Backlit Interior Surfaces
Instead of having incondesant bulbs in front of the insterments, light sources are behind, ensuring more even illumination. Light sources located behind can be more difficult to reach, so long life is important. Also with how much is under a modern dash, heat generation has to be considered. Light Emiting Diodes(LED) produce little heat, and can last the life of the car, so this is a pretty good solution. LEDs are more expensive than the filament based bulbs before them, but an LED's extended life can be more cost effective if one computes the money saved in warrenty repairs. LEDs also use less power, so energy is saved and less substantial wiring is required, which reduces weight and increases flexibility of the wiring harness, and improves access to under dash components not to mention lowers the cost of the vehicle harness.
Curtiousy Lamps
Lights that illuminate the floor, seating surfaces, glove box, vanity mirrors, under hood and truck lights. More common today than before, these lights have some new technology of their own. Controlled by a computer, they can come on when the car is unlocked via the remote keyless entry to provide visibility to the cabin from yards away. Also they may fade on and off preventing eye-staining-glare due to the sharp contrast.
Reading Lamps
Gone are the days of a single bulb mounted in the center of the headliner to illuminate the inside shoulder of each person in the car. Reading lamps are being mounted for most passengers and there are standards that lighting suppliers have to meet. These might not be controlled by the department of transportations of the world, but rather the car companies. Even, controlled beams of light are optimum with minimal glare to the driver. Interior lights sometimes have to meet child proof requirements to prevent children from shock or injury.
Puddle Lamps
Activated by either the opening of a door or by unlocking the car from the keyless entry, puddle lamps illuminate the areas to the sides of the car. Mounted at the base of the doors, on the bottoms of the exterior mirrors, or even in the door handles, these lights can prevent one from stepping in a mess and treading it into the car.
Warning Lamps
Mounted on the ends of the doors and hatch, these signal lamps alert those around the car that the car maybe wider than it appears as a door or hatch is open. They are usually red, but can throw white light downward to double as a puddle light.
Ambient Lighting
Used with the parking/low/high beam, ambient lighting improves depth perception for those inside the vehicle. Small red/orange LEDs with a very narrow beam are installed in the headliner and shine on the center dash and center console to allow the driver to see their own hand and help their fingers connect with the desired controls more easily. Ambient lighting can also be installed in the doors for finding window controls and items in the map pockets. This extra-depth night vision can make an unfamiliar interiors more user friendly, thus reducing stress. See mood lighting below for other Ambient Lighting.
Mood Lighting
The use of colored lighting can help to calm the driver or provide a certain emotion inside the cabin. Colors from Red to Green are warm while Green to Purple are cool. Used to highlight the headliner, seats, floor, etc, to give the driver and passengers a sense of security,comfort, even a general sense of well being depending on use and color. These lights usually would turn off during vehicle operation. See Ambient Lighting for more Mood Lighing.
Forward Lighting
Signal Lighting
Interior Lighting
Applications
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