Content

• Steps
• Part 1 of 2: Controlling the headlights
• Part 2 of 2: Symbols on the control handle

Headlights are an important safety feature for all vehicles. Knowing how to turn on the headlights is just as important as it is easy.

Steps

Part 1 of 2: Controlling the headlights

1. 1 Find the headlight controls. It all depends on the make of the car, but there are several common placements for the controls. Pay attention to the dashboard or control stick near the steering wheel.
   • Some manufacturers place a separate headlight control panel directly below the dashboard to the left of the driver. Most often, this design is found in larger cars with a larger torpedo area. Find a small panel with a swing handle. The standard symbols of the indicator lights should be placed at different distances in a circle.
   • Other manufacturers place the headlight controls on levers attached to the base of the steering wheel. The lever can be located to the left or right of the steering wheel, and the rotary headlight control knob is closer to the edge of the lever. Such a headlamp control stick should have standard symbols.
2. 2 Find the OFF position.". The headlamp control is set to OFF by default. Pay attention to the symbol indicating this position, as well as its position on the handle, so that you can turn off the headlights at the right time.
   • OFF position usually located on the far left or at the bottom of the rotary knob. An open or unshaded circle is used as a symbol.
   • Many vehicles today are equipped with “parking lights” that automatically turn on when the engine is turned on and the headlights are turned off. If you still see a light in the front of the car with the headlights off, then it must be side lights.
   • Always turn off your headlights before shutting off the engine. If they remain on when the engine is off, the battery will drain and you will not be able to start the engine. If you forget to turn off the headlights and completely discharge the battery, then you can start the car only by pushing or from someone else's battery.
3. 3 Switch the handle to the correct symbol. Squeeze the rotary control handle between your thumb and forefinger and rotate to the desired position. The positions are indicated by different symbols, and you should feel a clicking sound when switching between different positions.
   • The first is usually the parking light (side lights). In this position, the headlights shine orange at the front and red at the rear.
   • It is usually followed by "low beam". In this position, the headlights emit light forward and sideways at minimum brightness, which is designed for heavy traffic when other vehicles are less than 60 meters away from you.
   • There may also be a "fog lamp" position on the rotary knob, but some automakers place the fog lamp control on a separate button next to the headlight controls. Fog lights use a wide beam that is directed downward. They should be used in low visibility conditions such as fog, rain, snowfall and dust storms.
   • The high beam control is usually not placed on the main headlight switch. This element is usually found on the steering column lever, sometimes on the turn signal lever, but never on the steering column switch. The high beam can be turned on by pressing or pulling the turn signal lever forward or backward. It has more intense light and more road glare, so high beams should only be used when there are no other vehicles nearby.
4. 4 Make sure everything works as expected. If in doubt, test empirically how your car reacts to shifting the handle to different positions.
   • If you have an assistant, ask him to stand in front of the car. Open the window so you can hear the assistant, then switch the rotary knob to different positions. After each position, pause and ask your helper which light is on.
   • If you do not have an assistant, then park near a garage, wall or other structure. Then move the rotary knob to different positions and watch the light reflect on the surface in front of you. You will be able to determine all positions by the brightness of the reflected light.
5. 5 Know when to use the headlights. Headlights should be on when visibility is low. If you cannot see a section of the road at a distance of 150–300 meters in front of you, then it's time to turn on the headlights.
   • The headlights must always be on at night. In heavy traffic, use the low beam, and in other cases, use the high beam.
   • Also turn on your headlights at dawn and dusk. Even with some natural light, dark shadows from buildings and other structures can make it difficult for other vehicles to see. During these hours, at least the dipped beam must be turned on.
   • Turn on your fog lights in bad weather: rain, snow, fog or dust storms. Do not turn on the high beam, as the reflection and brightness of the high beam headlights may dazzle other drivers under these conditions.

Part 2 of 2: Symbols on the control handle

1. 1 Look at the main symbol on the rotary knob. Most headlight controls have a standard headlight symbol. Find it on one side of the rotary knob.
   • The standard headlamp symbol looks like the sun or an upside-down light bulb.
   • Many of the headlamp rotary knobs also have a closed circle next to the standard symbol. This circle denotes the side of the handle with which the various positions are switched. Set the closed circle in front of the position of the headlights you want.
2. 2 Determine the meaning of each symbol. Each handle position is indicated by a specific symbol, which does not differ much in cars from different manufacturers.
   • If your vehicle is equipped with side lights (low-beam headlamps that can be turned on when the engine is off), they will be identified by a symbol similar to the letter “p” with several lines extending from the rounded side of the symbol.
   • The Dipped Beam symbol looks like a rounded triangle or an uppercase English letter "D". Downward lines extend from the flat side of the symbol.
   • The fog lamp symbol has the same shape and downward-facing lines as the dipped beam symbol. In this case, one wavy line should go straight through the center of the slanted lines.
   • The High Beam symbol also looks like a rounded triangle or a capital D, but the lines that extend from the flat side will be horizontal.
3. 3 Pay attention to the warning symbols on the dashboard. Cars with electronic or digital dashboards may display warning warning lights in case some of the car lights are not working properly. If one of these warning lamps flickers, it is necessary to repair or replace the inoperative element.
   • If the headlights are not working properly, the dashboard may display a standard headlight-on symbol with an exclamation mark (!) Or a crossed-out symbol (X).
   • Instead of these symbols, a dipped beam symbol with an exclamation mark may be displayed.