This article was updated April 26, 2021.
While keeping the lights on seems like a fairly easy thing to do, lighting violations (inoperable lamps) were the top vehicle violation and were found in 12% of all commercial vehicles inspected in 2020, according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
Light problems are arguably some of the easiest to spot during a pre-trip inspection and conversely will also be some of the easiest violations for inspectors to spot during the upcoming Roadcheck blitz May 4-6 . The 2021 vehicle inspection blitz, kicking off in a week, will focus on the top truck and driver violations last year: lighting and hours of service compliance.
Unfortunately, fixing outages on the road may entail a lot more than simply replacing a broken bulb.
“In this era of LED lighting, lamp failure may suggest broader systemic issues,” said Optronics Director of Engineering Kyle O’Dell. “A lamp that appears to simply be burned out turns out to be caused by corrosion in that lamp’s branch of the electrical system. This means moisture is loose in the entire system – and a bigger problem.”
During inspections, O’Dell recommended drivers and techs diagnose light failures by first checking for disconnected, broken and cracked lamps. If connections and lamps are fine, then move on to wire harness segments and connectors closest to the malfunctioning light.
Though it may seem like a quick way to diagnose light failure, stay away from wire probes.
