Table of Contents

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Headlights are the car lighting system’s most prominent and essential lights. However, other lights also play a critical role in different situations.
Car vacuum cleaners come in many designs and forms, the most common of which is the handheld car vacuum. Top 15 Best Car Vacuum Cleaners in 2018 cleaner.

When it comes to car lights, several different options are available nowadays. Learning about them will help you change easily if any of them burn out. Continue reading the article below to learn about the different lights in a vehicle.

Short on Time – Here’s a Quick Summary

There are different car lights, including headlights, reversing, instruments, etc. For instance, the headlights allow drivers to see through the road at night. Similarly, the storage box light is internal in the car and used to search for contents in the storage box.

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Importance of Car Lights

Car lights play various roles in a car. There are different types of car lights, each serving a different purpose in your car. Apart from visibility, they are also essential indicators and help with the safety of other motorists on the road.

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Following the rules on the road also includes using your vehicle’s various lights in appropriate situations. This will enhance your driving safety and other passengers and drivers on the road.
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Different Car Lights & Their Functions

Car lights are divided into internal and external sections based on their functions and uses. This section will explore the different car lights and their functions.

Internal Car Lights

Interior automotive lighting is a broader term divided into three categories: displays and indicators, illumination, and accent lighting.

  • Displays and Indicators: The display and indicator lights are used to obtain information, such as the standard dashboard instrumentation information or any more complex information from a navigation system.
  • Illumination: The interior illumination system enables drivers or passengers to see something else in the car, for instance, dome lights, mirror lights, etc.
  • Accent Lighting: The accent lighting provides styling and aesthetic cue, creating a desired ambiance in the car or locating various controls, such as the power window controls and radio knobs, in a darkened cabin.
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Car vacuum cleaners come in many designs and forms, the most common of which is the handheld car vacuum. Top 15 Best Car Vacuum Cleaners in 2018 cleaner.
While interior lights light up your vehicle cabin, you shouldn’t turn them on for long, especially when driving, as they might impact your driving and battery life.

Let’s explore different internal lights.

Instrument Panels

The instrument panel is a section of the vehicle’s dashboard sitting behind the steering wheel. It consists of multiple gauges and lights, updating the drivers on the vehicle’s status. For example, the check engine light may illuminate the instrument panel when there is a problem with the engine. Moreover, the instrument panel gets illuminated in most cars in the dark.

Trunk Light

The trunk light is a small bulb on top of the car’s trunk. Its main function is to light up the trunk whenever the lid opens. Since the trunk light is used less often, it can last many years. Replacing it will cost you somewhere between $20 to $100.

Car Door Illuminations/Puddle Light

Puddle lights, also known as car door lights, are the car lamps below the mirror. These lights illuminate the car ground near the door every time you open the door. Puddle lights prevent people from stepping into puddles or anything murky while sitting in the car.

Overhead Lighting/Dome lights/ Courtesy Lights

The lights are present to illuminate your vehicle’s cabin in the dark. They are located on the overhead console, and each light has a button to turn them on or off. Also known as dome or courtesy lights, the overhead lights are located on the vehicle’s ceiling and turn on when people enter or exit the car. Normally, these lights will stay on until you start the vehicle so the passengers can fasten their seat belts.

Storage Box Lighting

Storage box light is present in the storage compartment of most vehicles. It will light the compartment in the dark to make it easy for you to search for the contents of the storage box. However, most cars today don’t have this light in the glove box, and many drivers may also light the compartment using LED lights.

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You don’t usually use interior and exterior lights in our cars in the daytime. However, you must ensure proper lighting during the night time to drive safely.
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External Car Lights

External car lights are all the lights outside the car and provide better visibility to drivers in the dark, rainy, or foggy seasons. It covers all the lights around the perimeter of the car. Also, the law requires exterior car lighting, and rigid regulations are present that you must fulfill for the light function to become road-legal.

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Different countries enforce different regulations for car lighting. For example, the USA regulates car vehicles to use sealed-beam, HID, or replaceable halogen bulbs in factory-fitted housing as main forward illumination.
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Let’s explore different external lights

High-Mount Stop Light

A high-mounted stop lamp is fitted in the central, high-mounted position of the vehicle’s rear. It is generally higher than the stop lamps on the vehicle’s side. It operates when you activate the service brake, meaning when you step on the brake pedal.

