Headlights. You might not think about them often, but they make a big impact on the function and aesthetics of your vehicle. By lighting up the road, headlights help you travel safely in inclement weather, and their design is what gives a vehicle its face when it's viewed from the front.

Today, you're not stuck with the headlights that came installed in your vehicle. Custom headlights allow you to make changes to the overall style and the level of safety of your vehicle, and there is truly no limit on what can be done with aftermarket headlights and made-to-order custom headlamp assemblies.

With Custom Headlights, You Can:

See the Road More Clearly.

In many vehicles, headlights don't do a good enough job of illuminating the road in complete darkness at top speeds. If you've ever found yourself unable to see well at night due to inadequate headlights, switching to projection headlights can help. Available for nearly every vehicle on the road today, projection headlights use a smaller reflector to shine light onto the road, resulting in a more focused beam. Projector LED headlights make night travel even safer by shining more brightly than even xenon auto lighting. Another benefit of LED car headlights is that they last for a lot longer than other types of headlights, eliminating the expense and time wasted with frequent bulb changes.

Make Your Car Look Like a High End Vehicle.

Super cars and luxury vehicles typically have futuristic, stylish auto lighting, and if you've ever found yourself envying a pair of LED car headlights on a dream vehicle, you can actually get that look on your own car with a custom LED headlight assembly. For example, you can transform ordinary headlights into halo headlights with glowing rings of white or colored light around their outer edges. You can also have painted or black headlights installed to blend your headlights into the front end of your car, truck, or SUV.

Improve the Visibility and Style of Your Turn Signals.

Headlights aren't the only part of a car's auto lighting that can be improved. Sequential turn signals can be used to help alert other drivers that you're turning in a more noticeable and visually exciting way. These turn signals don't just blink on and then blink off. They create unique visual effects, such as sending a shooting beam of light across the back and front of the car.

Change Auto Lighting Features That Are Unappealing.

Many drivers find certain parts of their vehicle's standard headlight assembly ugly, and if you're one of them, there are ways that you can have the headlamps customized to remove those unsightly details. One option is to have amber lights taken out of headlamp assemblies and replaced with other lighting. You can also have switchback LED lights installed in place of the daytime running lights to disable that glow of the DLRs if you don't like their shape or placement.

These are just some of the ways that custom headlamp assemblies can be used to upgrade a car’s appearance, or improve how you see at night. With the latest advancements in custom headlights, it's possible to get any effect you can think of with auto lighting.

To read more about headlights and their history, click here.

While most people are content to pick the car that they want in the showroom and drive it off the lot as is, but now, more and more buyers have customization on their minds when they select a car. You could, of course, go the aftermarket route and choose all the custom mods that you want for your new ride, but chances are you would still be somewhat limited in what you can do. That is about to change, at least for owners of the Lamborghini Aventador (and eventually the Huracan), with the arrival of the Ad Personam program.

This is a program designed to take modification and personalization to the next level, and it all begins with the material that is cutting edge right now: carbon fiber. The material being used here, though, is a little different, it’s a Lamborghini-patented carbon fibre.

The forged composite material, which was shown off when the car was on display at the Geneva Motor Show, will be used on a number of exterior components and details, with the hardtop in particular benefitting from the new material. The new carbon fiber material will also be found on the rear spoiler, air intakes, door entry sills, as well as on a number of different controls and instrument panel elements within the car.

Also part of the Ad Personam program is the color being used for various parts of the car. The hood, trunk, and bumpers will be part of the new two-tone color schemes used on the outside of the vehicle, with the bold color schemes also carried into the cabin. You may have already noticed the stunning shade of blue that the Aventador was sporting when it was on display. The official name of the color is Blue Sideris, although most people who saw it simply used the word “wow.” Highlighting that brilliant blue is a Matte Silver used on the mirrors and hood.

To show how serious they are about the customization program, Lamborghini launched the Ad Personam Studio in Geneva. Aventador customers will now be able to customize their new ride in all kinds of different ways. They will be able to look at different materials and color samples that can then be mixed and matched to create a totally unique look. The studio will also allow users to see how the final car will look before the work actually begins

This is not something completely new for Lamborghini, as this level of customization is currently available to customers at their factory in Italy. As exciting as all of this is, people who want to get behind the wheel of the Aventador should not get too carried away. There will be a limited number of colors eligible for the customization process, which means you are unlikely to see a hot bubblegum pink Lambo on the road anytime soon.

