How to Replace Exterior Light Bulbs

Most cars have light bulbs the illuminate the license plate in the rear of the vehicle. Over time, these bulbs burn out and need to be replaced. For pickup trucks and many body-on-frame SUVs, you can often reach under the bumper and twist the bulb counter-clockwise to remove it. For most cars and crossovers, you will need to pry down the plastic bulb housing and then turn the bulb assembly counter clockwise tor remove it. Once the bulb assembly is removed, pull the bulb straight out to replace it. Try to obtain a set of plastic panel tools if you need to remove the housing. Often a screwdriver is too hard and the plastic will break instead of bending to drop down. Consider upgrading these lights to LEDs so you won’t need to repeat the process in the future.

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Author

Hans Angermeier has produced over 100,000 videos showing drivers how to fix things on their cars. He has broad expertise on basic repair procedures covering the majority of cars on the road.