99 Dodge Caravan-problem with very poor lit headlights.

[Swatmedic5]

I have a 1999 Dodge grand caravan which has very dim headlights.
Anyone know how to improve the headlight quality?

My other auto is a Nissian Xterra and its headlights are awesome, can
see for almost a mile on dim and i cant see the lines with the dodge.
Any ideas would be helpful.

Thanks in advance

Swatmedic

[Bill D]

Yeah, these lights are very poor. I upgraded my lamps to Sylvania
Xtravisions and it helped a bit but they are still sub-standard. I think
they were improved starting in 2001.

"Swatmedic5" <jshu...@ga1host.com> wrote in message
news:1104969595....@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com...

[Nomen Nescio]

Do you have a heavily tinted after-market windshield? Those will
definitely attenuate the light rays.

Could your eyes be dimming out on you? Once you hit 40, your peepers start
to go.

Could your factory windshield be pitted? In some parts of the country, a
windshield can be sandblasted in 50 miles of driving. This defect will
scatter light and drive you nuts.

Are your headlamps getting the voltage? Put a voltmeter across the high
beam contacts and run the engine in neutral. With the lights on, it should
read about 13 volts or better.

Are your headlamps aged? Old lamps turn dark because the filament leaves
its deposits on the inner surface of the glass bulb.

Are you expecting too much from your headlamps? After all they only put
out about 120 watts total. Thats only twice a typical table end lamp in
your home.

Driving conditions have a lot to do with it. In the city, ambient light is
so bright, sometimes you can't see the headlamp beam strike the road in
front of you. The same lighting system on a dark, moonless night on a
country road can shine a beam half a mile.

Are you headlamps aimed properly? Those beams that can carry half a mile
might only illuminate 100 feet if dipped down too far.

Next time, buy a MacIntosh and enjoy your computing free of virus and
spyware.

[kmat...@sisna.com]

This is correct. The headlamps on the 1996 - 2000 minivans don't put
out as much light as the previous or later models. When the van was
re-designed for the 2001 model year, the headlamp size was increased.

As suggested above, you can try installing the Sylvania Xtravision
bulbs. They did help a little on my 1998 Dodge Stratus which has a
simliar design.

-Kirk Matheson

[Brigitte]

"Ugarte" <uga...@rickscafe.net> wrote in message
news:0onqt09ku02v96kk1...@4ax.com...

> If you've ever driven a '96-2000 Chrysler minivan at night you would
> not need to ask all these questions.

How true. I have a 99 T&C and the headlights suck.

I am over 40, but my age has had no ill effect on the headlights of my 95
GC, 95 Saturn, 95 Jeep, or my 85 Ford F150. :)

[Richard]

First; re-wire the light circuit with relays so that the lights are fed
directly off the battery and directly to ground.

Second; get those Sylvinia bulbs mentioned in another post.

Third; if you have the cash, get a set of German lights for this vehicle.

Richard.

[Swatmedic5]

New update, now the low beams are out, both out at once. High beams
still work. The poor light has been for months so i dont know which
was a sign of which. Does anyone know if both go out if one is bad?
I havent checked the bulbs yet. Will in just a bit, always a pain
there.

[Daniel J. Stern]

Halogen bulbs placed in service on a common circuit at the same time tend
to have VERY similar lifespans. They REALLY dropped the ball on those
'96-'00 minivan headlamps; they're barely adequate even when they're both
working and perfectly aimed. Scout around until you find someplace near
you that sells the new GE Night Hawk bulbs; at the moment those are the
best 9007s available for your van.

DS

[pyrok...@gmail.com]

Hey I know this post is super old but I also have a 1999 dodge caravan and have had the same problem and it's rather dangerous so what I did was I skipped pass all the regular B.S. lightbulbs and went with the High-intensity discharge lamps (HID lamps) xenon 8k or 10k are perfect and legal in N.J. hope this helps you and anybody else with this problem ....its so worth it to go with these rather then wasting money on regular lamps .