Tail lights are located at the rear of your vehicle, just above the bumper, and illuminate whenever your headlights are turned on. They are typically red in color to make them easily visible to the human eye even in dark and low-lit conditions. Tail lights are not to be confused with brake lights, which are often located in the same spot. Brake lights are a much brighter red, and only turn on when the brakes are engaged, to let other drivers know you are changing speeds. Whether you drive a Ford Ranger, or any other car, a tail light is mandatory, and LED lights are the way to go. We’ll tell you why.
Importance of Tail Lights
Tail lights are wired to the same switch that turns the headlights on, and hence work on a relay. If you have automatic lights, the tail lights will turn on the moment you turn on your vehicle. Tail lights are important because they add a reasonable safety element to your vehicle. The driver behind you can safely assess how far away you are, and thus keep a decent distance away and avoid any potential collisions. The distance that tail lights are apart from each other also helps the driver behind in gauging the shape and size of your vehicle. This also works in unfavourable weather conditions like rain, fog, or snow, where visibility might be hampered or reduced. Because of their importance, it is vital that you always have fully functional tail lights, and that you replace them as soon as you can if they stop working. As such, you can also get pulled over for having a malfunctioning tail light.
How Do LED Lights Work?
LED lights, also known as light-emitting diodes, produce light differently to incandescent and fluorescent lights. LEDs create light through electric excitation rather than heat, which is why they use less energy and emit less heat. As the name suggests, LEDs are made of small diodes, each of which is made of a semiconductor material. One layer of this material will have an excess of electrons, while the other layer would be depleted of them, which allows these electrons to move freely, hence generating light. Gold and silver compounds are used in LED wires thanks to their ability to be soldered and handle heat well. Unlike traditional bulbs that are encased in glass, LEDs are encased in plastic, making them longer lasting and more durable.
The Awesome Advantages of LED Tail Lights
When it comes to tail lights, there are a few different options you can go for, with halogen lights, xenon lights or LED lights being the most common choices. Halogen lights are the most inefficient ones, lasting the least amount of time, heating up the most, and being less durable than the other options. While xenon lights beat their halogen counterparts on all these parameters, they don’t quite have the edge over LED lights. It’s these reasons and more why drivers have been transitioning to LED tail lights for their vehicles.
Energy-Efficient
Because of the way LEDs generate light, they are extremely energy efficient, using about 90% less energy than an incandescent bulb. Tail lights made of LEDs exert less strain on a car battery because of this reason, and help you save some money as a result. LEDs also emit way less heat when compared to other lighting options because of this energy-efficiency, which makes it a perfect choice for anyone looking to replace their vehicle’s tail lights.
Better Road Safety
Compared to other tail lights, the ones made of LEDs provide higher visibility to cars at night. LEDs are made of a system of tiny light bulbs, as opposed to the single bulbs in traditional lights, which makes it easy to be spotted by drivers of other vehicles following behind. This is the primary purpose of a tail light, and the fact that LEDs do it so much better than other options make them an excellent choice for the job.
Durability
LEDs are encased in plastic rather than glass, which makes them more durable to harsh road conditions, intense vibrations, and thermal shocks. The fact that LEDs produce extraordinarily little heat means they are cool to the touch, and help protect any plastic components near them. Unlike their traditional counterparts, LEDs do not have a filament, making them less susceptible to breakage too. Under the right conditions, LEDs can last for 10 years or more because of their supreme durability.
Are LED Tail Lights Worth It?
LED lights tend to be more expensive than other alternatives like incandescent and fluorescent lights, but, overall, turn out to be a better investment. The advantages that come with getting an LED tail light play a role here. Because of their durability and fewer chances of breaking, you can use the same set of tail lights for much longer if they are LEDs. The lack of heat generated and superior energy-efficiency means less strain on your car’s battery, too, and the car’s performance, hence saving you money in associated technical costs. If you are in the market for a tail light that lets you reap long-term benefits for a slightly higher short-term expense, then LED tail lights are just for you.
Get the Most Out of Your LED Tail Lights
The lights on your car rarely get the same care as your engine or tyres, yet lights are an incredibly important component. While Ford Ranger LED tail lights are built to last a long time, you still need to take care of them and watch for any damage. Some easy steps to maintain your LED tail lights are mentioned below.
Clean the Lights
Keeping your tail lights clean is the easiest way to maintain them. Moisture or dust can sometimes find their way inside the tail lights which obstructs the beam strength and appears unsightly. Moisture that stays in for a long time can also potentially damage the circuit boards and cause resistors to fail, which would burn out or dim the LEDs. Check your owner’s manual to learn how to remove the tail light cover and clean it from the inside, rather than just the outside.
Don’t Change Just One Light
You may have a malfunctioning or damaged tail light on just one side, with the other working simply fine, but it is good practice to replace tail lights in pairs. When purchasing spare parts, you are going to have to buy them in pairs, so it makes sense to replace the pair together as well. This also helps in maintaining consistency of the lights, and avoiding one light being dimmer than the other. That is a driving nightmare and can be easily avoided by just replacing your tail lights as a pair.
Check Brightness of Lights
Though LED tail lights are supposed to last a long time, there might be occasions when they start appearing dimmer than usual. This could be because of a faulty product or defect, some issue with the wiring, or simply the accumulation of moisture and dust. A dim tail light is a no-go, so checking on this issue sooner rather than later is wise. If not diagnosable by yourself, take your car to a professional mechanic who can help zero in on the problem and fix it too.
Buy Tail Lights for Your Ford Ranger
If you are looking for a new pair of LED tail lights for your Ford Ranger or other model, find a shop that can offer wide range of 4×4 accessories. These tail lights have been restyled for a higher performance lighting output, and can be directly replaced. While these tail lights have the same wires and connections as the original ones that come with the car, we still recommend that they are installed by professional installers to avoid any issues or mishaps. With a longer lifespan and minimal created heat, these tail lights are the best and most durable fit for your Ford Ranger.
When using your tail light for the first time, you may notice some condensation, but do not worry, as this is just potential moisture from pre-installation. It is easy to get rid of this by just removing the tail light assembly, and letting it dry under the sun.
Find More
If you’re in the market for more than LED tail lights, take a moment to explore shops for awesome range of aftermarket auto parts. You’ll find top-quality products for less and get great insights about getting the most from your car or auto parts.