Tribute Hybrid Headlight Problem
 

Hi all,

I have a 2008 Mazda Tribute Hybrid Grand Touring. My headlights have always been pretty terrible. I drive a lot in the mountains and open roads and would like to figure out how I might fix my problem, so I don't hit a deer, elk or horse at night!!

1. When I put on my high beams, they create a thin light pattern that is not very wide and about 3 feet high that doesn't light up the road very well. I am wondering if there were any problems with the headlight housings for this model that would cause my headlights to do this rather than put out a wider and higher beam?

2. This makes it seem like the lights are DIM?? Currently, I have installed Sylvania Silverstar Ultras and it has not helped.

Does anyone have any experience with this? What do you think if I ordered another pair of headlight housings and installed? Might that refocus my light better? I thought that I read in another forum that the headlight bulb recommended for this model, the H13/9008, was actually the wrong bulb?? Maybe that is causing the poor light field? Does anyone know what alternate bulb might work?

I have never had an accident with this vehicle, so I don't believe that the housing was ever bent or repositioned. I did take them to the local Mazda dealer and have them checked, they said they were fine. After that I bought a 4mm socket to try to adjust the height of the headlights, but only raised the height of the thin light pattern.

So, I would like to know if anyone has experienced this and found a fix. I am on the verge of purchasing an aftermarket HID kit, but wonder if I would just have a brighter, small, thin patch of light?

Thank you for any ideas,

Arlie