The headlight of a modern car is a complex electronic device containing many different elements. The main elements are lamps, that is, light sources. Of all the lamps installed in the headlight module, those that provide low beam burn out most often. For halogen lighting devices, the MTBF is 500–750 hours. Halogen lamps are used as low beam lamps. Let's look at how to replace halogen lamps equipped with an H7 base: for low beam sources this size is the main one.
Why might the low beams not turn on?
Let's look at the reasons why the low beam may not be on. The current in the lamp power circuit is switched by a relay. There is also a fuse in this circuit. Be aware that most cars use separate fuses for the right and left headlights. To find out the details, don't look for a wiring diagram. You only need a diagram of the mounting block located near the dashboard.
- The relay contacts may have oxidized. When you try to turn it on, the relay will click properly, but sometimes this is not enough. Only the power terminals that need to be cleaned can oxidize;
- If the fuse installed in the power circuit has blown, try replacing it. However, fuses do not simply blow, and you need to look for the reason. Perhaps it was caused by liquid getting on the lamp base;
- Having removed the fuse, you need to measure the voltage at each of the connector contacts. If it is 0 Volts, and the low beam was turned on, changing the lamp will be useless. It is better to immediately contact an auto electrician;
- Let's say the relay contacts are cleaned, and there is 12 volts in the connector at the moment of switching on and the fuse is good. Then the reason why the light does not turn on will be the lamp burnout. This is true 99% of the time.
Step-by-step instruction
The headlight design in a modern car is often unique. However, lamps equipped with an h7 base are always connected in the same way. A bracket made of wire presses the metal base to the plane of the headlight. All elements, such as the bracket and the socket connector, differ little from car to car. So you can follow the instructions with confidence that you will not make mistakes typical of novice car owners.
What is better to buy
Let's say you need to choose something reliable and not too expensive. Then products from European brands are suitable: OSRAM, Philips, BOSCH. Philips lamps have high durability, although they shine less brightly than OSRAM halogens. The products of BOSCH and OSRAM differ little, but BOSCH does not produce sources with a high color temperature. Some people like the light to be a little yellowish, and then BOSCH lamps will be the best choice.
Domestic brands have one advantage - low price. Lamps from the Mayak and Dialuch companies are produced in a wide range, but they do not have outstanding characteristics.
Set of low beam lamps from Mayak There are also premium brands. They belong to companies from Japan, which have maintained leadership for many years. The prices for such products are the highest. We will leave the choice to the owner.
The low beam lamps are supplied with the same voltage as all others (12 Volts). And their power is usually 55 Watts. On the packaging you can see the following designation: “12V/55W”. The manufacturer installs exactly 55-watt lamps, but many car owners carry out “tuning”, increasing the power. This is not recommended.
How to replace
Always disconnect the battery before replacing lamps. It is enough to remove the negative terminal, but even for such a simple action sometimes you need a spanner. If the network is de-energized, dismantling can begin. The lamp base will be covered with a cover, and to remove it, no special tools are needed.
Each lamp is usually protected by a cover plate There is always a plinth under the cover. First of all, disconnect the terminal block attached to the lamp contacts. The block with terminals is simply pulled back. No pliers or screwdriver are used in this step.
The block can be removed by hand The lamp base will be pressed against the headlight with a wire clamp. You need to press on the bracket and then disengage it.
The wire bracket is bent and disengaged At the last step, the lamp is not held in place by anything. You can pull it out and then install a new one in its place.
The old lamp was completely dismantled When carrying out installation, all steps are performed in reverse order. The glass needs to be cleaned, for which the “Second” product is suitable. You should not touch a clean flask with your hands, so wear gloves.
To tighten the bracket, securing the base, you usually use a flat-head screwdriver.
Having installed the protective pad in place, check the work done. After connecting the battery, turn on the headlights. Let's say the lamp does not turn on, and the fuse, which was working, has burned out. Then you need to look for where exactly the short circuit appeared. Most likely, the positive wire was connected to the body.
It is better to change lamps in pairs, left and right at once. Even after replacement, it is recommended to carry out adjustments.
Adjust the direction of the light beam Having driven the car away from the vertical plane by 5 meters, turn on the low beam. The top edge of the beam should be 75 mm lower than the center of the headlight. The boundary of the spot has the shape of a broken straight line, and the break point in the diagram is indicated by the letter “E”. Point "E" should not be moved to the left or right.
The car instructions indicate where the headlight adjustment screws are located. One of them adjusts the vertical tilt, and with the help of the second one changes the direction of the beam “right-left”. Something else hasn't been invented yet.
