A non-working lamp can have serious consequences. Therefore, it's a good practice to check all your lights on a regular basis.
The most common way people check their lights is having someone
on the inside of the vehicle operating the lights and someone
on the
outside checking the lamps. The only problem is trying to find an assistant
at the moment you remember to check
your lights. Here's one solution to that dilemma.
This method is most effective at night or on an overcast day.
The best situation would be to perform this test at home.
However,
it will work the same if you're at the mall or by using another
vehicle nearby.
Please note that the engine does NOT need to be running to perform any of the tests below.
Position your vehicle with the headlights facing the garage or
house or mall etc. Turn on the parking lamps without turning on the
headlights. If you're close enough to the garage, you'll see both lights
reflecting off the wall. If you have a light out you'll see
the reflection
on the right or left side only. Do the same with the headlights and
then the high beam headlights or "brites". Then
activate each turn
signal lamp. You will clearly see if each directional lamp is flashing.
Next, you'll want to position the vehicle so the back end is facing the
garage or wall or other vehicle. Turn on the parking lights and
make the
same observations you made with the front. You can do this by looking
in your rear view or side view mirrors or by simply
looking out the back window.
Check the brake lights and the rear turn signals
the same way. The rear license plate
lamp, required by law in most states,
will usually need to be checked manually. Turn on the headlights,
exit the car and look
to see if the rear license plate is well illuminated.
IMPORTANT!!! The engine SHOULD NOT be running when inspecting the reverse lamps.
First, set the parking brake. Next, turn
the ignition on with the engine off. Move
the shift lever to the reverse position and observe the lights as mentioned above.
In the past, the vehicle owner could change a failed lamp or have a friend
or neighbor do the job. While that is still
true in some cases, there are many
different lamp configurations these days that require the services of an
experienced technician. If you notice a light is out on your car or truck,
call Rainbow. In most cases we'll fix
the light the same day.