How do you change a tail light?

Not a sex thread. I bought the bulb, now do I have to take the trunk apart to get it in there?

Some cars you remove the lenses from the outside, some from the inside.

mikey_the_rat

Open the trunk, find where the carpet covers the back of the assembly:



Fold back the carpet to reveal the magic hole where the light bulb assembly goes:



You are then going to reach into the hole to remove the magic socket:



(The socket is the peach-colored thingy there. You can remove it from the back of the assembly. That picture is with the assembly removed - you do not have to remove the assembly - you are just going to reach in, grab it, give it a twist and pull it out through the magic hole. You do not have to disconnect the wires.)

The socket is held there by a sort of notchy-twisty thing like a child proof top on a medicine bottle.

Replace the bulb in the socket, stick the socket back in the magic hole, and then just twist the socket back into place.

Voila!

You saved me from prying apart the plastic thingy on the back end of the car. Thankfully I didn't get stopped driving home in the dark with one taillight.

but seriously, I would check the owners manual. they should have pictures of how to remove the taillight. That's the only way I've ever done it.

:hi:

:P

Just unscrewed them, took off the cover, replaced the bulb, screwed the cover back on.

store, eventually someone does it for me

Thats probably the best way to do it quickly & without too much of a hassle.

And I asked the mailman too.

:thumbsup:

out bulbs.

:shrug:

Remove the old bulb.
Put the new one in.

:P :evilgrin:

Usually, if you look in your trunk, close to where the burnt out light is, there will be some indication of how to get to it. It may be a piece of carpet that needs to be folded back or a compartment that seems close to where the lights should be.

now it's a headlight!

Peek behind the trunk lining. Look for wires going to the taillight fixture. Usually you can just grab a plastic locking ring and twist it until the bulb-holding fixture comes out.


Just don't get fingerprints on the glass bulb.

Why not? Will it blow up?

This might only apply to headlight bulbs, but why take the risk?

Like when my sibling told me not to eat cookie batter or it would blow up in my stomach.

I'd tell you to check for electrical potential in the fixture by sticking your tongue in there! :-)

I wont. :hi:

The owner's manual should tell you how. If not, try to get one of the third-party Haynes manuals for your car, if they sell those in America, that will definitely tell you.

reach through the glass and pop the old light out. Put in the new light. Use clear packing tape to weatherproof your new light.

:thumbsup: