Orlando DIY Car Maintenance: Headlight Bulb Replacement

One of the most important safety features of your car are your headlights. Nothing can put a damper on your day like a headlight going out. And with winter in full effect and an earlier sunset they're even more important. Not only are you at a higher risk of getting in an accident without the proper exterior lighting, but you’re also at risk of getting pulled over and even worse, a ticket. That being said, this is no car maintenance repair you want to put off.

Quick and easy car maintenance

That’s why we sat down with our Orlando car service techs and got the 411 on how to change a burnt out headlight at home. According to the professionals, this is one of the quickest and easiest car maintenance jobs you can do. It can be done in five easy steps and should only take about five minutes.

Let’s get started!

Step 1. Find the Bulb Holder

After your Orlando Toyota is parked and completely off, look around to make sure you’re in a spot where you can work safely. Now open the hood of your vehicle and find the back of your headlight. This is where the bulb holder is located. If you have located the right part, you will see a trapezoid plug with three different wires extending from it.

Step 2. Disable Wiring

The three wires mentioned in step one should be attached to the plug located at the headlight base. You will notice the plug is held by a screw cap, metal clip, or plastic cap. How you disable the wiring depends on how your headlight plug is held in place.

• Screw cap: Rotating counter-clockwise, simply unscrew the cap. 
• Metal clip: Pull the clip up and away from its attachment. It should come off with little effort.
• Plastic cap: Locate a lever at the top of the plug. Using your thumb, push down on the lever while simultaneously pulling up on the plug. The plug should slide off gently.
  
  ***Make sure to pull the plug gently with this step.

Step 3. Install the New Bulb

With this DIY car maintenance, we suggest cleaning the new bulb with a cloth or tissue to ensure you don’t get oils on the new bulb. This is very important since the oils on your skin can cause the bulb to burn out. Once you’re certain the bulb is oil-free hold the light’s end and place it where the old bulb was (the back of the headlight). Ensure it is securely in place by checking to see if it’s lined up evenly and the rubber of the bulb is not visible.

Step 4. Test Out the New Bulb

With your vehicle still off, plug the wiring back into the new bulb. Then turn on your headlights. If the new bulb does not turn on double-check that the wiring is in the correct place and securely connected.

Step 5. Hit the road!

Enjoy driving worry-free!

Affordable car service in Orlando

And voila! It’s as simple as that! By doing this at home car maintenance you can save yourself a lot of time and money. However, if you still have questions or want to watch our certified Orlando technicians do it first, feel free to stop by Toyota of Orlando. We’re always running service specials to help keep your car running at its best. We’re open seven days a week and just a quick stop off I-4. Safe travels!