How to Replace a Brake Light | Change a Brake Light

Today I’m going to show you how to replace a broken brake light bulb in your vehicle. This is something you really shouldn’t have to pay a mechanic to do, it’s just so simple and easy anyone can do it, it’s easier even than changing your oil. All you need is a screwdriver, the replacement light bulb (like some of these), and 5 minutes of time, that’s it. Well, that and this article 😉

A couple things you need to know

  • Every once in a while you should take the time to do a walk-around of your car while someone else tries each indicator to make sure they’re all working. Why? Because most people find out they’ve got a broken brake/turn signal when they get pulled over and issued a ticket for it. Don’t learn the hard way, it’s much more expensive (that ticket will cost you way more than the replacement bulbs, trust me).
  • Some bulbs unscrew like a normal lightbulb, some have to pushed in and then turned to unscrew, but most modern ones work in the way that you’ll see in the video I’ve got below: they just pull out. Figure out what yours do before you buy the bulbs.
  • After you pull the old bulb out and before you put the new one in, it’s a good idea to clean the connector and the easiest and fastest way to do this is to just hit it with some compressed air (the stuff you use to clean dust out of keyboards).

What to do