What Is a Tail Light?

A tail light is the automotive lighting located on the rear side of your vehicle. It is used to indicate when your vehicle is braking or changing directions.

Several things can cause your car’s tail lights to not work properly. First, check the fuse, wiring and light bulb for problems.

Headlights

Headlights are an essential part of driving at night. They are controlled by the headlight control switch on one of the levers protruding from the steering wheel. They are usually represented by a symbol showing a light bulb and five lines pointing downwards (low beam) or a light bulb and three straight lines indicating high-beam.

Today’s cars have a range of lights that can be adjusted for the best view possible. Most use halogen bulbs that have electrical current heating a tungsten filament in a glass tube to produce light. Others have LED or HID (High Intensity Discharge) lights that don’t use a filament and produce a brighter, whiter light.

These lights have significant environmental impacts because of their high intensity, horizontal and long trajectory, broad spectral distribution, and the pulse-like illuminance they cause in habitat and organisms. It may be necessary to consider how to manage the spread of vehicle headlights, alongside consideration of other sources of artificial lighting, and to incorporate landscape or design changes that limit their influence on wildlife.

Brake Lights

The brake lights on your car are the ones that light up as you press down on the brake pedal to slow down or stop. They help tail light other drivers see your vehicle and avoid collisions with vehicles behind you, especially in foggy or nighttime driving conditions.

When you depress the brake pedal, a switch attached to the brake lever connects with the fuses and wiring connected to the brake lights, turning on the lights and sending power to the brake mechanisms. Some cars have a third brake light that illuminates when the parking brake is engaged.

If any of these dashboard warning lights appear and remain on, it is time to get your brakes checked out at Les Schwab. A warning light that stays on could indicate low brake fluid, a problem with the hydraulic brake system or even that you’ve left your parking brake on.

Tail Lights

The lights on the back of your car help you be seen in low-light conditions. They also turn red to indicate your vehicle is stopping and turning. If you have trouble with your tail lights, you should check the fuse, wiring and light bulb first to see if they’re okay. If they aren’t, it could be a deeper electrical problem that needs to be looked at by a professional.

LED tail lights are becoming more popular as they use less energy and last longer than traditional bulbs. They can also be used in different colors and shapes to create unique tail lights for vehicles.

Newer light commercial vehicles are computerized and have complex electrical systems. Adding LED lights to these vehicles isn’t as simple as changing a bulb, so you should always contact a professional. They can help you decide whether it’s possible to add an LED tail light to your new or used vehicle.

LED Lights

LED lights are more durable than other bulbs, as they can withstand harsh vibrations and other environmental factors. They are also better able to handle moisture and corrosion. They don’t produce as much heat as other bulbs, and the lack of brittle glass makes them safer to use in environments where broken bulbs could pose a hazard, such as food preparation areas.

However, Ogunseitan warns that LED bulbs do contain small amounts of hazardous chemicals. She says that if one does break, people should wear gloves and a mask while sweeping it up and dispose of the debris as hazardous waste. She adds that the fumes generated by breaking open an LED are unlikely to cause cancer, but they can trigger respiratory problems. Additionally, she points out that because LED bulbs don’t require specialist disposal, they have a smaller carbon footprint at the end of their life.

Halogen Lights

Due to their high color rendering and natural daylight-like color temperature, halogen bulbs are popular in spaces that require tail light accurate colors, such as art galleries and museums. They also make for ideal scene lighting in photography and film.

A halogen bulb is similar to an incandescent, but has a special envelope made of quartz that can hold the filament at a higher temperature without melting. The envelope also contains a halogen gas, which reacts with the tungsten and stops it from blackening over time, so that the filament can last longer.

These unique properties also make halogen lamps popular in track lighting fixtures around the home. They have standard edison screw-in bases and are often designated by their size (for example, MR16). Halogen bulbs cost from $1 to $5 on average.

Xenon Lights

Xenon lights, also known as HID (high-intensity discharge) lights, are used to brighten up your vehicle at night. They use a combination of gas and metal salts to create light when an electrical current runs through them. They are much more energy efficient than traditional halogen headlights and can last up to twice as long as a halogen bulb.

These lights are a popular choice for drivers who want to upgrade their car’s lighting. They are more powerful than standard bulbs, creating a brighter and wider beam of light. This makes them more effective in illuminating potential hazards on the road, especially around corners.

Xenon lights don’t contain mercury like traditional halogen bulbs, so they are less harmful to the environment. They also have a longer lifespan and are easier to recycle if they break. However, they require more electricity to start up than halogen bulbs.