The Garage 333

NEWS
Can you now see the light?
Good quality lighting is essential as
winter brings about darker nights
and shorter days. Lighting specialist,
OSRAM, is urging technicians to embrace
the latest developments and technology,
and to follow best practice when servicing
vehicles during these months.
A blown light bulb is one of the most
common MOT failures, and one of the
easiest to resolve, and therefore it should
be a key priority when servicing any
vehicle.
Check, change and upgrade
There is no doubt that better visibility
can help drivers detect traffic signs and
hazards quicker, and therefore allows them
to react faster, improving road safety.
Checking all of a vehicle’s lights
thoroughly is a quick and easy process,
and also essential to ensure they are
functioning and working as they should
do. This should be applied to every vehicle
going through the workshop for servicing.
Faulty bulbs are still one of the most
common reasons for MOT failure and the
most inexpensive part to fix.
Not only are faulty bulbs a potential
danger for the driver, but their passengers
and other road users are also at risk.
Heading into the winter months with
reduced light and more challenging road
conditions if a bulb is blown or not working
properly means the vehicle becomes
unroadworthy and customers could be
falling foul of the law.
New upgrade bulb ranges help to bring
new opportunities for both the garage
and motorist, and therefore it’s important
that they opt for the latest, OE-quality
products to keep vehicles roadworthy and
drivers and passengers safe.
Change in pairs
Garages and service centres should always
look to change bulbs together, even if only
one has blown, as it is not only a safer and
more practicable option, but it presents a
profitable opportunity to upsell.
Vehicle lighting is often taken for
granted, but headlights will gradually
grow dimmer over time. From the day
a new bulb is fitted they will lose up to
30 percent of their brightness after 500
hours of use.
Most importantly, both headlights are
subject to the same stresses, so they will
both be deteriorating together. Replacing
just one failed bulb can result in an
unbalanced or unpredictable headlight
beam that can cause serious hazards for
the driver and other road users.
A vehicle is designed so that it works
best when both headlights are functioning
equally. Only then will the driver get the
full advantage of the combined headlight
beam on the road ahead.
Embracing innovations
By using cutting-edge technology,
OSRAM has most recently launched the
Night Breaker 200 halogen upgrade
range to meet the need for the best and
brightest bulbs on the market.
This latest addition to its already
impressive aftermarket lighting range
delivers a high light output. The powerful
headlamp bulbs are up to three times
brighter and provide up to 20 percent
whiter light than required by law. The light
beam extends up to 150 metres and the
strong luminosity of the bulb provides
improved, wider visibility.
The Night Breaker 200 provides
motorists with a halogen upgrade bulb that
is up to 200 percent brighter, significantly
improving road illumination and safety.
As the brightest halogen retrofit bulb in
OSRAM’s range, it expands the high-tech
company’s Night Breaker portfolio.
Automotive lighting technology is
advancing at a significant rate with the
introduction of LED, intelligent forward
lighting, LiDAR (Light Detection and
Ranging), in cabin ambient lighting and
sensing to name a few.
The good news is that traditional lighting
technologies, such as Halogen and HID,
will be around for a considerable time to
come and that means the most up-to-date
solutions, such as whiter or brighter light,
can still be retrofitted to older cars. This
means profit opportunities for garages and
workshops to upsell to upgrade bulbs, and
satisfied customers who will be able to see
more and feel safer on the roads at night.
20 THE GARAGE
20,21 ECP and Osram.indd 1 18/11/2021 16:24