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Your car's headlights are vital for driving safety at night or in other low-visibility situations. Headlight bulbs, like the bulbs in your house, will eventually fail due to age. They can also be damaged by other problems in your car. As your Kia dealer in Butler, PA, we'd like you to know some signs that you need to visit us for new headlights. more Your Bulbs Are Old Headlight bulbs have a limited life, but the exact time for replacement can vary dramatically. There are many types of bulbs available, and a bulb can last from 500 hours to 30,000 hours. Bulbs that are failing will usually look dim, and this is a sign that they'll need replacement fairly soon. Bulbs that start flickering could also be failing, or you could have an electrical problem in your car. Bulbs are installed in pairs, and we recommend replacing both bulbs if one has failed. By doing this, you save the need to return a few days later to replace the second bulb. We can also advise you on different types of bulbs for your Kia. Cracked Lens The bulbs are securely installed in sockets inside the headlight housing. The bulbs and their electrical connections must be protected against dirt, rain, mud, and other contaminants. Each headlight housing has a molded clear plastic lens that securely covers it to keep it watertight. A lens, unfortunately, can be damaged by hard objects like gravel thrown up from the road. A cracked lens can lead to bulb damage, as water will enter through the crack. The water inside the headlight housing will rust the bulb socket, can cause fuses to blow, and also damage the electrical wiring. If water gets in through a lens, you'll see white dots on the inside of the lens. We'll need to test the bulb socket and wiring and replace them if necessary. We'll also clean out any water and fit a new lens for you. Electrical Issues The alternator in your car produces all the electricity for your car. Some of the power it produces is used to power the headlights. As your alternator gets older, it will start to produce less power as its components wear out. Headlights depend on a constant and consistent power supply, and the alternator problem will make the power supply very irregular. As the power supply to the headlights becomes more problematic, the bulbs will be more likely to blow. If you find you have to frequently replace bulbs, your alternator could be the cause of the problem. We'll test your alternator and replace it if it's failing. Call our service department today at Mike Kelly Kia and we'll fix your headlight problem. Image via Pixabay