Both front and rear lights play significant roles in keeping you safe as you drive so keeping them in tiptop shape and condition is necessary. You can do this by keeping them clean and by regularly checking its connections to other parts of the vehicle.

Although they usually last longer than other auto parts, the headlamps, fog lights, tail lights, corner lights, side marker lights, sealed beam, projector headlights, parking lights, turn signals and other lights in your car need to be replaced as well since they dim as they get older.

Meanwhile, here are some tips for you on how to prolong the use of your auto lights and how to make them look like new as much as possible.

Tips on How to Take Care of Your Lights

1. Dirt increases the heat in the lamps so clean them more often. Remember that heat is the number one cause of lighting failure.

2. Protect your lamps against corrosion with lubricants and sealants.

3. DO NOT pierce or cut the wire insulation when troubleshooting the lighting system; if it is inevitable, make sure you properly and carefully seal it afterwards.

4. Check connections to the electrical system to prevent low voltage and lighting problems.

5. Make sure the lights are properly grounded.

6. To avoid too many expenses, properly check your lamps before discarding them; be sure not to dispose of lamps that are still in good operating condition. Examine the bulbs carefully to see the cause of the lighting problem. If you see dark and metallic finish, you may consider now replacing them since this means that the lights are already old and may soon wear down.

7. Especially if you are driving an old truck, make sure not to start or park the truck with the lights on. Too much use of power can extremely damage the lights.

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Auto lights are indispensable in a vehicle; they serve as our extra eyes, especially at night and during low visibility driving conditions. Most of car accidents resulted from the driver’s inability to see upcoming vehicles and pedestrians and fixtures on the road, especially at night. Because of this, the use of lights like the headlights and taillights has been required by the law.

Each kind of light in a vehicle serves a unique purpose. Generally, all lights help in improving the vehicle’s visibility on the road. They allow other drivers and pedestrians alike to see or easily spot your auto as it moves down the road. Although the sun provides natural light during the day, it is still advisable to use lights for added safety. There are the so-called day-time running lights (DRLs) that remain lit whenever the vehicle is running, day or night.

Off-road vehicles such as a Jeep or a Ford truck need to be equipped with more and higher quality lights since these vehicles are often used in harsh driving conditions. They are at higher risk when driven off-road so keeping them safe all the time is a must.

If you are driving your sport utility or truck off-highway or in the backcountry late at night or early in the morning, these lights can make your ride worry and stress-free.

However, aside from safety purposes, auto lights also provide easy and affordable means of upgrading the looks of your car. Lights such as the famous Toyota Altezza lights lend a luxurious Euro look to a vehicle.

Crystal-clear corner lights can also help you achieve the desired luxurious look for your old car. These lights are located at the front corners of the vehicle and serve to signal other drivers that you are making a turn and inform them in advance the direction of your turn.

Replacing the auto lights is necessary since they dim over time though may not totally burn out. It is also necessary to replace say your headlights if one is damaged to avoid uneven illumination.

I wrote previously about Mercedes’ foray into the small car market. As strange as that may seem to many Americans, both Mercedes and BMW have long produced smaller and less costly models for the European market. Now, it appears that BMW is considering doing the same: introducing to the North American market a truly compact car, smaller than any BMW that has ever graced our highways and back streets. Is this a good move for the German automaker? Or, will it water down a prestigious brand name?

Part of any automaker’s marketing strategy is to convince you, the consumer, what their vehicle line is all about. Dodge would like you to believe that they sell sporty cars and rugged trucks; Scion touts their youth oriented vehicles; and both BMW and Mercedes, like Cadillac, sell luxury vehicles. Millions of dollars of advertising is spent per year to reinforce brand image which is supported by consumer surveys of that particular sentiment.

Speaking about Cadillac, in the early 1980s GM’s luxury brand briefly marketed a compact car – the Cimarron – that ultimately bombed, in part, because it strayed far from its big luxury car base. Sure, the car was little more than a rebadged and re-tweaked Chevrolet Cavalier, but it contradicted the entire Cadillac mystique. Even a slightly larger and much later model, the Catera, also failed as the car was perceived for what it really was: a remade Opel.

So, now the dilemma: will consumers accept the “1 Series” BMW’s planned entry or will it cause confusion and diminish the BMW name? As a backgrounder, the current 1 Series is expected to be overhauled in 2006. Right now the car is offered as a sport hatchback, but the hatchback isn’t likely to be imported due to America’s aversion to that particular body style. Thus a sedan version is being considered by BMW for production according to published reports.

I visited BMW’s U.K. site to examine the current Series 1 model. With the typical BMW fascia in place the Series 1 resembles a slightly stretched Volkswagen Golf mated to a compact BMW. The “1″ comes equipped with either a 1.6L or 2.0L I4 gasoline engine, a gas 24V 3.0L V6, or a 2.0L four cylinder diesel that achieves a whopping 50 mpg fuel economy. Prices for the “1″ start at just under $25,000

Equipment on the “1″ is typical BMW with ABS and all the full luxury appointments. Clearly, the current “1″ is not a stripped model as it features many of the amenities found on larger BMWs.

In my opinion BMW must tread carefully in bringing a car of this size to the American market. Forget the hatchback and just go with the sedan with either a wagon and or a coupe being a possibility. Unlike the basic Mercedes models, the “1″ may just be able to pull it off for BMW and allow the German automaker to sell a tiny BMW successfully in the U.S. Alternatively, BMW just may want to consider launching a separate brand, to retain the BMW mystique in the American market.