Why do lamps burn out too often?
The voltage supplied to the contacts of the halogen lamp should be 13.5 Volts. But in reality everything looks more complicated. When the battery is charged, the voltage in the network is specially brought to 14.2 Volts. This reduces the service life of the lamps.
| Voltage, V | Relative brightness, % | Relative service life, % |
| 11,48 | 53 | 1000 |
| 12,15 | 67 | 440 |
| 13,5 | 100 | 100 |
| 14,18 | 120 | 50 |
| 14,85 | 145 | 28 |
Take voltage measurements of the on-board network. Let's say that at high speeds the value exceeds 14.4 Volts. This means that the generator urgently needs to be repaired. Most of the time when the engine is running, the generator produces exactly 13.5 Volts. Therefore, there is no need to lower the voltage by including a choke or resistor in series with the lamp. This will result in a decrease in brightness.
To measure voltage, a multimeter is connected to the battery terminals.
Need access to both terminals of the standard battery During the experiment, the engine will need to be started.
The reason why lamps fail may also be insufficient tightness of the headlights. If the lampshade constantly fogs up, then it is clear that the bulb will not remain perfectly clean. In general, frequent lamp burnouts are a reason to contact a car dealer (here we are talking about cars that are not out of warranty).
Someone in their reviews reports that they change lamps with an H7 base every two months. There are other reviews that say that one set of lamps lasts for a year. In fact, the service life is always indicated on the packaging, and it is 500 or 750 hours. In a good way, these numbers can be multiplied by 2, and if the lamp burns out earlier, we need to look for the reason. There may be a fault in the on-board network. Few people have heard of counterfeit lamps, unlike spark plugs. Products manufactured using simplified technology are another matter. Our advice here is this: carefully study the packaging.
The main aspect of safe road traffic at night is good lighting, which, to some extent, is provided by low beam lamps. A characteristic feature of such lamps is their low glow, which allows you to see in detail the road ahead of the vehicle and part of the roadside. Since the illumination area is quite small, the speed of the car is limited, and the owners of oncoming cars are not blinded by such light, that is, conditions of maximum safety are created.
If the headlights shine dimly or do not shine at all, then the driver risks getting into a serious accident. Therefore, replacing a low beam light bulb is a necessary skill for every car owner, given that such a breakdown happens quite often.
Types of lamps
The choice of lamp depends on the characteristics of the car and its brand, but the final decision is up to the owner. So incandescent lamps are the standard type of low beam lamps and come from the manufacturer. They do not stand out for their brightness or reliability, but are quite suitable if the vehicle speed does not exceed 90 km/h.
Halogen lamps, whose bulbs contain a special gas, combine quality and functionality. The main advantages of such light bulbs are:
- ease of installation;
- low price;
- safe work;
- wide range of applications;
- low energy consumption;
- no ignition unit needed.
Xenon lamps are also popular. They have fairly high brightness with a minimal size. Other advantages:
- long-term operation;
- durable flask;
- the presence of two electrodes replacing the filament;
- powerful light;
- the small size does not create the effect of a light wall.
LED lamps are an almost ideal option, as they significantly improve visibility, thereby ensuring a high level of safety. Another undeniable advantage of LEDs is their resistance to various shocks and vibrations.
Causes of malfunction
There are several factors that contribute to the burnout of low beam lamps:
- malfunction of the fuse, which is responsible for the functioning of automotive optics;
- there is no tightness in the headlight, as a result of which dust and moisture settle on the bulb bulb and on the reflector mirror, which leads to overheating;
- burning of contacts or their oxidation;
- malfunction of the voltage regulator in the generator, voltage surges;
- poor quality lamps;
- there is too much current in the lighting circuit;
- violation of installation rules.
Since one of the common causes of problems with low beams is a malfunction in the safety unit, work begins from this place.
In most cases, the fuse block is located next to the battery. To replace, the latches of the block cover are pressed out, after which it is easily removed. Most vehicle manufacturers leave a detailed diagram on the inside of the block cover that shows which specific circuit each fuse is responsible for. If there is no such diagram, then you will have to look for it in the operating instructions. If the fuses are in order, then you need to proceed to the next step.
Replacing a light bulb yourself
Preparation
Like any other process, replacing a lamp requires some preparation. First of all, you need to prepare the required number of new lamps, cotton gloves, pliers, keys, screwdrivers, a piece of clean cloth and alcohol.
The vehicle should be placed on a level surface and the handbrake should be applied. To prevent rolling, blocks are placed under the wheels. Next, disconnect the wire from the negative terminal of the battery. If the lamps are replaced in the right headlight unit, the washer reservoir must also be removed.
