Rock lights, underglow, light bars and strobes all fail the same way: not at the light, but at a tapped wire, an unfused circuit or a connector left open to road salt. The difference between a good lighting shop and a bad one is invisible from the outside, so you have to ask. This is our site, so we’ll answer for ourselves too.
1. Does every circuit get its own fuse?
The number one shortcut is tapping lights into an existing circuit, like the parking lights or a cigarette lighter, with no fuse of their own. It works until a wire chafes, and then it takes out the factory circuit with it, or worse.
Our answer: Every circuit gets its own fuse sized to the load, and anything high-draw like a light bar runs through a relay so your switch and factory wiring never carry it.
2. How do they seal connections outside the cab?
Delaware salts its roads all winter. Rock lights and underglow live in that spray. Twist-and-tape or bare butt connectors corrode in a season, and the first symptom is lights that flicker, then one pod that dies, then the whole kit.
Our answer: Outside connections are sealed against water, slush and salt, and wiring is wrapped in loom and secured away from heat, suspension and moving parts.
3. Will they show you the wiring, not just the glow?
Ask to see photos of a finished install with the panels off, or the switch panel in the cab. Clean wiring runs, labeled switches and nothing dangling under the dash tell you more than any photo of a lit-up Jeep at night.
Our answer: Look at our recent lighting jobs, including the switch panels, and ask us for wiring photos of any job.
4. Do they know what’s legal on Delaware roads?
Red facing forward, flashing red, blue or green, and show lighting on the highway can all get you pulled over. A good shop wires show lighting to its own switch and tells you when to use it.
Our answer: We know Delaware’s rules and the basics for Pennsylvania, Maryland and New Jersey, and we set up switching so your show lights stay off on the road. Read our plain-English summary.
5. Will they install your own kit, and will they tell you if it’s junk?
Plenty of shops refuse customer-supplied parts, and plenty of others will install anything without a word. You want a shop that will install what you bought and warn you honestly if the kit won’t hold up.
Our answer: Bring your kit. We’ll install it, and if the pods are poorly sealed or the controller is flaky, you’ll hear it from us before we start.
6. Do they do work truck and emergency lighting?
Strobes, light bars and hideaways on plow, tow and construction trucks are a different job from underglow. They need to meet state color rules, survive worse conditions and be controlled with gloves on. A shop that does both show and work lighting understands wiring at a deeper level.
Our answer: We install amber and white warning lights for work, plow and tow trucks and surface mounts for volunteer firefighters, with Feniex and other brands.
7. What’s the warranty on the install?
The light has a manufacturer’s warranty. The wiring doesn’t, unless the shop stands behind it.
Our answer: Every lighting install carries our 1-year craftsmanship warranty on top of the manufacturer’s warranty on the lights.
Where to find us
MarxModified AutoStyling is at 4706 Old Capitol Trail, Wilmington, DE 19808, off Kirkwood Highway near Prices Corner. Hours are Wednesday to Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM, with Monday and Tuesday by appointment. Read more about our Wilmington lighting installs.
Choosing a lighting shop FAQ
What makes a good lighting install?
Fused circuits, relays for high-draw lights, sealed outside connections, wiring in loom and routed away from heat and moving parts, and a clean switch setup. All of it is invisible until it fails, so ask.
Why did my rock lights stop working after one winter?
Almost always a corroded connection or a chafed wire from an install that wasn’t sealed or secured. We can trace it and redo it properly.
Is underglow legal in Delaware?
For off-road, parked or at a show. No red facing forward and no flashing red, blue or green on public roads. We wire show lighting to its own switch.
Can I bring my own lights?
Yes. We’ll install customer-supplied kits and tell you honestly if a kit won’t hold up.
How much does a lighting install cost?
It’s quoted per job based on the number of lights, the controls and how much of the vehicle has to come apart to hide the wiring. Send us your vehicle and the lights you want and we’ll quote it, usually the same day.