Most drivers find out they have a burned-out brake light when a police officer pulls them over, or worse — when someone rear-ends them. Neither is necessary. A light inspection takes five minutes and is part of every service visit at ProAuto.

What gets checked

Headlights — both low beam and high beam. A headlight aimed poorly is almost as problematic as a dead one, since it either doesn't illuminate what you need to see or blinds oncoming traffic. Modern headlights can drift out of alignment over time or after suspension work.

Brake lights — arguably the most important safety light on your car. A non-functional brake light means the driver behind you doesn't know you're stopping. Impossible to check yourself when you're behind the wheel; easy to check when you're in the shop.

Taillights — required any time your headlights are on. A dead taillight means reduced visibility of your vehicle from behind at night.

Turn signals — front and rear. A non-functional turn signal is both a legal issue and a communication failure with other drivers.

Reverse lights — let pedestrians and other drivers know you're backing up. Particularly important in parking lots.

Hazard lights — should function independently of the ignition in most vehicles. A broken hazard circuit leaves you without emergency signaling if you're stopped on the road.

LED vs. conventional bulbs

Modern vehicles increasingly use LED lighting, which generally lasts longer than traditional halogen bulbs. When LEDs fail, they often fail partially — some of the LEDs in the cluster go dark while others stay on. This can look functional from a distance, but it reduces effective brightness significantly. On the positive side, most LED assemblies are highly durable under normal conditions.

On older vehicles with conventional halogen bulbs, bulb replacement is usually straightforward and inexpensive. On some newer vehicles, headlight replacement is more involved due to tight packaging around the front of the car.

The DRL situation

Daytime running lights are always on when the car is running, which means they're easy to check but also harder to notice when they've failed because you're used to seeing them. If your DRL fails, some vehicles will notify you with a warning light; others won't.

Bring your car in and we'll check every light on the vehicle. It's a quick check and one worth having on record.

ProAuto | 6100 W Dempster St, Morton Grove, IL 60053 | (847) 232-7777