Automotive lighting#Rear position lamps .28tail lamps.29

Rear lights of the vehicle lights to find the boundary of the rear vehicle contour, and are directed rearwards.

Starting with a bicycle rear light to multi- function lamp units of cars, vans and trucks tail lights are very diverse.

To find Classic taillights are as lighting units that combine a rule in a plastic assembly several functions which are implemented by individual bulbs, see picture an Opel classic car from the early 1960s.

In previous decades, the replacement of defective tail lights was often made ​​possible with removal of the composite plastic disc at thumbscrews. Since about 1990, the rear lights are increasingly being built so that you can switch from the vehicle interior light bulb without any tools.

Functions in motor vehicles are:

  • Tail light ( rear light colloquially ) (red, 5 or 10 watts continuously lit called together with the front marker lights, also called " parking light " ),
  • Brake lights (red, 21 W )
  • Direction indicators (blinkers colloquially ) (Orange, 21 W, permitted until the end of 1969, in red, since the 1990s, often realized with white cover glass and orange colored bulb )
  • Reversing lights (white, 21 or 16 W )
  • Rear fog lights (red, 21 W or 19, or 24 W with HP bulbs ) 36 W for some old-timers,
  • Side marker lights (yellow or red, 3 or 5 or 10 W, along with the tail light )
  • Some license plate lights (white, 5 W )

The luminous intensity ( in candelas ) from different viewing angles are determined by the legislator (eg in ECE or SAE standard ).

U.S. light bulb 32 W, Type: 1157NA, two threads, yellow (natural amber)

21 W lamp

W16W lamp 16 W

WY21W lamp 21 W yellow for signal ( turn signals, brake light), with pulse width modulation up the rear in the brake light

W5W bulb, 5 W for taillight and marker

As early as the mid -1990s, LEDs behind the rear window found use as a third brake light, it was not until the early 2000s until the first LED in the rear light were used. One advantage is that LEDs have a very long service life and theoretically survive life of the vehicle. Another advantage is the reduced power consumption of an LED.

The problem of using LEDs is when multiple functions ( mostly tail and brake light ) can be realized with the same light source and for a - unproblematic in incandescent version - slow pulse width modulation is used to generate the required different brightnesses. While incandescent bulbs have by the inertia of the filament virtually continuous light output, LEDs light only during the switch. This results in rapid eye movements ( microsaccades ) to the taillights will be displayed next to each other on the retina and not always perceived as an object ( Perlschnureffekt ). The perception of this effect and the concomitant distraction from the road varies from person to person ( like rainbow effect). This effect is amplified when the rear lights have high and uneven luminance.

Taillights are bought-in parts. Manufacturer of such units are mainly companies like

  • Hella, Odelo, automotive lighting, Jokon, Gebra and GEKA from Germany,
  • Magneti Marelli of Italy,
  • Valeo of France,
  • Koito and Ichikoh from Japan,
  • TRW Automotive and Visteon from the USA,
  • Lucas from the UK and
  • TYC from Taiwan

Car manufacturers work together with suppliers of a functioning lamp that meets the legal requirements and is adjusted to the design requirements of the vehicle manufacturer.

Opel Kadett A Sidemarker lights#Side marker lights and reflectors Lucas Industries
380728
de