Photo Credits: Lamborghini

In a recent blog post, we shared the results of a shocking study that found that the majority of all vehicles on the road today are outfitted with headlights that failed to properly illuminate roads at speeds of just 40 miles per hour. The results of the study had us wondering just what vehicle was the best of the best when it comes to headlight performance. Turns out Consumer Reports has the answer--it's the 2015 Cadillac Escalade!

About the Head Lamps

The 2015 Cadillac Escalade features LED headlights outfitted with crystal lenses. In the Consumer Reports road test, the headlights were capable of shining at an incredible distance of up to 400 feet away, even on just the low beam setting. Not only does this make the 2015 Cadillac Escalade the best new car that Consumer Reports has tested, but also the top performing vehicle of all time in terms of headlights. OEM head lamps for the Escalade reportedly cost $1250 for a single LED headlamp, so it's clear that you get what you pay for!

Facts about the Testing

Here are some details about how Consumer Reports tests headlights:

• Testing is done on the low beam setting, due to the fact that drivers use high beams only about one-fourth of the time that they're behind the wheel at night.
• Testing on vehicles over the last few years has indicated that the average vehicle's low beams shine only about 300 feet.
• Based on the amount of time that it takes to stop when traveling at 60 miles per hour, most vehicle’s headlights would either barely provide enough warning of an obstruction in the road to allow for adequate time to avoid an accident, or would fail to provide enough illumination to allow a driver to stop in time.
• - All testing is done with completely clean windshields on a clear night when the moon is in the new moon phase. Testing is performed in complete darkness away from other vehicles when there is no precipitation. Conditions are controlled in order to ensure fairness for the tests.

Can't Afford a Caddie?

Of course, not everyone can afford to go out and spend the $87,000 required to purchase a 2015 Cadillac Escalade just to get the brightest, safest headlights on the road, but it is possible to boost your headlight performance. Upgrading to aftermarket projector headlights can help you see the road more clearly, without blinding oncoming traffic at night. ShopPMLIT.com has a wide selection of projector LED headlight replacements, with options for many makes and models of vehicles, including older cars, trucks, and SUVs. Shop our collection and see what's available to improve your nighttime visibility.

Reference:

http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2015/06/15/cadillac-escalade-led-headlights-outshine-all-others/?intcmp=features

Photo Credit: Cadillac

Your vehicle’s suspension system is extremely important, because it controls the steering and stability, which ensures you stay safe on the road. Therefore, it’s important to have it diagnosed on a regular basis.

Your vehicle’s suspension is constantly hit with high loads, and is prone to significant wear and tear. For that reason, mechanics highly recommend checking the suspension system after every 6,500 to 7,500 miles of driving or whenever there are signs of break. By repairing a worn out or damaged suspension part, you may prevent possible mishaps from occurring - this ensures you keep money in your pocket, because you don’t have to make any costly repairs.

How Can You Tell Your Suspension Has Problems?

There are several signs that your vehicle’s suspension is having issues:

• Excessive amount of bouncing and swaying (low and high speeds)
• It won’t handle the road properly
• The vehicle may not sit level

Each of these signs is very elusive and can be easily overlooked. In fact, it’s possible that you won’t know something is wrong; until you need to do a rapid maneuver that will keep you from suffering a catastrophic accident.

Why is it So Dangerous to Have Worn out Shock Absorbers and Suspension Springs?

When your suspension is defective, it can’t handle the road’s bumps and ruts. This means you don’t get a smooth ride, and it also makes it harder for you to handle the automobile.   When there is a road hazard you quickly need to maneuver around to avoid, the vehicle may move in the direction opposite of how you need it to turn. This will cause the inside wheels to come off the ground and make the car flip over.

When your vehicle’s suspension system is in good shape, your vehicle can make sharp turns and has better steering control.  Basically, you get a safe, smooth ride.

7 Ways to Learn You Have a Break in Your Suspension System

When you’re driving your vehicle, there are seven ways to find out if your suspension system is having problems:

• Odd knocks while on a rough, bumpy road
• Noise while driving
• Poor stability and handling while on high speed cruise control
• Steering wheel issues
• Rise of body tilt in turns
• Rise in braking distance
• Premature anti-lock brake system (ABS) while braking on uneven surfaces

How Can You Diagnose the Problems of Your Suspension System?

So, what steps can you take to diagnose your vehicle’s suspension system problem? To check the front suspension, you’ll need to look at the pivots and joints, as they are the ones that are crucial for proper vehicle operation. These are also prone to serious wear and tear because they deal with all the road hazards.

