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Don't Replace Those Headlamps
I took my 91 Escort GT to the dealer last week for a State inspection, emissions inspection and oil change. The car passed emissions, but was rejected on the State inspection because the headlamps were "too cloudy" and they weren't putting out enough light. Granted, they were pretty bad but I never have trouble driving at night. I was informed that it would be $450 to have the two headlamps replaced, at which point I promptly told them to reject the car and I'd find other options (used from the junk yard, after market, etc.) The Service Manager said they would install the used ones for $70/piece.
A couple days later I was talking with a friend of mine and found out his car (88' Mustang GT) had also been rejected this year for the same thing. He laughed at me when I told him what the dealer wanted to replace the headlamps (he works on his on car) and then let me in on a secret that he learned from a friend of his:
Take rubbing compound or a fine cut paint cleaner made for clear coat finishes (Mequire's is what I had on hand) and apply it to the headlamps. Buff off the residue. Repeat 2-3 times.
I was in total disbelief after I was finished. The cleaner removed about 90% of the built-up salt, grime, etc. that had "clouded" up my headlamps over the last 10 years. They looked almost brand new. To keep them that way, I then applied a light coat of wax and will continue to do so in the future.
Just thought I would share this secret with my friends at Edmund's Town Hall....
A couple days later I was talking with a friend of mine and found out his car (88' Mustang GT) had also been rejected this year for the same thing. He laughed at me when I told him what the dealer wanted to replace the headlamps (he works on his on car) and then let me in on a secret that he learned from a friend of his:
Take rubbing compound or a fine cut paint cleaner made for clear coat finishes (Mequire's is what I had on hand) and apply it to the headlamps. Buff off the residue. Repeat 2-3 times.
I was in total disbelief after I was finished. The cleaner removed about 90% of the built-up salt, grime, etc. that had "clouded" up my headlamps over the last 10 years. They looked almost brand new. To keep them that way, I then applied a light coat of wax and will continue to do so in the future.
Just thought I would share this secret with my friends at Edmund's Town Hall....
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Comments
The good news is, if you have a digital dash, You can retrieve the trouble codes.
Chrysler code retrieval Will show the procedure.
Once you retrieve the trouble codes, let us know what they are and we can try and help determine the source of the problem.
To make sure we are on the smae page, it is the "Check Engine" light and not a "Service Reminder" light. Right?
I've had GM cars and they never got cloudy.
Why is this?
However, I also agree with Jvirginia that some lenses won't clean up and deterioration of the inside reflective surfaces can ruin lighting performance.
If the lens cleaning doesn't help, it may be necessary to replace the headlamp assembly - and many of these are expensive. Very few auto parts stores carry them. However the lesser-known "crash" parts suppliers do have them. One national US supplier is Eagle Automotive at http://www.eagleautomotive.com. Their prices seem to be 35% to 50% of the dealer prices.
All in all, about 150% improvement in visibility through your suggestions. I recommend all my friends to check out Town Hall when they have little issues like this!
-Josh R.
Weird as it may seem, I've also seen toothpaste used as a polish quite successfully on small objects. Very fine abrasive.
bulbs. You can get the bulbs for most Fords at
any 'ol auto parts store for a few bucks unless you've got HID/Xenon lights. I haven't figured out how to get those aftermarket yet.
Mike
I checked all vacuum hoses, and they seemed connected. The engine runs fine and the gas mileage is still good. One mechanic told me that some times a piece of cabon gets lodged in one of the the O2 sensor and triggers the check engine light.
Harry