Not Functioning Optimally, This Is The Cause Of Dim & Less Bright Car Lights

Dim and poorly lit car lights can be caused by a weak battery. Even so, please note that there are several other causes that can make the quality of lighting your car lights decrease. What are they? Come on, check it out!

Dim car lights are indeed one of the problems often experienced by car owners. In addition to interfering with comfort when driving at night, dim lights can also endanger drivers and other motorists because the road lighting becomes unclear.

Please note that car lights are also part of the active safety system. Therefore, if your car lights have begun to dim, then you need to immediately look for the main cause so that the safety system can still work properly.

Get to know the types of car lights based on their function

Before we explain what are the causes of dim or poorly lit car lights, it is good if we first understand the types of car lights based on their function.

1. Headlight

Headlights are headlights on cars that are mounted on the front and serve to provide street lighting for the driver. This type of lamp consists of 2 types, namely high beam headlights (far lights) and low beam headlights (near lights).

2. Twilight Lights

Twilight lights are a type of car lamp that serves for lighting when it is approaching night. This type of lamp is also often known as a city lamp. In general, this type of twilight lamp uses only 5 watts of electrical power.

3. Fog Lights

Fog lights serve for lighting when passing through foggy roads. This type of lamp is also often used when driving in rainy conditions so that it can improve the driver's visibility.

4. Turn signal

Unlike the types of car lamps already mentioned earlier, this turn signal does not work as a means of lighting. Turn signals are provided as a feature to communicate with other drivers to provide signs if you want to change lanes or make a turn.

5. Hazard Lights

Hazard lights are car lights that function to signal that the car is in an emergency. For example, when the car is towed, breaks down on the road, or when you have to change tires on the side of the road.

6. Brake Lights

A brake light is a type of car light that will light up when the driver hits the brakes. This type of lamp is in the back and is red.

7. Tail Light

Tail Light or tail light serves to tell the width of the vehicle to other drivers who are behind. Just like the brake lights, the tail light is also at the rear of the car and is red.

8. Reverse Light

As the name implies, the reverse light serves to signal to other motorists that the car is about to move backwards. Usually, this light will turn on automatically when the car gear goes into R (reverse) or reverses.

Causes of Dim and Unlit Car Lights

Considering that there are so many important functions that car lights have, then you need to make sure that the lighting features on the car can work optimally. Generally, when the car lights start to dim, the following problems are the main causes.

1. Weak car battery

You need to know, the service life of batteries in general is about 2 years. However, if the battery is not maintained properly, the battery can be damaged faster, affecting the electrical components of the car. As a result, car lights become a dim or not bright light. 

Therefore, try to check the condition of your car battery. Use a tool called a battery tester to find out the battery voltage, starter power, and others. If the battery does have a weak power, then you need to recharge the battery. 

2. The light relay is already damaged

The next cause of dim car lights is due to a broken relay. Basically, a relay is one of the electrical components in a car and functions as a bridge that flows electric current from the battery. Well, in this relay there are two circuits, namely a small current circuit that enters the switch and a mainstream circuit that enters the lamp. When there is a loose part of the relay circuit, the lighting produced by the lamp will be not optimal.

3. The presence of rust on the socket

Rust is indeed one of the enemies that car owners often face. Rust can cause corrosion that can spread to each side, affecting car performance, including car lights.

When the lamp socket is rusty, the power or electrical voltage entering the lamp will be reduced. As a result, your car lights have a dim or non-bright light.

4. Melted lamp socket

The cause of dim car lights can also be caused by a melted lamp socket. Car lamp sockets are holders for distributing lamps with electrical network wires. Well, when the lamp holder melts, it can be an obstacle to the flow of electricity entering the lamp. 

In general, the car light socket can melt because the socket is not installed properly or tightly. This makes the emergence of short circuits so that it generates heat and melts the lamp socket. 

5. The car light glass is dull

Along with its use, car headlights can turn dull, especially if the lamp is more than 3 years old. This can have an influence on the light produced by the car headlights. Therefore, if you feel that the car lights are not bright, then it could be that the main problem comes from the car lamp glass that is already dirty and dull. To fix this, you can ask a trusted workshop for help to replace it with a new one.

If you feel that the car lights have started to dim and not brighten, most likely the cause is some of the problems we have mentioned above. You can ask for help from a trusted repair shop, if you find it difficult to check the condition of your own car lights.