Removing a burnt-out low beam bulb is quite simple. To do this you need:
- Open the hood and place the cover on the stand.
- Using a wrench of the required size, unscrew the bolts that secure the headlight from the outside and the nut that secures it from the inside. Carefully set aside the fasteners so that they do not fall apart or get lost.
- Remove the headlight. Turn the headlight cover counterclockwise.
- Carefully bend the metal holder.
- Disconnect the terminals from the lamp (it is very important to remember their location).
- Remove the old low beam lamp.
Installing a new lamp
Before starting installation, you need to check the integrity of the contacts. If everything is in order, then we replace the light bulb with a new one, carefully monitoring the order of the terminals. It is recommended to hold the new lamp only by the mechanical holder. After installing the equipment, the headlight is returned to its place in the reverse order.
Care is very important when screwing in the bolts and nuts - if they are screwed in weakly, the car headlight will dangle on all the unevenness of the road surface.
Light correction
After replacing the low beam bulb, it is necessary to adjust the light beam. To do this, place the car next to the wall and point a beam of light at it. Ideally, it should be smooth and natural, which will reduce the risk of blinding the driver of an oncoming car.
If you notice broken lines or glare, then to correct it you need to slightly turn the two gears located on the headlight housing with a screwdriver.
Important subtleties
If you have decided to replace the light bulbs yourself, you must adhere to the following important rules:
- The low beam lamp should only be replaced with the battery disconnected. The battery can only be disconnected and connected with the engine turned off;
- To ensure that the elements of the vehicle’s electrical equipment do not fail prematurely, you should not check the serviceability of the circuits for a spark when checking the electrical equipment;
- You cannot use wire instead of fuses, or use fuses designed for too high a current or not provided for by the design of the car;
- To avoid short circuits, it is strictly forbidden to use screwdrivers when replacing fuses;
- Low beam bulbs can be halogen, so it is advisable not to touch them - grease marks cause clouding and darkening of the glass. If such a problem does occur, then the surface of the lamp should be wiped with a clean cloth soaked in alcohol;
- Do not wait for the low beam lamp to burn out. Darkening of the light bulb and decrease in luminous flux is a signal that it is time to change it.
If the replacement was carried out according to all the rules, but the light still does not light, you should contact a car service to determine the exact cause of the malfunction and eliminate it. It is also recommended to change the lamp with the help of specialists if you are not confident in the successful implementation of the process on your own.
Lighting is one of the guarantees of safe traffic on the roads. And therefore, replacing high beam lamps on a VAZ 2110 is an important and responsible process.
As a rule, lighting malfunctions are divided into cases of short-term unstable operation or absolute failure of the lighting. Replacing the high beam lamp on a VAZ 2110 is work aimed primarily at maintaining safety when driving at night.
High beam faults
Malfunctions that occur may be in the nature of periodic inoperability or absolute failure of the headlights (see); there are also cases when the light burns intermittently and is dimmer than usual. As a rule, the high-distance lamp is adjusted for driving at night.
It is easier to eliminate malfunctions of complete failure of light operation. In such cases, there is a certain breakdown or malfunction that is methodically identified and eliminated.
During periodic failures and during elimination, when the system is operating normally, it is much more difficult to determine the malfunction, because it can be hidden anywhere.
Note. Before looking for the reason for the failure of the main beam headlights, it is necessary to understand the functioning mechanism and operating principle, which is as follows:
Principle of operation
So:
- From the battery, power is supplied to the ignition switch, then it passes to the side light switch, from where it goes to the switch, which is located on the steering column. Then control from it passes to the corresponding relay in the fuse box.
- Then the steering switch turns on the power supply, sending voltage to its contacts. The steering switch does not turn on the headlight, but controls the light relays, which supply power to the incandescent lamps through certain fuses.
Note. Thus, when malfunctions occur in the lighting, it is necessary to find out and understand in which part of the circuit there is an open circuit or voltage loss.
Reasons for replacing the high beam lamp
Motorists quite often have to replace high beam lamps. This may be required for various reasons.
This may be due to very dim light, poor illumination, and often the lamps can burn out. In the “tenth” generation, H1 halogen single-contact lamps are used as high beams.
To replace high beam lamps you will need the following materials and tools:
- Lamp AKG12-60 55;
- Clean cloth;
- Alcohol.
The replacement procedure is carried out in the following order:
- First, the hood opens, then the battery is disconnected without fail.
- The headlight housing cover is then rotated 90 degrees counterclockwise and removed.
