How to Properly Change Your Light bulbs

One of the most common tickets police are handing out today is for busted or non operating headlights. Not only is this unsafe but can be dangerous for oncoming traffic and greatly reduces your night driving capability. Most modern vehicles have indicators in the dash which inform you when your front, rear, or side lights are non operational and require replacement.

You can pay your mechanic to do the job for you but it’s not a difficult job to do. With our step by step guide, you can be done within ten minutes.

Our procedure covers most of the types of halogen lighting systems with the bulb located at the back. Sealed beam headlights require professional installation.

Steps

Lift up your hood and lock it in a safe position. Check around the area of the headlight you are wishing to replace. There should be a bulb holder with three wires emerging from within it with a shape like a trapezoid.
There are three different types of systems manufactured today for secure placement of the headlights. They are:
- Plastic Catch
  There should be a lever sticking up located at the top of the plug. Press the lever with your thumb and gently pull on the plug to slide it off.
- Metal Clip
  Locate the metal clip end. It should be located within the head light housing. Grab the end of the metal clip with your finger and pull up and away to remove the bulb.
- Screw Cap
  This is the simplest. Just locate the screw cap and unscrew it by turning it counter-clockwise.
With your wiring out of the way, it’s time to remove the bulb. Pull the bulb out by holding on to its base, but in some cases you might have to rotate the bulb in order to release it.
When you remove the new bulb from its package, avoid touching the glass portion of the bulb with your hand at all costs. The reason is because if your hand touches the glass, it will leave an oily finger print behind. Since this bulb is subjected to high heat, the oil on the glass will cause the bulb burn out prematurely. If you have to touch the glass area of the bulb, do so with some sort of tissue or towel.
Hold the bulb at the plugs end and place it in the back of the headlight. Be sure that the bulb is all the way in. You can be sure it properly secured when the bulb is lined up evenly and none of the rubber gasket is showing.
Safely secure either the plastic catch, metal clip, or screw cap properly and then plug in the wiring portion. Go back into your car and turn on your head lights to confirm they are operating properly.

There you have it. Head light replacement in less than 10 minutes and with zero labor costs.

Need Automotive Tools?

Need some tools for your car? Go to CDM Tool Sales for ShopPro socket and ratchet sets, wrenches, and more!

CDM Tool sales- for all your hardware needs!

<<Back Car Maintenance Articles