We’ve had a number of people come in reporting that their SAAB headlights were dim. So we took one apart to figure out what the problem was…

Here’s what we knew:

The problem tended to be with SAAB 9-3’s. Most of the customers would casually complain that their headlights had gotten dimmer and it tended to be affecting 2003 to 2007 9-3’s. So we checked the headlights by measuring their output with the machine we use for Maryland State Inspections. And sure enough their output was down by 40%. After doing all possible electrical checking, we replaced the headlights. After that they were fine and the customers ended up happy. But what might be causing this problem?

Here’s what we did:

We decided to take one of the offended headlights apart to see what we could find. As it turns out, it appeared the cause was a crinkling of the coating on the bulb reflector. We’re not sure what’s causing the coating to crinkle but we think it may have to do with the prolonged heat from the daytime running lights. Replacing the SAAB headlights is an easy enough solution. But there is always the possibility that after another 5 or 6 years, the problem will re-arise.

There are a couple of different choices available if you’re running into this sort of problem. If you’d like to find out what it would cost to get your SAAB headlights replaced, call us at 301-340-7222 and give us the vehicle ID number for your SAAB and we’ll let you know over the phone.