• Look at the steering linkage
• Check the condition of the struts and shocks (are there any leaks?)
• Check out all four of the wheel bearings for unevenness
• Look at the rear and front control arm brushing and ball joints
• Check the springs for any damage
• Check for leaky or damaged CV joint boots
• Look at the vehicle’s ground clearance (torsion bars, coil springs, or struts… (Both sides’ measurements should be equal)

After an in-depth inspection, you can get a basic idea of what state the vehicle’s suspension system is in and if you need to do any replacements of parts. To read more about automotive suspension, click here.

Brooklyn, New York -- ShopPMLIT.com, an online retailer of aftermarket headlights from Oracle Lighting and PMLIT lights, has all of the Oracle Lighting Special Edition Kits for top-selling vehicles in stock.

Oracle Lighting accessories and custom headlights are preferred by professional installers, and widely known by vehicle owners who enjoy making custom modifications to their vehicles. The company is particularly well known for their halo headlights and off road lights. Over the last few years, Oracle has put together complete kits of Oracle lights for a number of popular vehicles, releasing them as a part of their Special Edition series. The current offerings in this series include:

Chevy Camaro Lights

In 2011, Oracle Lighting created their first Special Edition kit, inspired by a custom Chevrolet Camaro, which the brand built for the 2011 SEMA Show held in Las Vegas, Nevada. The kit is now available in two versions:

SERIES ONE, which includes:

• Halo headlights and matching fog lights in an array of colors
• Replacement LED daytime running lights and fog light bulbs
• 6000K HID Xenon headlight upgrade
• Tail light after burner replacement complete with halo lights
• Custom LED lighting for the interior and for the footwells
• Oracle logo decal for the trunk

SERIES TWO, which includes:

• All of the Oracle lights and accessories in the SERIES ONE Kit
• LED replacement lights for front and rear side markers and license plate
• Carbon fiber panels to replace the OEM door and dash panels
• LED glowing Chevy bow tie emblem for trunk mounting
• Aluminum billet badge in the shape of the Oracle logo
• Remote control for operating the lights

Dodge Charger Lights

The Dodge Charger Special Edition kit was engineered to replace the OEM auto lighting on the 2012 Dodge Charger. The kit provides:

• Halo headlights and matching fog lights in an array of colors
• Plasma LED upgrades for the fog lights
• Custom LED lighting for the interior, for the footwells, and for the puddle lights
• Bright white LED lighting for the area around the license plate
• Aluminum billet badge in the shape of the Oracle logo

Dodge Challenger Lights

Oracle Lighting has also developed a Special Edition kit for another 2012 Dodge vehicle, the Challenger. This kit includes:

• Halo headlights and matching fog lights in an array of colors
• Plasma LED upgrades for the fog lights
• Custom LED lighting for the interior and the footwells
• Bright white LED lighting for the area around the license plate
• Aluminum billet badge in the shape of the Oracle logo

Jeep Wrangler Lights

In 2013, Oracle Lighting released a Special Edition package for the top-selling 2013 Jeep Wrangler JK. This kit contains:

• Halo headlights and matching fog lights in an array of colors
• Plasma LED upgrades for the fog lights
• Custom LED lighting for the interior and the footwells
• Bright white LED lighting for the area around the license plate
• Aluminum billet badge in the shape of the Oracle logo

Special Edition Lighting Kits are also available for the 2012 Fiat 500, the 2013 Dodge Dart, the 2012 Dodge Ram, the 2012 Chevy Silverado, and the 2012 GMC Sierra.

As an authorized Oracle Lighting dealer, ShopPMLIT.com is able to offer all of the Oracle Special Edition packages for sale online. The prices are competitive, making ShopPMLIT.com a top choice for purchasing these complete sets of custom headlights and Oracle Lighting accessories. Kits can be purchased on the website. For more information about the products, or about ShopPMLIT.com, please contact 800.718.7989. Please see here to check out their website

Projector headlights are becoming manufacturers’ standard design choice of headlight assembly. Usually, these projection headlights feature a type of slightly frosted glass called a fresnellens. More and more vehicle owners are swapping them out for new replacement headlight lenses, in order to enhance their vehicles. Read on to learn more about why and what you need to know before you consider aftermarket headlight lenses.

What's Wrong with the Fresnel Lens?

