Repair and Maintenance

From the tires to the wipers.

Taillights

Taillights are some of the most important safety elements on a vehicle. They are actually a set of different kinds of lights that serve unique purposes. Two taillight components that all vehicles have include:

  • Reverse lights – used to illuminate the area behind a vehicle that is backing up. Once the reverse gear is selected, the reverse lights come on.
  • Turn lights – yellow lights alert drivers behind you whether you plan to turn right or left. These lights are also utilized as the hazard lights which flash during an emergency.

Based on your driving knowledge, you probably already know how vital taillights are to your driving experience. Although they do not affect the engine, taillights are just as important in their own right because they are a key component to safe driving.

You can always expect to replace taillight bulbs sometime during the course of your vehicle’s lifetime. Therefore, it can’t hurt to learn how to detect problems with your taillights or understand the basics of repairing them.

Figuring out if you have defective taillights is a relatively easy task; the intensity of the bulbs is usually a dead giveaway. Fixing a damaged taillight is fairly straightforward as well. To become an expert at taillight maintenance, you only need to master the following principles:

  1. There are various methods of removing bulbs. Not all bulbs can be yanked right out; some actually must be unscrewed.
  2. Typical problems that your taillights may experience are fractures and burnouts. When the filament is broken, you should not hesitate to remove that bulb and replace it with a fresh one. If this problem is not addressed quickly, the taillight may actually explode due to the moisture that accumulated inside the bulb.
  3. Another test for defectiveness that should be performed periodically is to check the connections running from the bulb to the car’s electrical system. Firm connections with the wiring will guarantee increased brightness. For even higher intensity, replace the standard single-filament bulbs with high-powered halogens.