NHTSA Complaint #10243594 — 1994 LINCOLN MARK VIII

93 THROUGH 96 LINCOLN MARK VIII HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY THE PROBLEM IS ONE OF MANY FACTORS: HEAT, PLASTIC, ULTRAVIOLET EXPOSURE, BAD DESIGN, ALL ROLLED UP INTO A NICE MESS. THE HALOGEN BULBS USED ARE QUITE HOT. THIS IS A KNOWN FACT. ADD IN THE SHORT HEIGHT OF THE HOUSING, AND YOU HAVE A REAL PROBLEM. ALSO, INSIDE THE LOW BEAM HOUSING, THERE IS A DIFFUSER, WHICH IS USED TO CUT DOWN THE DIRECT LIGHT FROM THE BULB, AND PRODUCE A SLIGHTLY LOWER INTENSITY BEAM. ALL OF THESE "FEATURES" OF THE ASSEMBLY CONTRIBUTE TO GENERATING SO MUCH TRAPPED HEAT FROM THE BULB, THE TOP SIDE OF THE REFLECTOR MATERIAL IS BURNED AWAY. THIS REDUCES THE REFLECTIVE QUALITIES OF THE REFLECTOR, OF COURSE, BUT IT ALSO LEAVES A BLACK AND YELLOW CHARRED AREA WHICH ACTUALLY ABSORBS SOME OF THE LIGHT. NOT ONLY IS THERE LESS LIGHT BEING REFLECTED FROM THE TOP (AND THIS IS IMPORTANT IN THE DESIGN OF THE LIGHT ITSELF), THERE IS LESS LIGHT IN GENERAL DUE TO THE DARKENED SPOT! THE PROBLEM IS SO SEVERE THAT I BELIEVE, GIVEN ENOUGH TIME, THE ASSEMBLY ITSELF WILL ACTUALLY MELT AWAY. THERE IS SIMPLY NO WHERE FOR THE HEAT TO GO, EXCEPT UP. NOW COUPLE THESE PROBLEMS WITH THE FACT THAT THE PLASTIC CLEAR LENS TENDS TO NOT ONLY YELLOW WITH AGE (DUE TO CLEANING PROBLEMS AND ULTRAVIOLET EXPOSURE) BUT ALSO START TO HAVE HUNDREDS OF TINY STRESS CRACKS IN THE LENS ITSELF. THE YELLOW DIMS THE LIGHT AGAIN, AND THE TINY CRACKS DIFFUSE THE REMAINING LIGHT. THE RESULT IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION OF LOW LIGHTING OF THE ROAD. ALL IN ALL, A PRETTY BAD SYSTEM FOR SOMETHING THAT CAME ON A $35,000-$45,000 CAR, DON'T YOU THINK? *TR