Even though nearly all U.S.automobiles are made with Fresnel lenses, these lights actually don't allow you to experience the full benefits of a projector headlight or an LED headlight. Because the lens is translucent, it actually diminishes the sharpness of the beam pattern. With so many people now opting for custom headlights with clear lenses in order to fully enjoy the look of projectors, some manufacturers are offering clear lenses in their headlights.Currently, the Acura TSX, and the Honda S2000 have clear lens headlights as OEM parts.It's likely that other automakers will follow suit in time, but for now, the only way to enjoy the benefits of clear lenses is to opt for aftermarket headlight lenses.

Benefits of Clear Lenses

Choosing to upgrade your vehicle with clear lenses for your headlights can provide you with a number of benefits, including:

1. Sharper Illumination The beam pattern will be better defined, so that there is much more of a noticeable difference between where the light from the headlight beam stops and the darkness around it begins.
2. Added Color Clear lenses produce a stylish effect called a color flicker when the headlights are viewed straight on from a distance.
3. More Intensity The light from the headlight will brighten up the road better, making it easier for you to see in the dark.
4. Wider Viewing Area In pure darkness, you'll be able to see clearly across a wider distance with a clear lens in place.
5. Elimination of Dark Spots Without the frosted finish of a Fresnel lens, a projector headlight shines evenly across the entire beam, completely eliminating dark spots that can hinder your ability to see.

Getting the RightSize

When you're looking for custom headlamp lenses, you need to make sure that you select the right size for your light. First, you need to determine:

1. Lens Diameter Usually, the lens will be 2.5 inches or 3 inches wide.
2. Lens Focus HeightThis is the measurement from the flat part of the lens to the highest part inside of the convex crest. It will usually be 25 millimeters, 27 millimeters,or 30 millimeters in size.

At ShopPMLIT.com, we carry awide range of custom auto lighting solutionsfor those looking for analternative to the standard incandescent, halogen, or LED headlights that came installedin their vehiclesat the time of purchase. With options like clear lens custom headlights, to smoked headlights, to even black headlights, we offersomething for every custom headlight modification you can imagine. For assistance finding what you need for your custom mods, or for answers to specific questions, contact us today. To read more about headlights, please click here.

Many people retire their cars around 100,000 miles, and many cars out there are not suitable to even reach the 100,000-mile mark. However, it is possible to get a vehicle to last you 250,000 miles. It requires attentive care, research, and professional assistance. There are several factors involved; what kind of car you have, who you hire to take care of the car, how you drive, how often you service it, and several others.

The Car

The first step is to find a car that can actually make it to 250,000 miles. You have to get a high quality automobile in the first place, because not all cars are cut out for extremely long lifespans. Do some research in order to find out if your car is likely to last 250,000 miles. Don’t push it with a vehicle that isn’t known for its longevity. If you determine that your car’s make and model is known to be reliable past 200,000 miles, you still need to assess whether or not your particular vehicle can handle it, or needs to be replaced. Also, listen to the advice of your professional, licensed mechanic to stay safe on the road. Let them know that you are trying to get your car to last 250,000 miles, and listen to what they have to say.

The Mechanic

You need a good mechanic. You should have a relationship with the shop where you regularly service your car. Find a good one, get to know them, and try to stick with it. If the service isn’t up to scratch, or if problems develop, obviously you should change mechanics. But the goal here is to find someone that you can get to know, who can get to know your car, and that you can regularly go to for reliable information about the state of your vehicle.

How You Drive

How you drive your car has a definite impact on the lifespan of the car. If you drive like a maniac, then your car will not last very long before breaking down, even with regular servicing. If you are attempting to get your car to last for 250,000 miles, you should drive carefully. Following the rules of the road, being mindful of other drivers, and taking reasonable care on the road are the priority, but if you have a choice between stomping on the gas, and gently accelerating, you should give your car the gentle treatment. Remember, the way you drive should be focused on safety. Taking care of the car is a secondary consideration, but one that has a substantial impact on the overall life of the car.

Oil

Keep an eye on your oil levels. Learn about your car’s specific oil needs and rate of consumption. It doesn’t hurt to check your oil every second gasoline fill-up, and it doesn’t hurt to keep it topped off. Also, waiting longer than the factory recommended limit to change your oil might keep you from reaching that 250,000-mile goal. You don’t have to change it every day, but it is a good idea to be aware of what is going on with your car’s oil and to do the necessary scheduled maintenance.

Regular Service

Having your car serviced regularly is very important. You need to keep your cooling system working well, because having a faulty cooling system can destroy your engine. You need to keep all other belts, fans, and parts regularly serviced because a problem with any of them could easily destroy your engine. The solution is to go to a professional, licensed mechanic on a regular basis. Check with your manufacturer to see when you need to replace what parts, and then be sure to have your car serviced often enough. Make sure that your mechanic knows the intervals at which the parts in your particular car need to be changed. Paying for a new part before the old one breaks is a much better policy, rather than just waiting for your car to break down. This is especially true if you want your car to last you a long time.

