Light changes
THE truth is most women know very little about vehicles — they can wash the car, change a tyre and check the oil levels unassisted, but very few possess any knowledge outside of these. As such, many of us spend thousands of dollars unnecessarily to complete tasks we could actually do on our own. One such task is replacing burnt-out bulbs, a task auto mechanic and car enthusiast Roshane Holness says is much easier than you might imagine.
“For many women, no matter how small the car issue may be, they are likely to throw the key to a male member of their family to get the issue resolved or take the vehicle to a mechanic. Sometimes, for example, when a bulb needs to be changed this isn’t necessary. It’s something that can be done in a few easy steps,” Holness told All Woman.
He said that for each category of major lights — headlights, sidelights or brake lights — the process is essentially the same, but may require a few additional steps depending on the make and model of the vehicle. Your vehicle’s user’s manual should, however, provide all the guidance that you need.
“Your user’s manual is great for two things — not only does it usually have very useful illustrations on how to successfully change your bulb, but it also provides specific details on the kinds of bulbs that you will need to make the replacement,” Holness advised.
Ready to get those lights changed? Holness shares a step-by-step guide to replacing your head, side and brake lights:
HEADLIGHTS
Step one: Open the hood of your car, and prop it up.
Step two: Disconnect the power connector from the back of the headlight assembly.
Step three: Remove the dust cover and clip if there is any holding the bulb in place.
Step four: Locate the housing of the bulb and pull it out gently.
Step five: Insert the new bulb in the open socket gently. You want to make that the glass part of the bulb does not touch your hands or anywhere for that matter.
Step six: If your clip is a part of your headlight assembly, replace it at this point along with the dust cover.
Step seven: Reconnect the power connector then turn on the car and headlights to make sure the new bulb is working.
THE SIDE LIGHTS
The side lights on a car are a little trickier to replace than headlights. However, it’s still not difficult and again, most assemblies are outfitted similarly.
As such, in most cases, you can follow the same basic steps to replace your side light bulbs.
Step one: Open the hood of your car and prop it up.
Step two: Find the sidelight assembly on your vehicle and remove the back cover.
Step three: With many motor vehicles (of various makes and models) you can slide the assembly out from the front. To be sure this is the correct way to remove yours, check your manual.
Step four: Twist the bulb counterclockwise to remove the bulb then pull it out gently.
Step five: Insert the new bulb and replace the socket into the assembly.
Step six: Slide the assembly back into place and replace the back
Step seven: Turn on the car to check if the light is working.
BRAKE LIGHTS
The brake lights in many vehicles can be accessed the same way as you do the headlights. There are some instances where access to the brake might require additional tools and a few extra steps. These have been included as well.
Step one: Open the trunk of your vehicle.
Step two: Try to access the assembly from the inside of the vehicle; if you can then find the brake light socket. If not, continue to step three.
Step three: Locate the assembly then use a wrench to unscrew the mounting bolts holding the assembly in place.
Step four: Remove the tail light lens cover and locate the brake light socket.
Step five: Unscrew the bulb socket by turning it counterclockwise and remove the bulb by gently pulling it out.
Step six: Insert the new bulb, mount the brake light socket, and turn it clockwise.
Step seven: Turn on the vehicle and have someone press the brake pedal. Once you have confirmed that it’s working, replace the tail light, the lens cover and mounting bolts if the process required you to remove these.
