Car lighting is essential to ensure the safety and comfort of travel on the road. There are two main types of automotive lighting – internal and external, each of which plays a massive role for the driver.
Types of car lighting
Automotive lighting can be divided into two such basic types:
- External. Accordingly, we are talking about the lighting equipment, which is located on the outside of the vehicle, that is, the front and rear optics.
- Internal. This is lighting that is located inside the car and serves for the comfort of travel and much more.
There is an opinion that internal lighting does not play a significant role, that only external lighting is the most important thing. However, this is not entirely accurate, since each equipment is designed for a particular purpose.
Features and types of main automotive lighting
The main car lighting includes the passing (low beam) light mode and the driving (high beam) light mode. These are light modes that are located on the front optics of the vehicle and are used in bad weather and at night.
- Low beam mode – is used to provide illumination of the road at night and in bad weather. On average, the beam of passing mode extends ahead of the car for a distance of 60 to 80 meters, providing powerful lighting and safety for the driver on the road.
- High beam mode – is used to provide lighting in the dark, used exclusively on country roads in the absence of other transport – oncoming traffic. Such light can extend in front of the car from 130 to 150 meters. Therefore, it is often used, as noted, when there is no oncoming traffic since such rays can blind drivers of oncoming traffic, which reduces road safety.
Headlamps for low and high beam modes
It is worth noting that the car head optics can be of two types: double (separated near and a far beam of light, therefore, use two bulbs) and single (near and far light piecework, for this, one lamp with operation in double mode or bilens is used).
For double optics use such types of automobile lamps:
- Halogen lamps with one filament.
- Xenon lamps for one and the other light modes.
- An LED lamp is possible to use for one of the modes of light – often passing.
For single optics use the following types of lamps:
- Halogen lamps with two filaments – one short and one long. The operation of a short thread delivers a passing beam, and a long thread delivers a driving beam.
- Xenon lamps, which are installed in bilens. This is such equipment, which is a searchlight device. In the design of the bi-xenon lens, there is a special mechanism – a shutter with a magnet. When the shutter is raised – the low beam light mode is provided, since part of the beam is cut off, and when lowered – the high beam light mode.
Regardless of the type of optics of the car, whether single or double, it is recommended to use xenon lamps, because they provide:
- The best lighting of the roadway – capturing the roadside, but not blinding drivers of oncoming traffic.
- Have a long service life of 3 or 4 years.
- Provide white light, which is as close as possible to the daytime type.
- Consume a minimum amount of car energy.
- Characterized by high reliability, durability, and resistance to vibration of the car.
Many vehicles, today, are equipped with factory xenon equipment, although a considerable part is still produced with halogen lamps. Halogen optics of the car, thanks to the universal xenon – can be modified if desired.
LED Headlights
The LED lighting is much more profitable in this regard: their service life is many times longer, and the energy consumption is very low.
Today, manufacturers offer both budget options worth up to $20, and expensive models from well-known brands. Their prices can reach $500, but they are powerful, durable, with a large lighting sector, turn on without heating. Read our Ram 1500 LED headlights article to find out more unique features.
Also, such lamps are protected by shock-resistant, sealed, waterproof housing. Ultra-bright LEDs are capable of operating at air temperatures from -40 to + 80 °C.
The advantages of LED headlights include:
- good light output – 1800 Lm;
- optimal light temperature — 6000 K;
- low energy consumption;
- they do not “blind” drivers of oncoming cars;
- protection from moisture;
- vibration resistance;
- instant fire-up.
You can order, for example, Jeep LED headlights in any configuration, but more often, the kit consists of two headlights and a fastener. As a rule, the number of LEDs in one headlight from 5 to 12 pcs. Most advisable is to use such headlights as daytime running lights. Also, LED lamps are often installed to illuminate the license plates, turn signals, brake lights.
Additional external car lighting
Additional lighting of the car plays a huge role, and therefore we would like to tell you more about such equipment.
Rear external additional lighting
Rear additional external lighting of cars are rear marker lights, rear turn signals, rear brake lights, reversing lights, license plate lights. All presented lights of additional external lighting of vehicles are located on the right and left headlight behind and in front.
- Marker lights – they are front and rear. These lights are used to indicate the overall width of the car and are used at night. They provide visibility of the vehicle and its size in the dark. This ensures safety for the driver on the road.
- Turn signals are such lights that are located in front and behind the vehicle. They are used both during the day and at night, indicating to other road users your intentions to make a turn.
- Brake lights are lights that are located only on the rear optics of the vehicle. They are necessary to warn road users, moving behind you, about the stop. Also, such lights, together with the marker lights, are used to signal an emergency stop. We have a Jeep tail lights article with the list of the best brake lights for Wrangler JK & JKU.
- Reversing lights are the kind of lighting equipment that is needed for illumination at night to ensure safe parking. Also, such lights serve to indicate your actions to other drivers.
- License plate lights are special light bulbs of low brightness that turn on at night and provide good visibility of the inscription on your vehicle license plate.
Each of the presented types of additional equipment plays a significant role in ensuring safety for the driver on the road. Therefore it is not recommended to neglect such lamps.
Independent external vehicle lighting
Daytime running lights are lighting devices that are installed at the front of the vehicle below the head optics. They serve for the expressiveness of the car in the daytime, providing greater safety to the driver. Individual modules of daytime running lights are LED devices of increased brightness and duration of the operation.
Fog lights are special devices that are installed at the front and rear (optional) of the vehicle. They serve to increase the visibility of the roadway in bad weather conditions. Such lights are used in fog, rain, snow.
Light rays of fog lights (often yellow) penetrate the fog, do not crystallize from moisture drops, and therefore guarantee the safety for the driver on the road during bad weather.
Fog lights are not mandatory lighting equipment of the vehicle. Still, to improve the safety and visibility of the roadway in bad weather – it is recommended to install them if they are not factory installed. Often, in fog lights, install halogen lamps with yellow light, less often – xenon.
External lighting equipment, whether main, additional, or independent – is very important. Safety on the road for you and others will depend on its quality!
Interior automotive lighting
The interior lighting of the vehicle also plays a significant role for the driver. Thanks to it, you can make comfortable trips on the road at night. The interior lighting of the car includes the backlighting of such elements:
- Dashboard – an important part of the vehicle, hence the backlight plays a huge role. If you can not see the speedometer at night, you will not be able to control the speed of the vehicle, which affects the reduction of safety on the road.
- Glove box – the illumination of such a structural element is necessary. In the glove compartment, the driver stores important things that may be needed at any time of the day; therefore, the backlight is very necessary.
- Car interior – a place where the driver spends a lot of time, and consequently, the backlight is also very important. The interior lighting of the vehicle also is very important for passengers.
- Trunk – the illumination of such a part of the vehicle structure is very important because a lot of things are stored or transported in the trunk.
- Reading lamps in the cabin – the necessary illumination for passengers or the driver (if you have a long journey and have to stop to rest at night in the car). This lighting is located in the back seat and is designed for reading or other activities in the dark.
Lamps that are used for interior lighting
The following lighting devices are used for the interior lighting of the vehicle:
- incandescent lamps,
- LED lamps.
Most cars from the factory are equipped with incandescent lamps, used as interior lighting of the vehicle. However, they provide dim and not always effective light; therefore, they require replacement. For this purpose, bright, snow-white, and vibrant LED lamps are used.