Buying Guide for Car and Truck LED Light Bulbs
There are a variety of different types of light bulbs that can be used in automobile lighting. It is important to know relevant laws in your area since there are usually restrictions on the color and brightness of car lights that you can use. Learn more about these types of bulbs, and find some on eBay Motors.
What kinds of headlight bulbs are there?There are three main kinds of bulbs for automotive headlights. Each one has its own benefits, and each one should be considered when deciding which new bulb you want to install in your own vehicle. These options include:
- Halogen - The standard light bulb used in automotive applications for decades, these bulbs are easy to manufacture and have lifespans of up to 1,000 hours under normal operating conditions.
- Xenon HID - High Intensity Discharge headlights have an advantage over older lights because they are more efficient in how they use energy, and they have much brighter, and often more visually appealing, white light. They can illuminate far more than other headlights can and have lifespans of approximately 2,000 hours.
- LED - LED lights are not quite as bright as the Xenon HIDs, but they are still brighter than the older halogen lights. LED lights also benefit from having very low energy requirements; they are the lowest of the three different types of headlights. With a lifespan of around 10,000 hours, they far outpace other forms of vehicle lighting. They also have a more focused beam of light than either of the other two, and the small size of an LED light makes it possible for manufacturers to come up with numerous designs that can fit in the space allotted for the lighting system.
eBay places features for these bulbs into different categories. Suggestions you should consider when choosing your LED light bulbs on eBay are:
- Bulb size - Bulb size options are H3, H7, H11, H4 (9003), HB3 (9005), HB4 (9006), HB5 (9007), and H13 (9008).
- Fit - You can purchase a brake light, fog light, headlight, instrument panel light, license plate light, reverse light, and a taillight.
- Color temperature - You can also choose the color temperature youd prefer. Options are 3000K, 5000K, 6000K, 7000K, 8000K, and 10000K.
- Placement on vehicle - Different lights are placed on different parts of the vehicle. You can place on the left, right, front, or rear side.
- Bulb color - Colors include blue, clear, green, orange, red, or yellow.
There are two main reasons that can lead to a car light being illegal: it is either too bright or the color is wrong. Either one of these can be traced back to causing safety problems, so they should be taken very seriously when choosing your lights. Always read your states laws and pay attention to the manufacturer site for details.
- Too bright: If the lights on your car are too bright, then it can be very difficult for other drivers to be able to see when you are coming toward them. This is usually a problem on smaller streets, with one lane going in each direction where oncoming drivers are most in-line with your car.
- Wrong color: Most countries have restrictions on what color your cars headlights can be, usually either yellow or white are the legal options. Some models of vehicle light bulbs had a slightly blueish tint, which can be easily mistaken for the lights of many countries emergency services vehicles.