Tail Lights for Pontiac Sunfire
When the tail lights on your Pontiac Sunfire suddenly stop working, you need to replace them as soon as possible. There are many different tail light options to choose from that not only ensure a safe ride but enhance the way your vehicle looks as well.
What components make up a tail light?There are three main parts that make up tail light assemblies. These include:
- Bulb: This is the component that actually glows when you hit the brakes or turn your signal on. There are three different types of lights that are typically found in vehicle tail lights including halogen lights, xenons, and LEDs.
- Lens: This is the clear plastic or acrylic piece that protects the lighting components. Depending on the assembly style, the lens may be tinted to make white lights turn red. In other types of housing assemblies, the lens may be clear.
- Housing: The housing is the part that holds the lighting components and the lens. It connects these components to the frame of your Sunfire. The finish on the housing can be black, clear, or even chrome to match the accents on your Sunfire.
When looking for tail lights, you will see four different types of bulbs. They include:
- Incandescent: Incandescent bulbs are commonly used on vehicles. They have a small amount of halogen gas inside that allows the tungsten in the materials to be reused. This cycle extends the life of the bulb so that they last about 1,000 hours.
- Xenon: These are extremely bright and reach their full intensity in less than 30 seconds. They contain a cathode and an anode. An arc of electricity connects the two when it is turned on. This arc of electricity vaporizes the xenon gas inside, resulting in bright illumination.
- LEDs: LEDs are small and easy to replace. They are usually installed in clusters for a brighter glow at night. They can last up to 30,000 hours before they need to be replaced.
- Fiber optics: These are brighter, faster, and energy-efficient. However, this option is often only found in aftermarket options. In some cases, they are combined with LEDs.
LEDs can be specially programmed to have different flash patterns, depending on your wants and needs. There are three main flash patterns for LED emergency tail lights:
- Traditional full flash: These lamps activate all of their LEDs at once when the car is braking or turning.
- Strobing flash: The brake illuminates in rapid-fire bursts.
- Sequential flash: These lamps have several rows of LEDs that are programmed to flash in columns at specific times. This pattern produces a scrolling effect.