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Time comes when you need to change the blinker bulb of your car. If such situations happen, you need to learn how to change blinker bulb. Read on & know the steps!
Signal lights or blinker bulbs are very important safety features which is why you need to replace yours once it burns out. Fortunately, it’s not that hard to learn how to change blinker bulb of your car. All you need to do is to secure all the necessary tools and materials to get the job done and follow the steps on how to change a blinker bulb that we’ll provide below.
Tools Needed For Changing A Blinker Bulb
As mentioned above, you’ll need a few materials to start this process. Most of the materials that we mention in this section are actually safety materials so that you won’t cause yourself any harm.
So, secure these tools before you do anything:
- Protective Gloves
- Goggles
- Repair manual
- Replacement blinker bulb
- Screwdriver
Preparing To Change The Blinker Bulb
The first step to learn how to change blinker bulb in 2012 Chevy Traverse or in pretty much any car is to find out which signal light is busted.
To do that, follow these very simple steps:
- Park your vehicle in a place where no one can disturb you and put on the hand brake.
- Turn the car on and turn on the signal lights one by one.
- For each light you turn on, walk around your car and see which one is busted.
- When you spot which of the signal lights is busted turn it off then turn off your car.
From these four steps, you are now ready to learn how to change blinker bulb in another few, simple steps.
How To Change Blinker Bulb (Easy-to-Follow)
After you’ve checked which signal light isn’t working, walk over to that particular signal light and follow the steps that we will provide below. Take note that these steps apply for any car. Whether you’re learning how to change blinker bulb dodge caliber or how to change turn signal bulb on a 2014 ford escape, it’s all the same.
Anyway, here are the steps:
- Open the hood and go to the affected signal light.
- Take out the electrical connector.
- Take out the bulb inside by twisting it to the left direction until it snaps out.
- If the bulb is not showing, you may need to take out the signal housing first to expose the blinker light.
- Take the new bulb out and fasten it into the connector by twisting it to the right.
- Test the new signal lights to see if they work.
If the busted light seems to come from the rear, then follow these steps instead:
- Open the trunk of the car.
- Use your screwdriver to take out the retaining screws of the tail light lens.
- If you need to, take out the retainer screws of the interior rim to remove it.
- Take out the electrical connectors.
- Take out the tail light lens and take out the bulb.
- Get out your new bulb and install it.
- Put everything back together again.
Both of these sets of steps are actually quite similar. The only difference is that rear lights require you to take out retainer screws and interior trims. Other than that, the steps are pretty much the same.
Aside from blinker light, also check if your headlights are safe and certified. Read our GUIDE on how to identify DOT-approved headlights for your car.
Conclusion
By knowing the steps on how to change blinker bulb, you’re now ready to get the job done. While it may seem pretty difficult to locate the blinker bulb of the turn signal, it’s much easier when the car is in front of you. From there, you’ll fully understand the flow that our guide presents.
The whole process may take around 15 minutes of your time to complete. It may take a little bit more time if you’re a beginner or if you have more than one busted light. Just remember that turn signal lights are extremely important parts of your car because they ensure your safety on the road. If you notice that even one of them doesn’t work, don’t hesitate to change the bulb right away. In fact, we highly advise you to keep some spare bulbs in your car just in case.
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