“Follow Me Home” Headlamps
Auto Parts,  Cars

The Complete Concept Of “Follow Me Home” Headlamps

Well, in this world of light, many changes have taken place in past decades. A headlamp, usually called a headlight, is a light that is fastened at the front of your car, truck, or bicycle. 

The headlight produces light in various ways. The headlamp is found on automobiles and has improved greatly over time since this article was originally written in 2016. Lets us now focus on the four major headlamp types and see how they work.

  • Halogen Headlamps
  • LED Headlamps
  • ​Laser Headlamps
  • Xenon Headlamps

Whenever you are riding a car or other vehicle, nowadays every car maker is using them. Only some people know about how these lights were developed from sober lamps in the year 1880. Now with most cars using LED lights to penetrate the darkness, this and other headlights have advanced year by year. 

Now, let us talk about each of them in detail:


Four Major Headlamp Types


1. Halogen Headlamps

Halogen Headlamps
Photo Credit: http://www.opel.com.cy/vehicles/opel_range/cars/mokka/features/safety-driver-assistance.html

Halogen headlamps are now the most famous ones in the automobile industry. It is all due to their simplicity and low cost. Halogen bulbs can last for 1000 hours in normal conditions. But with the lack of power, many people think twice before buying them.

Another problem with halogen is that it reacts to fingerprints during installation. For example, when you are changing it, you should not touch the glass panel because it will leave some oil on the glass resulting in the bulb heating up and dying sooner than normal.

Here are some pros and cons of it. Let’s check them out.

Pros:

  • Easy Replacement
  • Light can be more uniform
  • It can create a warmer light that doesn’t blind other drivers
  • Low price

Cons:

  • Power wasting
  • Much more care needed
  • It can take time to fully brighten
  • Can run hot

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2. Xenon Headlamps

Xenon Headlamps
Photo Credit: http://www.benzworld.org/forums/w166-m-class-gle-class/1613387-ml350-bi-xenon-headlight-option-2.html

High-intensity discharge (HID) headlamps are also known as Xenon lights, which are mostly used for more result due to their performance and the light it produces. BMW introduced xenon headlamps in the year of 1991 in their 7 Series.

Xenon lights work like a neon tube; they have full of gas with an electrode at both ends and a current passing through it. In vehicles, xenon is used as a mixture of tungsten and a mix of gasses which gives the most effective result.

According to some research and data, xenon bulb makes 3000 lumens and 90mcd/m2, which is a very bright and powerful light. 

Pros:

  • Longer life than Halogens
  • Less power use
  • Brighter and more area covered
  • It may give a better vision for the driver

Cons:

  • It may produce too much light and blind other drivers
  • High priced (Prices going down!)
  • It may take up time to charge up

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3. LED Headlamps

LED Headlamps
Photo Credit: http://www.ledsmagazine.com/articles/2005/08/hella-earns-auto-prize-for-led-headlamp-concept.html

The car industry has progressed a lot in the way of using LED headlights. With that, some parts of the car have remained the same while the headlights have changed. Car manufacturers love LED lights because they save energy, give bright light, and can last forever (or at least many years).

The most powerful feature of LED headlamps is that they need very low power to function against their competitors. The first LED was implanted on Audi R8 in 2004, and it was very welcoming.

Their small size also permits producers to shape them into any of the models, so no more ugly-looking reflectors. And yes, good news; they also do not create heat like halogens or xenon lights.

Pros:

  • Small in size
  • Less energy consumption
  • Last a long time
  • Very brighter

Cons:

  • High cost to produce
  • It can be difficult to design, and the quality of different lights varies a lot
  • It can be more expensive
  • It may be too bright to legally use in your State

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4. Laser Headlamps

Laser Headlamps
Photo Credit: http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/bmw-i8-will-be-first-offer-new-laser-lighting-tech

Brands like Audi and BMW are working hard to make new technology and make laser light to make happen; newer design and tech is 100 times better than LEDs.

As some car makers explained, their working style depends on three blue lasers, which sit right after the headlight assembly, which blow into some mirrors which have yellow phosphorous gas, which helps the laser to produce enough light for the driver.

The very drawback of this laser headlamp is that they only work on high beams, which is very costly regarding price. “These laser headlights will add $1,500 to the M5’s price tag.” (Credit – Wired.com)

Pros:

  • Energy Efficient
  • Small in size
  • Very bright and far-reaching light

Cons:

  • Very expensive
  • They create a lot of heat, so they need cooling

The owner must clean all his headlamps and lenses with a clean cloth as many times as possible to get a better result and to get rid of dust. If the lens is broken, then it should be replaced or fixed for safety and efficiency.

There are a number of lights and lamps on motor vehicles these days, and the driver needs to see the road ahead of him, to give the signal to other people and other vehicles too in the night. For safety purposes, it should be replaced if it goes out.

  • Day-time working lamps are optional in a car to make it more visible on a bright day too. These kinds of lamps are in trend nowadays. In many of the cars, we see DWLs. They should not work with headlamps.
  • Fog lights are used in less visible conditions such as heavy rains, fog, smoke, or dust storm. These lights generate a wider flat beam from the bumper of the car to some distance so that driver gets the idea of the road he is driving on.
  • Fog lights should be able to work independently from the headlights; they can also be used with the parking lights with less brightness for others. They should not distract someone or disturb someone’s eyes.

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How to Keep the Lights Working Properly?

In the USA, a month of car care is celebrated to spread awareness among people. The car’s owner must follow these steps to keep the lights working properly.


 A. Performance Level

brighter-light

Many customers know that there are tons of options available in the market for their needs, such as brighter lights or white lights, which can help the driver to different objects while cruising.


 B. Timely Replaced

Timely-Replaced

Most of the time, many drivers find that driving on freeways without lights can lead to very dangerous, fatal accidents. Sometimes one headlight is working, which may confuse drivers on the road. So the owner has to get his car’s headlamps changed in a timely manner.


 C. Change in Couple

Change-in-Couple

The customer should always change the headlamps in a pair so that he does not get any uneven or different vision on the road.


 D. Try to Change It by Yourself

change-the-headlight

You can change the headlight on your own with a little help; it can be an easy job to do, and it does not need any special tool. You should look at a video for your specific car before trying it on your own, so you understand how things are attached. 

You can also refer to your car manual and try it using their instructions. But be safe while doing it and wear the necessary gloves and glasses to protect yourself from any incidents.

Headlights are a simple tool for safety and clear vision while driving your vehicle. Without it, the driver cannot see objects and avoid them. So, to prevent bad incidents, we should always check our lights regularly.


Our Verdict

While Laser Lights are the best for seeing into the distance, a good LED headlight can work very well, is fairly low priced, and lasts a long time. Halogen and Xenon headlights also work well but may not work the best in all conditions. Read customer reviews and do research to find the best one that will meet your specific needs. 

Thanks for visiting and learning more about “Follow me Home” headlamps. Happy Driving!

Updated (3/2020)