According to advice from the Ninety Eight Auto Repair, Maintenance and Care Center (Cat Lai ward, Ho Chi Minh City), the upgrade of the lighting system needs to be carried out in accordance with the car's design.
Installing lights of the wrong type, arbitrarily connecting or using equipment with consumption capacity higher than the response capacity of the circuit can generate many risks.
Many car owners choose to upgrade headlights with the desire to improve visibility when moving at night. However, increasing lighting is not simply replacing a light bulb with a higher brightness.
Brightness and power consumption are two different factors. Because some types of LEDs have the ability to glow strongly, but power consumption is still lower than the original halogen bulbs.
Conversely, if using a bulb or light set with significantly higher power consumption than the original design, the current flowing through the circuit may increase. At that time, the wires, jacks, fuses and related parts must meet the new load level.
If the system is not suitable or the connection is performed carelessly, some locations may be abnormally hot, reducing the durability of components and potentially causing electrical short circuits.
The quality and heat dissipation capacity of the lights are also issues to note. With large-capacity LEDs, heat is often concentrated in the LED chip, controller and heat dissipation cluster behind the bulb.
Many products have to use fans or cooling blocks to maintain operating temperature. If installed in a cramped space, the heat dissipation is hindered, or inappropriate products are used, high temperatures can affect the lifespan of components and surrounding parts.
Too strong light or incorrect direction of projection can also be dangerous for traffic participants. When the vehicle passes through steep roads, deceleration bends or uneven road surfaces, the projection angle may change, causing light to shine directly into the eyes of drivers traveling in the opposite direction.
Therefore, when upgrading headlights, car owners should not only care about brightness. If the original lighting system works poorly, it is necessary to check the glare condition of the headlights, glass surface, light bulbs, power source and actual lighting capacity before deciding to replace them. After installation, the system needs to be adjusted to a suitable lighting direction to limit glare.
Overly dark car glass can also reduce the amount of light into the cockpit, making drivers feel limited vision and tend to use lights brighter than necessary. Therefore, it is necessary to consider overall visibility instead of just increasing light power.
For electric and hybrid vehicles, lamp upgrades also need to comply with the manufacturer's technical instructions. Users should absolutely not arbitrarily interfere with wires, parts with high voltage symbols or battery systems without expertise.
Upgrading lamps according to proper techniques can improve nighttime visibility. Conversely, choosing the wrong product, increasing power inappropriately or arbitrarily connecting can affect the electrical system and increase the risk of glare for other vehicles.
