Know When to Use Which Lights on Your Vehicle

One of the most important safety features when it comes to vehicles are the headlights. Knowing how to care for them and use them properly can help keep you and others on the road safe.

Types of Headlights

Regular Headlights

Most of the newer cars these days have automatic headlights which will come on when it is dark out and turn off when there is enough light. If you don't have automatic headlights, it is good to turn them on when driving between dusk and dawn but also when it is raining. This will help you see better and help others see you too. 

Brights

Your bright headlights or brights are to be used when it is dark out, and no one else is in front of you or driving towards you. For example, if you are on a country road at night and you need to look for deer. 

Fog Lights

Your fog lights are for, you guessed it; when it's foggy. It is important to use only your fog lights when driving in the fog because they are designed to better your vision. In the picture here, you can see how your regular headlights, brights, and fog lights impact your visibility.

Headlight Maintenance

What to Do When Your Lights Die

Just like the light bulbs in your home, your headlights will eventually burnout and need to be replaced. If one or more of your lights are out, it is almost always just a burnt-out bulb, but very rarely it is an electrical issue.

When your lights do burnout, it is easiest to bring your car into our shop so we can quickly replace them for you. Nowadays, you have to completely remove the front bumper on most cars so it is a much more complicated and time-consuming process. 

If you do end up changing the bulbs yourself, make sure you change both lights because they usually burnout around the same time and it is better to only have to take your car apart once. 

Keep Your Lights Clean

Dirty headlights can reduce visibility and make it more dangerous to drive at night. If you wipe the outside of the light, you can see much better. Sometimes on older cars or car that have been driven a lot, the inside lenses of the light can become foggy. At Weber Automotive, we have a service which cleans that lens and restores about 90% of visibility without having to replace the lens. 

If you need your bulbs replaced or your lenses cleaned, Weber Automotive is the place to go. Contact us with any questions about your headlights or to schedule a maintenance appointment today.