When it comes to taking care of your vehicle's headlights, you don't automatically need to schedule a visit to your local repair shop when something goes wrong. While it's nice to be able to rely on a mechanic as a backup plan, the average car owner can typically perform a number of tasks to take care of his or her own headlights. Seek out a store like Parts Max in your city that sells automotive accessories; you'll find that it carries the supplies that you'll need to keep your headlights in tip-top shape year after year. Here are some jobs that you should feel confident tackling yourself.

Replacing a Headlight

Occasionally, one of your headlights will burn out and need to be replaced. Try to get to this job quickly, as driving in the dark with just one headlight can reduce your ability to see as well as potentially lead to your being stopped by the police. While the process for changing a headlight differs by car, you can typically open your hood to gain access to the inside of your headlight structures. You can then either unscrew the old bulb and replace it with a new one or loosen the headlight housing first to gain access to the headlights. When one headlight burns out, it's a good practice to buy a package of two replacement bulbs, as the other might soon burn out, too.

Buffing Your Headlight Covers

Over countless miles of driving, your headlight covers can become discolored and even pitted due to flying stones. This doesn't necessarily mean that you need to replace them. Buy a headlight restoration kit from your auto accessories store. It typically contains a cleaning solution that you use to cover the headlight cover, letting it sit for a short interval. Then, you use a buffing compound to vigorously go over the surface of the headlight cover and restore its original sheen.

Aiming Your Headlights

Sometimes, one or both of your headlights can get out of proper alignment. This often occurs when a car bumps into another vehicle. Improperly aimed headlights reduce your visibility at night, so it's important to get them aimed. Although an auto shop can do this work for you, you can attempt it yourself. Check your vehicle's manual for the location of the adjustment screws on the rear of the light housings. After dark, park in front of your garage door with the lights on. Open the hood, use a flashlight to find the adjustment screws, and turn them accordingly. There are typically vertical and horizontal adjustment screws, although this differs by vehicle.