Have your headlights seen better days? As the headlight assembly on a car ages, the plastic can become cloudy, which reduces visibility and doesn't look all that great from an aesthetic perspective. The good news is that there are plenty of aftermarket headlights available to replace the headlights on your truck or SUV.

There are a few things to be aware of when you shop for replacement headlights. Some of these features include compatibility with your specific vehicle, brightness, quality, and headlight type. Let's take a look at the ins and outs of replacing your headlights.

When Do Headlights Need to Be Replaced?

Headlights slowly wear out each time you turn them on. There is only a finite amount of energy in a light bulb, so each time it's engaged, some of that energy is spent. However, you most likely won't notice this subtle decrease in brightness on a day-to-day basis.

Most people don't worry about replacing headlights until they simply stop working. There are three major signs that you need to replace your headlights.

1. The light emitted becomes noticeably dimmer and it's harder to see the road at night.

2. The headlights start to fluctuate in how bright they are at different times.

3. One headlight burns out, and the other likely won't be too far behind.

Types of Headlights

The first thing to know is the difference between reflector and projector headlights. The former type is an old style of headlight. Most modern headlights are projector headlights. However, automakers still like using reflector headlights because of their smaller size and lower cost.

The basic makeup of a reflector headlight is a bulb in a reflective steel bowl covered by a plastic or glass lens. Initially, the reflector headlight was a single component that had to be replaced as a whole when it burned out.

But then mirrors inside the housing helped to reflect the light from the bulb to direct the beam. This meant that the housing was freed from the lens, allowing truck owners to just replace the bulb instead of the whole thing.

Projector Headlights

Projector headlights are simply a more refined version of their reflector counterparts. In a projector setup, there is the addition of a magnifying lens to increase brightness. Projector headlights provide brighter and more balanced light. They can also be used with HID and LED bulbs.

Halo Headlights

Another term you might see is halo headlights. These are headlights with a light arrangement in a circular pattern. There are a few different types of halo headlights. The most common are CCFL halo headlights. These lights are set up with cold cathode fluorescent lighting tubes filled with gas that burns cooler, which eliminates hotspots and discoloration.

There are also LED halo rings and some of these can change color on demand, but this is typically a feature only on off-road lights as it's not usually street-legal.

Halogen Bulbs

Halogen headlight bulbs are the classic type found in old cars and trucks. Halogen bulbs are similar to incandescent lights in that they use a filament and gas encased in a sealed reflector housing. When the filament receives an electrical current, it creates light.

Nearly 80% of vehicles on the road still use halogen headlights, even though more of them are now in a projector setup.

High-Intensity Discharge (HID) Bulbs

HID bulbs and Xenon bulbs are similar and the terms are often used interchangeably. However, to be more accurate, Xenon headlights are a subcategory of HID. In this setup, two electrodes are surrounded by a gas mixture encased in the bulb.

When the electrodes receive current, the gas is energized to make light. HID bulbs are nearly three times brighter than halogen and the color is less yellow. In fact, HID bulbs make light that is so white it almost looks bluish. HID headlights require less energy than halogen, plus they're brighter and last longer.

Light-Emitting Diode (LED) Bulbs

LED headlights are becoming increasingly popular as factory equipment for modern cars. LEDs are also used as taillights, running lights, and fog lights. LED lights on cars and trucks aren't new. Many indicator lights in your instrument panel are likely LEDs. However, using LED lights as headlights and other exterior lights is fairly new.

In an LED setup, a diode semiconductor emits photons as electrons pass through it. These photons are the light that we see. LED lights are expensive to replace, but they last a lot longer than HID and halogen lights. They also use less energy and generate less heat.

Which Headlight Type is the Brightest?

The brightness of headlight bulbs is measured in lumens. One lumen is roughly the same as the light of one candle. The more lumens a bulb is rated for, the brighter it is. Halogen bulbs generate about 700 lumens. HID or Xenon bulbs generate about 3,000 lumens. LED bulbs can make up to 4,000 lumens, but some are rated at around 2,000 or 3,000.

What Headlights Should You Choose?

If you want to get the most for your money, LED headlights produce the most light, use the least amount of energy, and can last up to 30,000 hours. The upfront cost for LED headlights is more than other types, but they last longer and are more effective.

Installing Replacement Headlights

Replacing your headlight assemblies is a fairly involved process. The first thing you'll need to do is unpack everything and make sure everything listed is there. If you're installing LED or HID headlights, you should also pick up an anti-flicker wiring harness as these allow for uninterrupted relay function.

Depending on how your vehicle's headlight assembly is set up, you might need to remove part of the bumper area to fully remove the assembly. Take a close look at the bumper cover to locate the bolts that secure it. You will probably need to open the hood to see exactly where they are.

The next step is to unbolt your old headlight assembly. To do this, you might have to remove a section of your vehicle's grille depending on where the bolts or clips are located. After you remove any bolts and clips, you'll also need to disconnect all electrical wires.

Once the original assembly has been fully removed, you can install the new assembly. Make all of the electrical connections first before attaching the new assembly. The final step is to connect the extra wires that come with aftermarket headlight assemblies such as halo and LED setups.

You can also get headlights installed at any Action location if the process seems too difficult. Use the vehicle selector tool to determine which headlights will fit your vehicle. You can rely on Action for top-quality car and truck accessories, including replacement headlights and harnesses.