A burned out headlight is a safety issue, but you also don’t want your friendly neighborhood police officer pulling you over. If yours was burned out, would you try to fix it yourself? What you might have heard: “Changing headlight bulbs is a snap!”… “You don’t need any tools” or “Headlights are cheap and easy to replace”

The truth: In the past, replacing headlight bulbs meant having to swap out the entire headlamp assembly. Thankfully for cars today this is no longer the case – Car manufacturers have been using halogen bulbs that are separately replaceable for many years.

Changing headlamp bulbs is often straightforward. On most cars you simply push and twist and it is out, but for some cars you still have to remove the headlamp assembly. Usually there are quick release tabs or buttons and you need to know where these are located and how to get them to work so you don’t break anything.

More good news: You can find a pair of headlight bulbs selling for just $10 to $80 on Amazon. I usually just buy from Amazon because they carry a huge collection of bulbs for almost all vehicle models and makes… plus their shipping is both fast and free.

How to Change Headlight Bulb

1. Pop open your engine compartment hood and locate the bulb holder at the back of the headlight. You will see a power connector (consisting of three wires) held by a metal clip, plastic catch or screw cap. If there is a dust cover protecting the power connector, remove it first.

2. Disconnect the power connector. Metal clip: lift it up then pull it out, Plastic catch: Press down on the lever with your thumb and pull, Screw cap: Just unscrew it

3. Remove the old headlight bulb from its socket

4. Take out the new bulb from its packaging. Do not touch the glass surface of the bulb with your bare hands during headlight bulb replacement – If the the oil on your hands gets onto the glass surface, it may cause the bulb to heat up and burn out. It’s recommended that you clean the new bulb with alcohol wipes before installing it.

5. Hold the new bulb by its base and insert it into the back of the headlight. Proceed to reconnect the power connector. Finally turn on your headlights to make sure everything is working.

If you can’t figure out how to get to the headlight area, then you will need vehicle-specific instructions for headlight bulb replacement. If you just start taking things apart, you could end up with a pile of parts and not remember where they all go.

Lim’s Auto Body is a full service auto body and mechanical repair shop locally owned and operated in Largo, Florida. For more information, go to our web site www.limsautobody.com or call (727) 422-3232.

So maybe it’s tire that you buy new tires. Maybe you looked and the tread in looking a little

thin. Maybe you did the “quarter test” where you stick the quarter in the gaps in the tread to see how deep it goes. Tires are expensive. So if you are getting ready to take the plunge, consider the following information.

1. Read Reviews
It’s impossible to know how tires will perform after a few thousand miles… unless you read the reviews of people who already have those tires. When looking through reviews, look for people who drive a similar car to yours (truck, SUV, sports car, etc.) and skim past the reviews of people who have driven less than 25% of the tire’s lifespan. If a tire lasts 50,000 miles, look for the reviews of people who have driven at least 12,500 miles on the tires. Your car will always drive well on new tires. The true test of a tire’s durability comes after it’s had some miles put on it.

2. Be on the Lookout for Rebates
When you know the life of your tires is coming to an end, start looking for manufacturer rebates on tires. Top brands like Goodyear, Pirelli, Cooper, and Michelin frequently offer significant discounts via rebate on their tires, and it pays to swap out your tires when you find a good deal.

3. Make Sure Your Tires are Actually New
Just because your tires are new does not mean they haven’t been sitting in the back of a warehouse for a few months. Being exposed to extreme heat and cold can take the life out of tires before they ever hit the asphalt, so be sure to check the four-digit number on the side of the tire which tells when the tires were manufactured.

4. Buy the Best You Can Afford
When you determine what type of tires your vehicle needs, buy the highest quality tire you can afford in that category. In life, there are many scenarios where skimping on premium items is fiscally responsible, but buying tires is not one of those scenarios. Higher quality tires will typically save you money in the long run because they will last longer and perform better for longer.

Lim’s Auto Body is a full service auto body and mechanical repair shop locally owned and operated in Largo, Florida. For more information, go to our web site www.limsautobody.com or call (727) 422-3232.