Different car lights play various roles to ensure road safety and proper communication among drivers. Interior vehicle lights such as battery alert lights and tire pressure monitoring systems display information crucial for every driver. Car lights provide visibility inside and outside the vehicle. Regular light maintenance will ensure proper functionality and clear illumination, promoting road safety. Below are tips for maintaining car lights.
1. Address yellowing and clouding- Maintaining Car Lights
Yellowed or clouded lights generate less light than new lights, resulting in dangerous nighttime driving. The reduced lighting is usually due to sunlight damaging the protective plastic coatings, causing discoloration that reduces your headlight’s ability to generate sufficient light on dark roads. Car engine chemicals and smog can also yellow the car lights. Regularly check your headlights for deterioration signs and get a low-cost restoration service to boost visibility. You may also have automotive lighting experts like XK Glow install new lights for clear visibility.
2. Consider headlight restoration
Your auto headlights are vulnerable to hazards such as humidity, sunlight, cleaning chemicals, acid rain, small insects, and road debris, causing discoloration and the protective coating’s oxidation. This reduces the headlights’ ability to project light, reducing nighttime effectiveness. Headlight restoration involves cleaning, sanding, and polishing, to remove pollution and maintain the headlights’ condition. A protective coating is applied during restoration to make the light seem new. If done correctly, headlight restoration can restore your car’s initial lighting performance and improve cosmetic appearance.
3. Avoid replacing one light bulb
Your bulbs begin to dim, and the light quality decreases as time passes. Replacing the bulbs at different times will cause light imbalance. If your bulbs are from one manufacturing batch and were installed at the same period, they’ll most likely fail at close intervals. Failure to replace them simultaneously might compromise safety because the bulbs can fail at different times. Replacing one light bulb means different levels of brightness, which may distract you and other drivers, compromising safety. Replacing light bulbs in pairs ensures that the color, brightness, and beam pattern are evenly matched.
4. Check headlight alignment
Misaligned beams provide improper visibility and cause safety concerns for other road users. Blinding other drivers with your headlights is annoying and potentially dangerous. To check your headlights’ alignment, get a screwdriver, spirit level, masking tape, level ground, measuring tape, garage door or dark wall, and about 10m of space or as recommended by the car owners’ manual. Your headlight’s center point should be a cm lower for each meter your vehicle moves from the starting point.
5. Inspect your car lights
The first step to proper car light maintenance involves regular light inspections. Turn on the lights and walk around the car to assess them for defects, uneven dimness, and other failures. When checking your brake lights, running lights, and turn signals, ask someone to stand behind the vehicle as you operate them. Looking at your car’s owner’s manual, you’ll learn how to examine the lights and the replacement type they need. You may also consider getting a car light inspection service for professional functionality assessment. This helps identify the parts that need replacement or even cleaning.
Endnote
Car lights maintenance is essential for effective nighttime driving. Use these tips to maintain your vehicle lights for improved functionality, clear visibility, and improved road safety.