Daytime Running Lights Replacement: 1997 Ford Thunderbird LX 4.6L V8

Ford Thunderbird Model Years - 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997

Steps to change the DRL on a 1997 Ford Thunderbird

What would you like your bulbs to do? See Clearer Upgrade To LED HID Style

Consider a premium bulb like the Silverstar Ultra with a specially designed filament, proprietary gas mixture and lamp coating for the best downroad lighting. Learn more about Silverstar Ultra.
Upgrade your fog lights to LED with a direct install option that will connect easily to your car’s existing bulb housing. Sylvania has an option with aviation grade aluminum body and a turbo cooled fan. Check out Sylvania LEDs.
Consider a bulb like the zXe with a proprietary Xenon gas mixture to match the white light of HID lights for the brightest headlight and added clarity. More information on zXe bulbs.

Author

Hans Angermeier is an ASE certified Maintenance and Light Repair Technician and 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. Over the past 10 years, Hans has been focused on building CarCareKiosk, which is visited by millions of drivers each month.

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Video Description

Daytime running lights, sometimes referred to as DRLs or DTRs, are lights that switch on automatically when your 1997 Ford Thunderbird is turned on and in drive. Since the daytime running lights are on whenever you are driving your Thunderbird, they are often the first bulbs to burn out. This video shows you how to change the daytime running lights in your 1997 Thunderbird. You may get a warning light that the Ford DRL system needs attention when one side of the DRL lights in your Thunderbird is not working. These bulbs grow dimmer by over 20% over time, therefore we recommend changing both bulbs on your Thunderbird at the same time, even if only one bulb is burnt out - this will allow both DRL bulbs to have the same intensity and prevent the old DRL bulb from appearing dimmer than the new one. You may want to consider replacing your burnt out DRL with LED daytime running lights for optimal longevity.

When you change the daytime running light on your Thunderbird, it is important not to touch the glass part of the bulb with your fingers because the oil from your fingertips will cause that part of the bulb to burn hotter, which significantly shortens the life of the bulb. Some studies indicate that driving with your lights on can reduce accidents by 18 – 34%, driving with your DRLs or headlights on the day can reduce your chance of getting in an accident.

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