- The block with wires is disconnected from the high beam lamp socket in the VAZ 2110.
- Both ends of the spring clip are pulled out of the slots, after which the spring clip is turned down.
- The lamp is taken out and a new one is taken.
Note. Halogen high beam lamps on the VAZ 2110 heat up to very high temperatures during operation.
Therefore, you should not touch the lamp bulb with your hands so as not to leave greasy marks on it, because as a result, the lamp can quickly burn out. In the event that the lamp bulb is accidentally touched, wipe it with a clean cloth, which has been previously moistened in alcohol.
- To insert a new lamp, the ends of the spring clip are inserted into the slots.
- Then the block with wires is connected, and the lid is closed by turning it clockwise 90 degrees.
Adjusting the high beam lamps
After installing the high beam lamps, you need to check their adjustment.
This procedure is performed in the following order:
- First, the car is installed, as when adjusting the headlights, in front of the garage wall at a distance of five meters.
- The headlight adjustment is checked in the “0” position of the regulator.
Note. If the check shows that adjustment is necessary, then it needs to be corrected.
- To do this, the regulator is set to position “4”.
Note. When correctly adjusting the headlights, the horizontal border of the light spot should be 25 centimeters lower than the main installation line.
If this value is not achieved, you should check whether the headlight moves freely. If its mobility is normal, the engagement of the spherical head of the servomotor in the headlight adjustment device is checked.
- After this, the pin connections of the servomotor adjuster and high beam are checked.
- If everything is done correctly, then it becomes necessary to measure the voltage between 2 external terminals. The voltage indicator should be 12 V.
- The voltage is then measured between the top and middle terminals. Here, depending on the position of the regulator, the voltage level should be between 12 and 2 V.
Note. In cases where the wires are in good condition, but the indicated values are not achieved, this means a malfunction of the high beam adjustment control.
In the event that it is impossible to achieve the maximum possible tilt of the headlights, despite the correct voltage readings, the high beam adjustment motor needs to be replaced.
When the light from the high beam lamps shines very dimly or very low, then this problem can also be solved in a very simple way with regular modifications, which can take no more than five minutes of time. In this case, you can achieve a striking effect.
To raise the main beam of the headlights, you can slip a small piece of wire under the lamp. Moreover, the thicker the wire, the higher the high beam of the headlight will illuminate.
Note. It should be noted that the headlight does not need to be disassembled for such modification.
There are also cases when the high beam on one of the headlights fails. We should not forget that the light switches on the relay and if the light of the first of the headlights fails and the second one is operational, this means that the light switching circuit before the relay is working normally and you need to look for the fault after the relay from the fuses.
Almost all circuits are protected by fuses, and the installed additional accessories - DVR, navigator, radar detector - receive power from the cigarette lighter, also protected by a fuse.
A specific fuse is responsible for a specific headlight:
- First, the fuse that is responsible for a particular headlight is determined, pulled out and checked for functionality.
Note. The functionality of the fuse can be determined by visual inspection.
- If a fuse is faulty, it must be replaced with a serviceable one of the same power.
Note. After replacing the fuse, there are 2 options: the fuse will blow or the light will not come on. This means a short circuit, the cause of which also needs to be identified.
- After this, the headlight is opened and the high beam lamp is replaced.
Note. This procedure can be simplified if there is a test light required to check the voltage in the headlight.
If you can determine that the voltage when you turn on the high beam is suitable for the headlight, then you can safely remove the pot from the back of the headlight and replace the lamp.
Note. Another malfunction may occur, which consists of loss and breakage of ground to the lamp. You need to take this moment into account and not rush to buy a new lamp right away.
There is also a way to modify the high beams, allowing you to use the standard high beams and DRLs, depending on the time of day. Thanks to the DRL function, you can make your car visible during the day, reduce the current consumption of headlights and increase the life of incandescent lamps.
Refinement involves installing a 12V halogen lamp. In this case, the light is directed into the eyes of oncoming drivers, and not into the asphalt, as with low-beam headlights.
However, the light does not dazzle and makes the car stand out on the road. The DRL function can be done using high beams, which will shine at only 33 percent of the power and act as daytime running lights.
Thus, the normal functioning of the high beam headlights is complemented by an additional mode of sequential activation of 2 high beam lamps. When the DRL button is turned off, the high beam operates in simple mode.
The process of implementing such a function is performed in the following order:
- First, a wire is pulled from the interior to the right headlight.
- The wire is connected to the relay terminal (87), then the cover of the high beam headlight module is opened.
- The ground wire is pulled out and cut in the middle.
