How to Turn on the Headlight

Headlights are a vital safety feature in any motor vehicle. Learning how to turn on the headlights is very important but quite simple.

Table of Contents

Headlight operation

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Locate the headlight control panel. The headlight panel is not located in the same place in every vehicle, but there are a few commonly used locations. Look for the control panel or joystick near the steering wheel. ^{[1] X Research Source}

Some manufacturers place a separate headlight panel just below the common panel, to the left of the driver. These dashboards are especially popular in large vehicles with wide dashboards. Look for the small control panel with a dial on it. Standard headlight symbols must be placed at different intervals around the dial.
Other manufacturers place the headlight control on a joystick attached to the base of the steering wheel. The joystick can be placed on the left or right side of the steering wheel, and the headlight control dial will be located at the end of the lever. The headlight control dial will be marked with the standard headlight symbols.

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Look at the “off” position. By default, the headlight control panel will be switched to the “off” position. Note which symbol marks that spot and its place on the dial so you can turn off the headlights when not in use.

The “off” position is usually placed in the far left or bottom corner of the dial. It is usually marked with an open circle or hollow circle.
Many vehicles are now equipped with “running lights,” which automatically come on when your car is moving and your headlights are off. If your headlights appear to be off and you still see lights coming from the front of your vehicle, those are probably running lights. ^{[2] X Research Source}
Always make sure that the headlights are off when you turn off the engine. Leaving the headlights on while the car is off can drain the car’s battery, and the car won’t start again if the battery runs out. If you forget and drain the battery, you will need to start your car to get it working again.

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Rotate to the correct icon. Grasp the control dial between your thumb and forefinger and rotate until the appropriate setting is reached. The different settings are indicated by separate symbols, and you’ll see the dial “click” into place as it goes through each setting. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

Parking lights are the first setting on most cars. These lights are orange at the front of the vehicle and red at the rear of the vehicle.
“Dimming” or “dimming” is usually the next setting. These headlights provide forward and side-by-side light while minimizing glare, so they should be used on busy roads when other vehicles ahead are less than 60 meters away from you. ^{[4] X Research Sources}
“Fog lights” can also be located on this dial, but some automakers place the fog light controls on a separate button located right next to the standard headlight controls. Fog lights use broad-spectrum, downward-facing light to illuminate the road. It is recommended to use this lamp in conditions of poor visibility, such as fog, rain, snow and dust. ^{[5] X Research Sources}
You wo n’t see “main beam” or “high beam” on the low beam control. This setting is usually located on the steering column lever, sometimes your turn signal joystick, and is always separate from the low beam control button. High beams can be turned on by pushing or pulling the turn signal lever forward or backward. These lights are stronger and produce more glare on the road, so you should only use them when other cars are not present or nearby.

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Check the result. When in doubt, check how your car’s headlights react when you turn the controls to each position.

If someone can help you, ask that person to stand outside and in front of your vehicle while it is parked. Pull down the car window so you can communicate with your helper, then rotate the headlight controls to each position. Pause at each position and ask your helper to determine the setting.
If you don’t have someone to help, park in front of a garage, wall, or similar structure. Rotate the headlight control knob to each position, pausing long enough after each setting to see how the light hits the surface. You will be able to determine the setting based on how bright the lights are.

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Know when to use headlights. You should use headlights whenever visibility is low. If you cannot see 150 to 305 meters ahead, you must turn on your headlights. ^{[6] X Research Source}

Always use headlights at night. Use low beam when other vehicles are nearby and high beam in other conditions.
Use floodlights both at dawn and dusk. Even though it’s still light, deep shadows from buildings and other structures can make it difficult to see other vehicles. At least you use the low beam during these hours of the day.
Use fog lights in bad weather such as rain, snow, fog or dust storms. Do not use high beams as the reflections and glare they produce in these conditions can actually make it more difficult for other drivers to see.

Headlight symbol

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Find the basic headlight icon. Most headlight control buttons will be marked with the standard headlight symbol. Find this icon on the side of the control dial.

The standard headlight icon looks like the sun or an upside down light bulb.
On many headlight control dials, there will also be an enclosed circle next to this indicator symbol. The circle marking the side of the dial controls the headlight settings. Align this enclosed circle with the headlight setting you want to select.

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Define indicator icons for each setting. Each type of headlight installation must be labeled with a unique symbol, and these symbols are almost always the same between vehicles. ^{[7] X Research Sources}

If your vehicle is equipped with parking lights, these should be indicated by a symbol that looks like the letter “p” with several lines extending behind the circle in front.
The “low beam” symbol looks like a triangle with rounded corners or a capital letter “D”. The downward slanting lines radiate from the plane of the figure.
The “fog light” symbol has the same shape with downward slanting lines as the “low-beam” symbol. However, this symbol has a wavy line that goes straight through the center of the oblique lines.
The “high beam” symbol looks like a triangle with rounded corners or the letter “D”, but the lines radiate from a completely horizontal plane. ^{[8] X Research Sources}

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Watch for warning icons on the control panel. Cars with electronic/digital dashboards may display warning lights when some lights are not working correctly. When one of these warning lights flashes, you should have them repaired or replaced with the corresponding headlights.

When your headlights malfunction, your vehicle may display the standard indicator light icon with an exclamation mark (!) or an “x” above it.
In addition, the vehicle may display a low beam indicator with an exclamation mark above.

Steps

Headlight operation

Headlight symbol

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