Tuning headlights: what's the point - and what's allowed?

Created: 05/10/2022, 09:30

By: Marcus Efler

When the days get shorter, effective lighting in the car is particularly important.

Halogen headlights can even be upgraded to LED - if you pay attention to these points.

The headlights on the car fulfill three important tasks at the same time: They have to illuminate the road in the dark and also make the vehicle visible to other road users - daytime running lights are now also recommended (it also hardly costs any energy), but they are not mandatory.

Last but not least, they serve the car brands as a more or less characteristic design feature (like the split light units on the controversial BMW XM).

Tuning headlights: what's the point - and what's allowed?

Effective car lighting increases safety.

(Iconic image) © Gutschalk/Imago

Some owners of older cars in particular are considering replacing their outdated halogen lamps for low or high beam with LEDs.

In principle, this is legal.

The so-called retrofit light kits are available for many car models in specialist shops.

Professional installation and the manufacturer's ECE declaration that the product complies with the legal standard are important.

Then it is not even necessary to make an entry in the registration certificate.

However, if this "E-mark" is missing, you are on the road without an operating license and insurance - which can result in the corresponding penalties.

Tune headlights: LEDs go further than halogen

The costs for an LED set are manageable at around 200 euros including the control unit.

"The new lamps create stronger contrasts and achieve longer ranges," explains Thomas Schuster, motor vehicle expert at the KÜS expert organization.

If you don't want the big upgrade right away, you can also replace the light source in your headlights with the same design, such as halogen H7 again.

There is a big difference in quality there.

As a rule, it is worthwhile to resort to slightly more expensive branded products when buying lamps.

also read

Changing the windshield washer fluid: Don't wait too long to do it

Tesla: Wouldn't the "guard mode" have had a chance of approval in Germany?

Lamps with a bluish light have also been available for some time, which is often advertised as the "xenon effect" - which was considered particularly chic before the triumph of LED technology.

Since the light color is quite similar to daylight, some motorists subjectively find such lamps particularly pleasant.

"However, the actual light output is not necessarily better than with normal halogen lamps," says KÜS man Schuster.

Don't expect miracles here.

Accordingly, full-bodied promises - especially on the Internet - should therefore be treated with caution.

Don't miss anything: You can find everything to do with cars in the regular car newsletter from our partner tz.de.

Tune headlights: Clean lights are most important

The most important prerequisite for good light is sometimes clean headlights.

The lenses or clear glass covers should therefore be kept as dirt-free as possible (cleaning even works with toothpaste), but they should not be properly polished.

In addition, the slightest damage to the cover pane can cause scattered light and dazzle oncoming traffic.

The only thing that usually helps is replacing the headlights: Editing is prohibited due to the type approval of the component.