- The end of the wire coming from the headlight is insulated, and a wire is soldered to the second end going to the high beam lamp, which is laid through the headlight vent.
Note. It is better to pull the wire from the outside of the headlight, using tweezers, through the low beam hole.
It is necessary to ensure that the new wire inside the headlight does not touch the headlight sockets. This wire acts as a new ground for the high beam lamp.
- The wire is then connected to the relay pin (30) and the 5 pin relay pin (85) is connected to the green wire in the headlight connector.
- The relay terminals (86 and 87) are connected to ground.
Note. It is better to run a separate wire to the side member stud, where the masses of headlights, fog lights and conductors also converge.
- The connections are then insulated with electrical tape and heat shrink tubing.
- The wire in the fuse box in the passenger compartment is connected to the connector, that is, a button, fuse and relay from the fog light circuit are used.
Note. You can make a separate switch in any convenient place.
Power is taken from +12 V after the ignition switch (red-blue wire). Then the daylight will be turned off with the ignition turned off.
It is mandatory to install a 5A fuse.
OK it's all over Now. With my own hands I managed to not only replace the high beam lamp, but also significantly improve the light performance of the headlights.
The instructions given in this article tell you how to act in a situation where there are problems with the high beam headlights, just perfect. And it is noteworthy that by learning how to change headlight lamps yourself and modernize them, you can save a lot of money, because the price of lamps is not expensive, and you do not need to pay repairmen for services.
The importance of light in the dark is very difficult to overestimate, since it directly affects the safety of road traffic for both your car and the cars of other road users. Unfortunately, there are often situations when car owners do not pay due attention to lighting and this behavior leads to consequences, the cost of which is many times greater than the cost of a replacement light bulb. In fact, there is nothing complicated in the replacement process; you only need a few minutes of free time. Let's look at this whole process point by point.
How to replace a low beam bulb - removing the bulb
Low beam headlights are located at the front of the car and, depending on the body design, can be either a separate element or combined with high beam headlights. To remove a light bulb from a headlight you need to perform a certain set of actions:
- First, remove the rubber seal that protects it from the external environment.
- After this, we will be able to see the latch that holds the llama in the headlight, usually it is made in the form of a latch that is fixed on one side, which you just need to press on.
- Next, you should disconnect the plug connector from the lamp; this must be done carefully so as not to damage the wires. Under no circumstances should you pull them, everything should come out easily.
- After completing these procedures, we will have a disconnected light bulb in our hands, which can be removed. It is not recommended to touch the lamp with your hands on the glass to avoid damaging it, especially if it will be installed back into the headlight.
How to replace a low beam light bulb - determining the type of lamp base
Once the lamp is removed and we want to replace it, we need to determine the type of base it has. The most common types of sockets in auto low beam lamps are H1 and H7; if the lamp has two filaments for low and high beam, then its socket will most likely be H4. There are other options; to understand them, we provide a picture of their popular types. The type of base must be taken into account when you are going to buy new lamps in a store to replace old ones; the base of different types of lamps is incompatible with each other; it simply will not fit into the plug connector. You can see what type of lamp is installed without removing it in the car manual; this information is usually indicated on the page with a set of technical characteristics.
How to replace a low beam light bulb - installation process
The process of installing a lamp is similar to removing it, only the steps must be performed in reverse order.
- First, we need to connect the plug connector to the lamp base, then carefully, without touching the glass with your fingers or parts of the car, insert it into the seat in the headlight.
- After this, you need to fix it in the seat using a latch (in some car models, the seat itself is a latch and nothing else needs to be fixed) and close it with a rubber seal.
- Next, you need to turn on the ignition and check the functionality of the installed lamps. In many modern cars, low beam headlights can only be turned on when the engine is running; pay attention to this when checking.
I would like to note that when replacing a lamp, you need to pay special attention to its power consumption. In some cases, it is possible to replace the lamp with a more powerful one, but most often this is unacceptable, since it creates an increased load on the electrical wiring and can lead to its failure (burnout). Also, due to the increased temperature of the lamp, the reflective elements of the headlight unit may melt and break.
A faulty light on a poorly lit road can cause an accident and automatically, even if you are right, makes you the culprit of the accident. The lighting system needs constant and careful monitoring, especially since, as you can see, caring for it is practically no difficulty, especially compared to the consequences of a possible incident that occurred due to its fault. So keep this important unit under control and change the light bulbs in a timely manner, not only when they have already burned out, but also when the process of darkening has begun, which is accompanied by a decrease in light output. Good luck to everyone on the roads.
