Time to Check your Lights

At the end of October, the clocks change once again, with clocks being put back an hour in preparation for winter, and with any time change it brings about a change in the daylight spread, and so it is an important time to check your lights.

Ideally, you should check your lights more frequently, but many people have busy lives, and it is easy to forget, so we will forgive you, but make a point this October to check, then we won’t hassle you until spring.

It is important to check all lights, including those that illuminate the rear number plate, as they too are mandatory.

With the headlights, check all settings, from dim dip to full beam.

Check all of the indicators to make sure they work on both sides of the vehicle, and in unison when functioning as hazard lights. Don’t just trust the hazard light function, check every option in case of a potential fault.

Reverse, brake, and fog lights should also be checked.

Now, to do all of this, it is a good idea to get someone to help you, so one of you can sit in the vehicle, and the other check the lights at the same time. However, if you are unable to do this, you can use reflections to help you, such as in shop windows, or even vehicles parked in front or behind you. You can of course set the lights and walk around the vehicle several times, the brake and reversing lights will pose a problem for you in this instance though.

If you do find that any of the bulbs need changing, you should change them in pairs, as the bulbs do lose power over time, and so changing just the one could give you an imbalance of illumination.

Finally, if your headlight glass seems dim, you can buy kits to refresh the glass, although if you have any doubts, you should leave it to a professional, which is also advice worth noting if you are unable to change any of the bulbs yourself, which can be an absolute nightmare on modern cars, but if they need changing, get them changed, as the risks are otherwise too great.