ok well since i got my 86 GL wagon i have noticed the headlights are really dim, no matter what bulbs i put in they are dim and i dont really get enough light shining down the road for me.

 

so my ? is why is this happening?

 

thanks for any help,

Shean

whats your voltage read?

Are the lenses clean?

 

Loyale headlights really do just.. well suck.

 

I swear my impreza lights put out like double the light of the ones on my 87. Hell even my BRAT has better lighting now that I replaced the burned out passenger head light with a halogen sealed unit.

 

If the voltmeter is at 14V or so then its just normal crappy headlights. Otherwise maybe electrical problems somewhere (when my alternator fried once it was fun to rev it up and I could see EVERYTHING!)

yep, dem lights truly do suck... im actually debating whether or not i'm going to mount 2 more lights on my front bumper for those after dark highway runs. waaay too many deer, elk, etc to contend with...

well i got that GM alt, and it didn;t change them, also, my voltmeter on the dash is at 12 to 16 all the time when im driving. so any other ideas?? maybe i just need new driver/passenger light housings,

 

because my bulbs are brand new halogens, i think ill get new headlights, then get my sylnviana silver star bulbs.

Ive had this problem with my old Z28, the wiring for the factory headlights was too thin to carry the voltage required for my lights. I rewired the harness using the factory routing, just upgrading to a thicker guage wire. My lights went from a dim yellow to a brighter yellow. Also some Sylvania Silverstars are good headlights/bulbs to go with. Id also try to somehow clean the lenses inside and out.

 

Happy to help

I would check the V at the lights themselfs. Maybe you have a draw somewhere. I have a pair of factory driving lights mounted on my 86 Turbo Wagon, and they do a pretty good job of filling in.

our headlights suck!!! plain and simple. get some good driving lights.

Could this be a grounding issue?

 

Just a thought?

 

Glenn

82 SubaruHummer

01 Forester

How are they aimed. Sometimes I think we tend to overlook the importance of having the headlights aimed properly. Even dim lights aimed correctly can light up the road better than halogens not aimed right.

 

 

Bill

ya im just going to get some silver stars, new housings since my driver one is all rusty, and then get some driving lights rather then my rally's i got on the front.

If you have composite headlights (bulb plugs in the back of the unit). Then toss them and get some headlights off a DL. Those composite headlights always end up leaking and rusting on the inside. Rusty reflector = horrible lighting.

 

As far as I know, DL's were the only ones to use sealed beam headlights instead of the composite unit (two sealed units per side, one low beam and one high beam). You'd have to splice the headlight wiring together, but it will be WAY brighter than before.

 

Sealed beams cost more than composite lights to replace a headlight when it burns out, but then you get a brand new reflector, every time.

...new housings since my driver one is all rusty,

Prolly your problem is those rusted out reflectors. The back of your housing is the reflector. If it's all rusted up then it's not going to reflect enough light. The gasket between the lense and reflector tends to go out and let water in

ok well since i got my 86 GL wagon i have noticed the headlights are really dim, no matter what bulbs i put in they are dim and i dont really get enough light shining down the road for me.

 

so my ? is why is this happening?

 

thanks for any help,

Shean

 

I had the same problem : about 11 volt was arriving at the bulbs instead

of the total 14.3 volt of the battery.

The 3.3 volt difference was lost in :wiring . switches and so on.

Solution : each bulb has now 3 relays , one for dim , one for high beam and one for the positive voltage. (the lights are switched toward ground)

Extra thick wires and extra fuses to the positive battery terminal as well.

 

So 6 relays , thick copper wire , two 20 amp fuses and half a day work....

I have the same problem. Upon closer inspection I noticed that the reflrector or housing (reflective casing around the bulb) is faulty. It may look fine however if you get really close you can see that (in my case) the surface has become somewhat dull and the reflective crome has browned incomparison to a new reflecter. (especialy true if the car resides in a humid inviroment)

(not to mention the hazing or yellowing of the lens cover it self)

 

All of this takes a huge chunk out of your bulbs compasity to project light.

(as much as 40% decrease or more in light projection)

AND not to mention the color of the light any light that is yellowed by the reflector and the lens will always seem dimmer.

 

One of the best sulutions is a new light housing. Just my two cents anyway.

our headlights bascially suck. you can put in the silver stars to get a whiter light.it helps if you clean out the lenses. DO NOT go with a higher wattage bulb, it will fry the wiring harness.

Clean off the connectors, that will go a long way at getting brighter lights. some times its the simple things.