Motor Vehicle Maintenance & Repair Stack Exchange
Motor Vehicle Maintenance & Repair Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [lights]

General lighting questions, such as those relating to changing bulbs, diagnosing lighting faults, etc

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Are oils from the skin a problem with turn signal bulbs?

I'm aware that headlight bulbs are very sensitive (reduced lifespan) if you touch them with bare hands during install. Does the same apply to lower wattage bulbs like turn signals (and dome lights)? Some of those are ridiculously hard to get even…
Brian Knoblauch
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Does (forcefully) overriding the self-canceling damage my indicator levers?

Sometimes I don't want my indicators to self cancel, so I hold the indicator on while turning the wheel, and it makes a cracking/clicking noise. Am I damaging anything if I do this? EDIT: To clarify, I am holding the indicator in the on position…
George
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Why one should not leave fingerprints on bulbs and plugs?

I have read that one should not leave greasy fingerprints on their spark plugs or on their light bulbs. Why is this a thing? On what else one should not leave fingerprints? How does one avoid leaving fingerprints (latex gloves or, say, cleaning the…
Baran Zadeoglu
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Smart and effective ways to light up a garage without relying on power outlets?

I am currently renting an garage in an underground parking lot. The garage has no light inside nor electric plugs. The only form of illumination available comes from the few neon lights in the corridor/driveway of the underground parking lot. What I…
JoErNanO
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Park/marker lamps won't turn off

A few days ago, my Starcraft Allstar minibus, built on a 2012 Ford E-350 cutaway, started having a problem that the park/marker lamps never turn off. I was originally informed of the issue by another driver on Thursday (March 31), but when I came to…
Moshe Katz
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How do you test analogue electrical circuits?

When trying to diagnose problems with conventional analogue electrical circuits, such as lights, speakers, heated rear windows, etc, as well as short-circuits and unexplained current draws, it can be difficult to track down the exact source of the…
Nick C
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Brake lights don't illuminate until pedal is pressed by about 5-10mm

2003 Opel Agila My brake lights do not light up until I have pushed the pedal down by about 1cm. If I rest my foot on the brake pedal, with the brakes applied a little bit then the brake lights do not light up until I push down further. This is…
George
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Peculiar Interior Lighting Issue

Recently a friend of mine was driving a VW Fox (not new, I'm not sure what year but it was certainly 5+ years old) home in the dark with the lights on. Strangely, after a minute or two of driving all the interior lights turned off. The headlights,…
Max Goodridge
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headlights come on by themselves when car sitting in sun

if sitting in the sun on a hot day, my family's 1995 Mazda protege 323's headlights will come on, even though they are not switched on. This occurs with the car off, and the keys out. The simple way to turn them off is to disconnect the battery, as…
Michael Wilson
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Brake Lights Won't go On, Tail Lights Won't go Off

I noticed that my tail lights stay on even with no keys in the ignition, but that my brake lights have stopped working. Also, my left turn signal blinks double speed. When I remove the fuse for the brake lights then the tail lights go off, but if I…
Robert S. Barnes
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Is it Possible to Control Lights through OBD-II Port?

Is it possible to use a car's onboard diagnostic port to toggle the headlights, interior lights, or parking lights? If not through the OBD-II port, how would I go about remotely toggling the lights on a car?
Matthew
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What are reverse lights used for besides showing intention to reverse?

Recently I have noticed cars in parking lots with their reverse lights on even when the driver is not behind the wheel. I stop to let the drivers back out, and then realize they have no such intention. I don't know what that signal is telling me. On…
Lee C.
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Battery light on after new alternator

Car: 2003 Honda Civic Si G1Wh dash cam, 400w amp, 4300k HIDs My alternator failed badly (stereo cutting off), no battery light. Replaced it with a reman Duralast, battery light is on. It shows 14.5v while running, and I've had the battery tested at…
Coletrane
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How does a lightbulb with two filaments know which one to light up?

I need to replace the taillight/brake light on my car, and it's a bulb with two filaments (known as 12V P21/5W - see pic) My car has two taillights on each side. A standard 5W bulb for the top half, and the bottom one also doubles as a brake light…
cantsay
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Can stock headlight wiring deal with 110 W bulbs?

My 2003 Opel Agila has 0.85 mm2 wiring for the entire headlamp circuits. I want to install higher wattage bulbs, up to 110 W. It takes H4 bulbs so the high and low beams are combined into one bulb. I have included the wiring diagram for…
George
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