How to Choose Tail Lamps For Your Vehicle

What Does a Tail Light Assembly Include?

While many people assume that tail lights are just basic components, they can be surprisingly sophisticated. These lights include tail lights, which provide illumination when driving at night, brake lights that come on when you press down the brakes and reversing lights for when you are in reverse.

You can upgrade them with aftermarket parts to provide more powerful and efficient lighting while customizing the look of your car. Aftermarket tail light assemblies come in various shapes and sizes, offering a wide selection of colors, brightness levels, and features such as cornering lights for improved visibility when you’re turning. Installing aftermarket tail light assemblies can be a great way to get the most out of your vehicle both aesthetically and functionally.

A tail light assembly typically includes the following components:

Tail Light Lens

The tail light assembly includes a protective cover, either transparent or semi-transparent, that helps maintain the integrity of the tail light and its internal components by protecting them from dirt, debris, and harsh weather conditions.

Tail Light Bulbs

Tail lights use one or two bulbs to light up the rear of a vehicle, providing a bright and even glow that is visible from behind. Depending on the car make and model, the bulb can vary from classic incandescent, halogen, or LED bulbs. Having multiple bulbs in each tail light ensures enough lighting is available, even if one of them burns out.

Reflector

A reflective surface amplifies and intensifies the luminosity of the lights, creating a mirror effect. They can be specified for a particular bulb type or universal.

Wiring Harness

The tail lights of a car are connected to its electrical system by employing a variety of wiring and connectors. Nonetheless, these wires can become damaged or oxidized, which may subsequently result in diverse problems.

Housing

The external cover of the tail light assembly ensures all its parts are held securely together and fully guarded against any damage, moisture, or dirt.

Brake Light Modules

Brake light modules, also known as brake control modules, are electronic devices that control the operation of the brake lights on a vehicle. They typically receive input from the brake pedal switch and activate the brake lights when brakes are applied, as well as controlling other brake-related functions like ABS and traction control system.

Tail Light Bar

Mounted on the back of your vehicle, tail light bars serve an important purpose for the safety of both yourself and other drivers. Not only do they increase visibility by featuring a long, horizontal bar with multiple LED bulbs — but some models include additional features such as brake lights and turn signals! With improved lighting and added signaling capabilities, you'll benefit from enhanced safety and a more attractive aesthetic.

Aftermarket Tail Light Bulbs Guide

When selecting a tail light bulb, you must consider the size and type of the bulb in relation to your vehicle's requirements and local laws. For certain vehicles, brake lights or turn signals may necessitate specific bulbs. To guarantee that you choose the most suitable one for your car, be sure to refer to your owner’s manual or ask an expert for assistance.

Tail Light Bulb Type

When it comes to tail light bulbs, you have two options: halogen and LED. Although traditional halogen bulbs may be more familiar, they are, unfortunately, much less energy-efficient and tend to break down quickly.

LED tail light bulbs are the superior choice for your vehicle due to their efficiency and longevity, as well as brighter lights that provide greater visibility. Considering your needs and desires is key when it comes time to select between halogen or LED.

Tail Light Bulb Fitment

When it comes to tail light bulbs, fitment is an important factor. It is essential to ensure that the bulb size and type are compatible with your vehicle’s model and make. You can use bulb size charts at Lightninglab.org, or look through the vehicle owner's manual.

Tail Light Brightness

Lumens indicate the brightness of an LED light, and selecting one with 500 lumens or higher should provide enough brightness to be noticed. Watts indicate the power of a lightbulb but not its brightness, so it is important to choose lumens instead.

Tail Light Color

To ensure proper visibility and safety on the roads, most countries mandate that vehicles must be outfitted with rear lights emitting red light. This hue is easily distinguishable and helps drivers recognize a car's presence or location among others in traffic, especially when opposing motorists have their headlights on. Thus, the standard color for tail lights is ordinarily red.

Warranty

A key and essential factor that shouldn't be overlooked is the warranty. Having an extended warranty will assist you in taking advantage of free repairs or even a replacement if needed from overuse. That's why it's important to choose products with at least one year of coverage; otherwise, skip it or consider searching for reliable information on the manufacturer’s website.