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Light Test Switch

 Test Your Lights!
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The car I own has an neat feature in that it monitors all the light bulbs in the exterior lighting system to check for continuity. Then if continuity is last it displays a small indicator to tell me when a light is out in one quadrant of the car. Many cars do not have such a feature making it very difficult to know you have a lamp out. For many lamps testing them is simple, just turn on the lights and take a look, but then you discover that Brake lights are very difficult to test, you need to depress the brake pedal while also standing behind the car to check for function.

In addition to these external lamps there are also a variety of safety lamps in the dash board.

I propose that a momentary switch be installed in all cars that when pressed would light up all safety related lamps on a vehicle for a period of 1 minute. This would allow the driver to rapidly check for burned out bulbs unassisted. The switch would be placed behind a small cover to protect it from accidental activation.

—jhomrighaus, Jan 28 2008

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       A small piece of plexiglas, positioned to channel a bit of light from the lamp in question, could serve as well (and would work all the time). Some light planes use these to ensure the wingtip lights are on and working.
—phoenix, Jan 28 2008
   

       This would not tell you if the sensor that activates the light is functional.
—marklar, Jan 28 2008
   

       I've solved this very problem by obtaining a building component normally used within the construction of vertical structures, and then optimising its well documented properties of inertial and temporal stability to act in conjunction with the brake lever in such a way as to activate the appropriate illumination.   

       This device can be stored very easily, and will blend into most urban environments, especially (in front of) walls - can also be used to keep doors open, act as a universal window-opener, bookend or convenient combined match-container and striking surface.
—zen_tom, Jan 28 2008
   

       //This device can be stored very easily, and will blend into most urban environments, especially walls.//   

       But can you use it while stopped at a highway rest area?
—jhomrighaus, Jan 28 2008
   

       Absolutely - it's preferable to keep at least one in the boot (trunk) as it can also be used in cases of emergency to:
a) arrest the downhill motion of a car with no working brakes.
b) operate as a means of gaining entry to a vehicle after the owner has misplaced their keys
c) double as a crude percussive implement
d) can be thrown at passing wildlife in an attempt to gather food
e) can be used as a small stool
f) deter criminals.
—zen_tom, Jan 28 2008
   

       I wouldn't mind being caught in an XLR even if I wasn't dead.
—jhomrighaus, Feb 01 2008
   

       Ah, talking of Cadillacs - I am considering taking a roadtrip from New York to Las Vegas towards the end of May; What would be the best motor to rent (selection criteria being a flat, open-topped thing with fins) and are there companies that will rent these kinds of cars on one-way journeys to complete strangers? Also, any suggested routes, places to drive through/avoid?
—zen_tom, Feb 01 2008
   

       Sounds good - I have some recommendations, but email me, to avoid using this as a chat forum.
—hippo, Feb 01 2008
   

       Hmmm good point.
—zen_tom, Feb 01 2008
   

       Avoid Bat Country.
—egbert, Feb 01 2008
   

       How about mirrors in your garage? I love the fiberoptic options, but don't like an extra switch. So just replace them all with LEDs and forget about it.   

       PS Try to see the Grand Canyon by the light of a full moon, it's Ansel Adams full size.
—MisterQED, Feb 01 2008
   

       There was once a concept lighting system that used one single light source then all the lights on the car were connected via Fiberoptics to it. At least with that system it was an all or nothing thing.
—jhomrighaus, Feb 01 2008
   

       Not entirely sure it was many years ago when I were young(say 15 to 20 years back) I remember being all agog about it as a youngster.
—jhomrighaus, Feb 01 2008
   

       //I wouldn't be seen dead in a cadillac// If you were to take a tablet, that caused you to totally evacuate your bowels to the point of near death, and that said tablet was shaped like the famous car named, would be it called the Ultimate Cadillaxitive?
—xenzag, Feb 01 2008
   

       Sounds like it would be a hard pill to swallow.
—jhomrighaus, Feb 01 2008
   

       We're glad you got that out of your system. Er... nevermind.
—lurch, Feb 01 2008
   

       //There was once a concept lighting system that used one single light source then all the lights on the car were connected via Fiberoptics to it.// That is how SAAB used to do their dash lights. It was great if it burned out it took seconds to replace. I can't imagine that headlights could work this way or even brake lights.
—MisterQED, Feb 01 2008
   

       Have we done the "Are my indicators working?" "Yes. No. Yes. No...." joke yet?
—MaxwellBuchanan, Feb 01 2008
   

       No, not yet. How does it go...?
—wagster, Feb 01 2008
   

       It starts "Three men walk into a bar."
—MaxwellBuchanan, Feb 01 2008
   

       Tsssh-boom!
—MaxwellBuchanan, Feb 02 2008
   

       // Absolutely - it's preferable to keep at least one in the boot (trunk) as it can also be used in cases of emergency to: a) arrest the downhill motion of a car with no working brakes. // So how do you get into the trunk when the car is barrelling downhill with no brakes?
—Bukkakinator, Jun 03 2008
   

       I should have specified 'from a stationary position' you just put the brick (or bricks) in front of the wheel(s) - like the chocks they use to keep aeroplanes still at airports.
—zen_tom, Jun 03 2008
   

       I put pretty much this on my list recently, but then I saw it had already been posted ten years ago, so I guess I'll check it off:   

       52/344 [2018-04-14]
—notexactly, Jun 08 2018
   


 

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