Brake Light Replacement: 2011 Kia Optima SX 2.0L 4 Cyl. Turbo

Kia Optima Model Years - 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016

How to remove a burnt out brake light bulb on a 2011 Kia Optima

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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.

2011 Kia Optima SX 2.0L 4 Cyl. Turbo Clock Set Clock
Set the clock to the correct time

Is the clock in your car ahead or behind? Learn how to set it here!

2011 Kia Optima SX 2.0L 4 Cyl. Turbo
2011 Kia Optima SX 2.0L 4 Cyl. Turbo Lights Highbeam (replace bulb)
Replace brights

On many cars, the high beam bulb runs at reduced power during the day - check 'em and change 'em!

2011 Kia Optima SX 2.0L 4 Cyl. Turbo
2011 Kia Optima SX 2.0L 4 Cyl. Turbo Coolant (Antifreeze) Fix Leaks
Plug minor coolant leaks

Leaking coolant is usually a sign that your water pump needs to be replaced. This video shows you how to quickly plug it

2011 Kia Optima SX 2.0L 4 Cyl. Turbo
2011 Kia Optima SX 2.0L 4 Cyl. Turbo Windshield Washer Fluid Add Fluid
Add washer fluid

One of the easiest fluids to top off - learn how to open the hood and where the reservoir is on your car

2011 Kia Optima SX 2.0L 4 Cyl. Turbo
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Video Description

The brake lights on your 2011 Kia Optima illuminate when you hit the brake pedal and help prevent you from being rear ended by the cars behind you. Brake light bulbs grow dimmer over time and eventually burn out. See how to change the brake lights on your 2011 Kia Optima. The first step is to locate the brake light socket in your Optima. Remove the brake light socket and then replace the burnt out brake light bulb. When you replace the brake light bulb on your Optima, be careful not to touch the bulb directly with your fingers - the oil from your skin will cause the area that you touched to burn hotter than the rest of the bulb, which causes the bulb to burn out quicker.

If you are going to replace a bulb in your housing, it is a good idea to replace all of them. Not only will the lights on your Optima be brighter, you decrease the likelihood you will need to change any of the bulbs again in the near future. A burnt out bulb in the taillight cluster of your Optima is an excuse for a police officer to pull you over. Check your bulbs frequently and change burnt bulbs promptly.

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