I had Radial Keratotomy done in the olden times before Lasik. As such, I still have a lot of “starring” from oncoming lights at night. I mainly drive our ginormous truck, since it’s height changes the angle of approaching lights enough to make it tolerable. I limit night driving as much as I can though.
To the OP’s question, no – all my lights are working. I pull trailers very frequently and checking all the lights is a normal pre-trip inspection.
When I get an oil change, they check my lights. I sometimes do a walk-around for the lights I can’t see reflected in other cars, store windows, etc.
I got into the habit of doing a walk-around my car when I take it out of the garage. Lights, tires inflated, just basic. Unless you want to rely upon your vehicle’s sensor system it is still a good practice.
You would think so, but it’s amazing how often I see one-eyed cars, where the cars are fairly new and the one operative headlight is obviously LED.
Mine does. Also, whenever my taillights are visible in a store window in a parking lot I take a quick look to make sure they’re working.
As I’ve often said, I despise the new-fangled LED headlights. When they’re on an oncoming vehicle at night, especially a high one like a pickup or some SUVs or big trucks, they’re much more than a nuisance, IMO they are downright dangerous, and you don’t have to have an eye condition to be blinded by the damn things. It’s beyond me how these things are not only legal, but actually standard equipment!
Could be. I think it’s time to let those bulbs be bygones.
Could be a wiring issue. I had a car with old school headlights where one of the lights would go out constantly. A well practiced thump on the light housing would bring it back on for a couple few days.
I had a 1988 Buick when I was in high school. That car had a row of LEDs in a little pod on top of the dash, which served as indicators that the lights were working. If one of the LEDs didn’t come on, that meant that the corresponding headlight, turn signal, brake light, etc. wasn’t working. I think that wasn’t an uncommon feature on higher end American cars in the 1970s-80s.
My current car was serviced at the dealer not that long ago, and one of the things they check is that all the lights are working. Of course there’s a slight possibility that one of the lights failed in the in the time that’s passed since the dealer checked them, but I am reasonably confident that they’re all working.
I think they do that so if one is out they can offer you to perform the repair, for a cost, of course. Quick and easy upsell opportunity.
There is a Jeep I pass every day that for some reason has 6 forward lights, 2 headlights and 4 foglights. One of the 4 foglights has been out for months and it drives me crazy lol.
I also notice a trend with daytime running lights on GM vehicles, they very often have one out.
All of my lights are working, but the lens over my right rear light has been missing for about 15 years. Got a ticket for it about 10 years ago.
Iffy-Lube checks the lights when I get my oil changed, and Subarus are nice about turning the lights off with the key so I just have the lights on all the time. It’s just sensible “see/be seen” for the rainy PNW and using the low beam headlight setting means my taillights and side lights are on as well, which isn’t always the case in cars with daytime running lights. Anyway, I would notice something up front being out due to catching reflections from the car ahead of me at a stoplight. So yeah, all the lights are working, except for the driver’s side heated seat indicator light. First world problem yo.
You’ll all be happy to know that I not only replaced the burnt-out bulb, but its mate as well. No sense tempting Fate, right? So now everyone can clearly see both sides of my license plate. The roads are safe again!
I never check. When I get my oil changed, I think they check.
Getting pulled over for one light being out has to be an American thing. Here (Ontario) not only has that never once happened to me despite the fact I have certainly driven with a light out, but I have never HEARD of it happening.
Not to get too far off topic here, but a burned-out light anywhere on the exterior of a vehicle can be a sound reason to stop someone, and in the best of American traditions, take a look at what else could be suspicious with the driver and what’s in their car.
The dealership checks all that stuff when I have my oil changed/tires rotated.
And once a year for the annual NY state inspection, they check all that shit as well.
I still do a walk around every week or two and check.
Agreed. I had both of my license plate lights burned out in my previous car for a great many years, and never had a single issue – drove in the city, on expressways, in small towns, on smaller highways – never a problem. Occasionally would have a police car behind me at a stoplight at night, too. It’s not something I’ve ever seen them bother with. I must admit that reading about this happening elsewhere struck me as a very poor use of police resources. I can just imagine some reckless driver roaring by at high speed in a dangerously defective vehicle while they’re harassing some poor driver with a burned-out license plate bulb.
I don’t want to sidetrack on this point, either, but here’s another wonderful American police tradition:
https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/01/opinions/end-policing-for-profit-alabama-nelson-jones/index.html
I got stopped one night in my '64 International C-900 pickup for a cracked headlight lens.
When I got out (that used to be common) and the state trooper walked up, my first question was “I wasn’t speeding, was I?” He said, “No” and I replied, “I didn’t think this old pickup could go that fast.”. He started laughing and told me I needed to replace the tail light lens. I think he did give me a Warning ticket.
Another time, in the same pickup, I got stopped one Sunday night in Houston for no tail lights on either side. I told them that I was taking a friend of mine to the airport to catch an airplane and they said to just be sure I got it fixed soon. They didn’t even give me a ticket!
I do live in a pretty rural county - Amish abound - so I can see a trooper looking for something to do. I’m just glad I wasn’t speeding and that I used my signal before turning into my neighborhood. I’m also glad I found my registration - we have 3 vehicles and I forget which papers are where…
When I got my car, a few years back, I preemptively replaced all the bulbs – exterior and interior – with bulbs from the Shelby Electric Company.
No problems since.
[Okay. In truth, I’m a wee bit anal about stuff like this, so I periodically do a walk around of both my car and my wife’s. We’ve had pretty good luck to date. Anything that wasn’t an LED on day one and develops an attitude … gets replaced with an LED]
Wait … automotive incandescents are not normally directly replaceable by LEDs, are they?
In any case, I’ve seen quite a number of warnings about trying to adapt LEDs to headlights intended for halogens, like this article: