain clear vision during night-time driving. They’re one of the most crucial elements of your car or truck, usually made from various materials such as polycarbonate, impact modified rugged acrylic, self-adhesive vinyl film and more.
Benefits of Headlight Covers
Save Money
Replacing your vehicle’s headlights can be expensive. Headlight protectors, known as headlight covers as well, are the most cost-effective way to protect them. They provide a barrier between bug splatters, minor abrasions, and the headlights. Headlights are greatly exposed to road debris and other objects that fly into the front of the car at great speed. While these objects don’t always crack the headlights, they can cause chips which over time can lead to fogging. Dim headlights can affect your safety on the road and need to be replaced.
Improve the Looks of Your Vehicle
Headlight covers play an important role when on the go, and those who drive off-road know it very well. Not only that they reduce damage to your headlights, but also reduce the percentage of light transmitted and make a beautiful and stylish addition to your car. You can step up the aesthetic appeal of your car by choosing a quality headlight cover. Headlight covers are an inexpensive, yet vital accessory to your car or truck that will add a finished look and sleekness to the vehicle’s front end.
Easy to Maintain
Plastic and acrylic headlight covers require little maintenance. All you need to do is wipe them with a damp microfiber cloth without using any chemicals or soap. It’s a simple solution that provides the best results and will not leave any residue on your headlight protectors.
Choose Your Headlight Covers Right
Headlight protectors are made for different makes and models of vehicles, and with the wide range of headlight covers offered on the market, you can easily find the ones that suit your vehicle best. Besides making sure they are appropriate for your vehicle’s make, there are two other key points to consider when choosing a headlight cover, like the following.
Safety & Legal Compliances
First and foremost, headlight covers need to be safe to use under all kinds of lighting conditions. When it comes to headlight protectors Australia law bans those which reduce the visibility of the headlight beam by more than 15% of the headlight beam. When shopping, ask the retailer whether their products are in compliance with Australian laws.
Design
Headlight protectors are available in many colours, including clear. When choosing protectors for your headlights, consider how they will affect the overall look of your vehicle. It’s best to choose protectors that are the same colour as your ride. This ensures a sleek look. Coloured protectors are made of translucent plastic so that when the headlights are on, there’s unobstructed visibility. But when the headlights are off, the covers blend in with the design of the car providing a visually-appealing touch.
How to Install Headlight Covers
The cost of replacing your headlight covers depends on your car’s make and model and if you’ll be installing it yourself, or have it done by a trusted mechanic. Replacing it yourself is affordable, however if you don’t feel secure about it it’s better to leave it to a mechanic and avoid damaging of the car headlight lens.
1. Locate the headlight covers and inspect if they’re missing or suffered some damage.
2. Remove any damaged headlight covers using a screwdriver. Remember not to rush as you don’t want to end up scratching the headlight lens.
3. Clean the headlight lens while the cover is removed. Mix soap and water in the bucket, following the manufacturer’s instructions on the car was soap. Then wash the headlamp assemblies using sponge saturated in the mix, and scrub thoroughly, until there is no more dirt or grit left on the assemblies. After this, rinse the headlights with clean water until there is no more lather coming off. Finally, wipe the headlights with the microfiber cloth and make sure they’re completely dried. If it becomes saturated, wring it out.
4. Let your car dry for 30 minutes.
5. Wipe the headlights one more time to make sure they’re dry and clean as needed and lenses are clear of any sign of oxidation. In case there is oxidation, remove it from the headlights before starting the installation process. Installing headlight protectors onto headlights that are not properly cleaned can reduce your visible light range. If you’ve done the cleaning the right way, the installation process will be simple and you can easily achieve professional results. Don’t try installing headlight covers that are not intended for your car’s make or model as they will not fit.
6. Usually, all it takes is snap on or hook and loop the headlight covers and it’s done in a couple of minutes. Once you have the new headlight covers installed, turn on the headlights to check if they provide sufficient clarity. If any of your headlights is not working, ask for mechanic’s help and inspection.
7. Always wear safety glasses and other personal protective equipment such as latex gloves or closed toe shoes when working on your vehicle.
An interesting fact about the beginning of headlight covers usage is that it goes all the way back to World War II when the use of car headlights was restricted when transporting military supplies. The main reason was to reduce detection by the enemy’s side and blackouts and brownouts were done by limiting light emissions, enforced by military and civil authorities. Today, headlight protectors are used in civilian and military vehicles, and racing cars, too.
