Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Shedding Some Light on Automotive Lights

Car owners should understand some of the basic technical specifications and concepts of automotive lights that enhance road safety in dark conditions. The intensity of illumination that is generated by headlamps is rated in scientific units known as Lumens. A powerful LED bulb could generate well above 1,000 Lumens, which would be enough to illuminate the road ahead for several hundred feet. Some headlamp kits come with multiple LED bulbs that are installed in series. The total illumination would be rated by adding all the Lumen ratings of the individual light bulbs.

Color temperature is another parameter that describes light. LED light bulbs usually produce "cool" colors that are considered to exceed 4,000 degrees on the Kelvin scale. "Warm" colors such as yellow, amber or orange are not very desirable in automotive lights because of poor visibility. Additionally, colors in the temperature spectrum of about 3,000 degrees Kelvin might create some blinding effects for the human eye. A headlamp such as the 1157 led bulb and other bulbs are examples of energy-efficient automotive lighting fixtures.

Modern LED light bulbs for headlamps have relatively low power ratings of only a few watts. Additionally, other electrical parameters such as maximum voltage and current are used to describe the performance of headlamps.


The life span of automotive lights is rated in hours rather than years. Some of the most long-lasting LED bulbs can operate for more than 50,000 total hours. Additionally, the cooling fans in headlamp kits have much longer durability. Fans need to have their own electrical wires and power supplies that are independent of the light bulbs. Some high-power light bulbs might generate a significant amount of heat radiation that could accumulate inside the housing. The glass or plastic can become so hot that it could melt slowly. Fans should ideally be installed inside headlamps that have multiple bulbs in a single kit. For safe and efficient operation, some headlight kits come with resistors that protect against electrical surges, which might lead to blown fuses.

When installing brand-new light bulbs into headlamps, it's important to make sure that the reflectors and housing covers are clean. For example, a significant amount of light could be absorbed if the mirrored surfaces are covered in layers of moisture and dirt. Similarly, glass or plastic housing might also become clogged and prevent maximum transmission of light, so taking proper precautions is important.

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