Conclusion

The best way to keep your car running for a long time is to take meticulous care of it. That includes the steps above, but also keeping it clean and having it detailed regularly. If you are considering installing custom modifications, check with your manufacturer to see if they are safe to install before putting them on, and avoid them if they make the car less safe, or change how the car ages. The automotive parts that need to be replaced often should be cycled out as often as recommended by the manufacturer, including headlights and fog lights, tail lights, and brake lights. This is true even if you have sealed beam headlights, or other kinds of head-lamps. Having a headlight go out on the road can be a dangerous affair, and it is best to avoid it. To read more about how to make your car run forever, click here.

When it comes to the size of the wheel you should have on your vehicle, you may be wondering if bigger wheels translate to better wheels. Well,there is no clear-cut answer here.The answer lies in what you’re looking to get from your wheels.

Of course, the real answer is this: your vehicle’s wheels need to bean appropriate size in proportion to the kind of vehicle and the loads it must carry. An 18-wheeler’s wheels are large because they have to carry extremely heavy loads. The wheels on a small vehicle are smaller because it doesn’t need to handle heavy loads.

Now, if you like the idea of big wheels on your vehicle,it’s perfectly fine. But, you should understand a couple of things:

• Bigger wheels mean heavier wheels
• Big wheels increase the vehicle’s center of gravity

What does that mean? If you have a show vehicle, this is fine. If you have a commuter vehicle, the big wheels make it harder for you to control, and you will be unable to enjoy the ride.

Why it’s better to Have Lightweight Wheels

When it comes to the performance of your vehicle, you need lightweight wheels. There’s a good reason for that too. A wheel in rotation acts like a flywheel and wants to continue going in the same direction and at the same speed. However, when a vehicle’s wheels are heavy, it’s going to be more difficult to control.

The issue behind big wheels is that the perimeter will get heavier,causing the diameter to increase. A wheel with a heavy perimeter is hard to steer, causing it to bounce along the road.This causes the shock absorbers to work even harder to keep the vehicle on the road.

Primary Reasons to Choose Big Wheels for Your Vehicle

What is it about big wheels that cause people to upgrade or keep their large tires?

• Safety and Security - Big wheels ensure security because the vehicle tires have more tread that touches the road’s surface.Bigger wheels ensure better traction in both dry and wet conditions. Large wheels translate into a safe ride,but only if your vehicle has been converted correctly, or if the vehicle is already compatible with them.
• Reduced Damage To Undercarriage - The road is not smooth and straight; it’s full of potholes and other conditions that can damage the vehicle’s undercarriage. Big wheels ensure you get clearance that will decrease the chance for damage that can come from these raised surfaces and big dips in the roadway.
• Smooth Driving and Handling -Large vehicle tires meansidewalls are taller and bigger, which can ensure you get a smooth ride.

Why Bigger Tires Are Not Better

You may get the added security and smooth ride that comes from large wheels, but there are some drawbacks to adding them to your vehicle. One of the most common issues that come with these big wheels is the expense.

• Reduction In Fuel Economy - When your vehicle’s have large wheels, there is an increase in the center of gravity. What this does is reduce how well your vehicle uses the fuel. Big wheels mean more trips to the local gas station.

• Reduction In Steering Accuracy - The tread of big wheels do give you some better road grip but you have a reduction in maneuvering accuracy. This makes it harder for making turns or changing lanes. And, this can be a real safety problem. It will take time for you to get a feel for driving with large wheels, adjusting your driving habits.

• Hard Braking - When your vehicle has large wheels, it puts strain on the brakes, causing them to wear out quicker and you spending money to fix them.

Keep Your Vehicle’s Tires on the Road

It’s important that your vehicle’s tires stay in constant contract with the road surface. Any bouncing of the tires or tires that don’t stay contacted means the vehicle loses its grip with the surface. This can be hard to do for three reasons:

• Vehicle speed increases
• Sharp turns
• Uneven road surface

The more weight on the shock absorber and springs, the harder they’ll need to work to ensure the wheels don’t bounce.

What does this all mean then? When it comes to performance of a vehicle, big wheels don’t necessarily mean better for handling. Big wheels are mostly for show use and appearance purposes. To read more about car wheels and rims history, click here.