Tail Turn Signal Light

Tail lights are present at the vehicle’s rear and produce only red lights to enable other vehicles to spot you while you turn or overtake. Moreover, the drivers traveling behind you can recognize you’re there and how far ahead your vehicle is.

Brake Light

The brake light is the same as a tail light that will light up whenever the driver steps on the brake pedal or stops the car. While the brake lights are not prone to misuse, you must maintain them to prevent occasional burnout.

Reverse Light

The reverse light or backlight is present at the back of the car and is used to warn other drivers about your car’s movement. Generally, reverse lights are white to differentiate them from the tail lights and will light up whenever you move your car backward.

High/low Beam Light

Headlights are the essential light of a car and illuminate the path sufficiently to ensure safe night driving and provide two high and low beams.

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High beam light provides maximum illumination on the road for night driving, while low beam light provides low illumination compared to high beam.
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There are three types of headlights available in the market nowadays.

  • HID Headlights: HID headlights contain HID bulbs and are brighter than standard headlights.
  • LED Headlights: LED headlights are energy-efficient and produce brighter, whiter light than standard ones.
  • Halogen Headlights: Halogen headlights are not as bright as LED and HID lights and consume more energy than them.

License Plate Light

License plate lights are the lights in the rear of your car that illuminate your license plate to other drivers. It enables other drivers to read your license plate number in the dark. However, only some cars have a license plate light.

Front Turn Signal Light

Signal lights play a vital role in the safety of your car. They indicate deceleration and a change in the direction of your vehicle or whenever you switch lanes. This enables drivers to switch lanes smoothly and become visible to other drivers on the road when it is dark or during poor visibility.

Front Fog Light

The front fog light is located below the headlight assembly and emits a wide beam of light with a sharp cutoff at the top to prevent it from reflecting off the fog. Such lights aid visibility whenever the weather is bad or may reduce the ability to see the road ahead.

The below table demonstrates the different types of interior and exterior car lights at a glance.

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Interior Car LightsExterior Car Lights
Storage box lightFront fog lights
Instrument panel lightFront turn signal lights
Dome lightsLicense plate lights
Puddle lightsHeadlights
Trunk lightBrake light
Mirror lightingReverse light
Infotainment displaysTail light

Conclusion

While there are different types of car lights, each serves a different purpose and use. For example, the headlights provide visibility on the road in the dark. Similarly, the storage box light is present in the storage compartment of the car interior to light the storage box. Moreover, laws in different states require you to have particular lights on your cars, including headlights, tail lights, blinkers, and brake lights. However, other lights, such as fog lights, turn signal lights, etc., also play a vital role in providing visibility to drivers in bad weather or while switching lanes.

FAQs

There are different types of lights in front of the car, but headlights are the most essential. There are two types of headlights: high beam and low beam, which enable drivers to see on the road while driving in the dark and have better visibility.

Usually, the headlights consist of a dipped beam, a sidelight, and an indicator, most commonly orange in color. Depending on your car’s make and model, you may also have daytime running lights (DRL) on your vehicle, which will come on whenever the engine is on.

Four-way flashers are a hazard or emergency light and can be activated by pushing the hazard light switch. Drivers turn on these lights in case of emergencies, such as mechanical failures or any medical emergency, whenever they have to stop their car in an awkward place, and can warn other drivers of your presence.

Sidelights, also known as parking lights, are found in the headlamp unit in your car’s front corner. They aren’t as bright as the headlights, and drivers can use them when it’s not too dark. Also, many drivers may use them when parking in the dark.

Tail lights are present at the vehicle’s rear and produce only red lights to enable other vehicles to spot you while you turn or overtake. Moreover, the drivers traveling behind you can recognize you’re there and how far ahead your vehicle is.

Headlights are not the same as taillights. They both are different not only in use but also in bulb size, shape, and function. However, most work the same way depending on the car type and model. Headlights are present at the front of the vehicle, while the tail light is on the rear part of the car.

About Author

Andrew Ray

Andrew is an automotive technician with 10 years of experience mainly in American and Japanese cars, covering everything from routine vehicle maintenance and engine inspections to tire rotation.