If your taillights are broken or don't light up, don't take your vehicle to the mechanic. With the simple change of a lamp or a fuse, you can repair the taillights yourself for part of the price. You may be fined by a traffic officer if your vehicle's taillights don't come on or are broken, so don't waste any more time. Read on to learn how to repair your vehicle's taillights.
Steps
Part 1 of 2: Assess the problem
Step 1. Check the fuse
Usually a blown fuse causes both lights to stop working. On newer vehicles, the taillights may have separate fuses or have a fuse for each bulb or shared circuit. A fuse can blow due to other problems, so you will need to check more than just the fuse, but it is the right place to start. Look in your owner's manual to determine where the fuse box is located in your vehicle. In older vehicles, the fuse box is located under the dashboard. On newer vehicles it can be found under the hood or dashboard. The manual will have a labeled schematic of the fuse box showing which fuse each is. Make sure the starter is off, remove the fuse box cover, and locate the fuse for the taillights. Use a flashlight to check the fuse and determine if it is blown. In most newer vehicles, the fuse will have to be removed for testing due to the arrangement of the fuses.
- In case the metal part inside the tail lights fuse is intact, the fuse will be fine.
Fix Car Tail Lights Step 1Bullet1 - If the piece of metal appears broken or fractured, the fuse will be blown and will need to be replaced. Use your fingers or tweezers to remove the fuse. Most newer vehicles have a fuse puller in the fuse box or in the tool kit. It is a small white plastic tool that resembles a pair of pliers. Take it to an auto parts store to find a matching one, buy a replacement and insert it in the proper position to replace the blown fuse.
Fix Car Tail Lights Step 1Bullet2
Step 2. Look at the wiring for the taillight
These are the wires that power the taillights and are located inside the trunk hood. Open the trunk and take a look to see where you should connect the cables and that the electrical system is working properly. In case a cable has come loose, reconnect it.
In most newer vehicles, the wiring harness is located in the trunk behind the panels and cannot be accessed without first removing the panels
Step 3. Check the taillight bulbs
In case the fuse and wiring look correct, the problem may be the bulbs themselves. To check them, unscrew the pilots from the outside using a screwdriver. If the lights do not have screws, open the trunk to access the lights from the inside. Unscrew the bulbs in question and check them the same way you check any household light bulb: by looking at the filament inside to determine if it is still intact. You can check the bulb by tapping it against your hand to see if the filament is moving or vibrating.
- Most taillights have stop or turn indicator bulbs, reverse light bulb, side turn signal bulb, and on some models a separate turn indicator bulb. On vehicles that share the brake and turn indicator bulb, when the bulb is burned out, the turn indicator will flash faster than normal. This will also occur if the vehicle has a burned out amber rear turn signal light bulb.
- In case the bulb is burned out, you will need to replace it. Take it to your local auto parts store and purchase the correct model for your vehicle.
Fix Car Tail Lights Step 3Bullet1 - If the bulb is OK, the vehicle may have a more complex electrical problem. In case the fuse, taillight wiring, and bulb are all in good condition, it's time to take the vehicle to the mechanic.
Fix Car Tail Lights Step 3Bullet2 - When you remove a bulb to change it, you will need to check the plug and the taillight for burnt contacts or blown socket circuits.
Step 4. Check the taillight taillights
Whether or not you were able to fix the problem with the taillights to work properly by examining the fuse, wiring, and pilot bulb, it is important to also check the pilot light to make sure it is not cracked or broken. The water may melt the bulb as it enters the pilot. Read on to learn how to repair a cracked or broken pilot.
Part 2 of 2: Using a Pilot Repair Kit
Step 1. Remove the taillight taillights
Step 2. Repair pilot cracks with pilot repair tape
The tape is only a temporary solution. Purchase a tape or pilot repair kit that comes with resin to apply over the crack and make it waterproof again.
- You will need to clean and dry the area where you are going to apply the tape. Immediately before gluing the tape, wipe the area with a lint-free cloth moistened with isopropyl alcohol, let it dry, and then stick the tape. Do not use glass cleaner to clean the area because the ammonia in the glass cleaner will cause the tape to not adhere as well as it should. The isopropyl alcohol rag will remove most of the impurities and leave the surface clean.
Fix Car Tail Lights Step 6Bullet1 - Measure the size of the crack and cut a piece of tape that is slightly larger than the pilot damage.
Fix Car Tail Lights Step 6Bullet2 - Remove the back of the tape.
Fix Car Tail Lights Step 6Bullet3 - Smooth out any air bubbles when you stick the tape so they don't distort the pilot.
Fix Car Tail Lights Step 6Bullet4
Step 3. Repair holes and broken spots with pilot repair resin
In case there is a hole or broken point, it is possible to fill the hole with plastic resin. Purchase a pilot repair kit that comes with the tools you need to fill in the holes.
- Cover the outside of the taillight with the plastic tape that came with the repair kit to prevent plastic resin from seeping through.
Fix Car Tail Lights Step 7Bullet1 - Mix the resin with the catalyst and coloring agent following the instructions included in the kit. Wear a pair of disposable gloves during this part of the process to prevent the resin from contacting your skin.
Fix Car Tail Lights Step 7Bullet2 - Pour the resin into the syringe provided.
Fix Car Tail Lights Step 7Bullet3 - Insert the resin into the hole, making sure that it covers the entire surface to be filled.
Fix Car Tail Lights Step 7Bullet4 - Let it dry for at least two hours.
Fix Car Tail Lights Step 7Bullet5 - Remove the tape and sand the surface to polish it.
Fix Car Tail Lights Step 7Bullet6
Advice
- This way the next time you encounter a problem with your vehicle's taillights, you can easily resolve the issue by doing the repairs yourself. Correct and working vehicle taillights will help you to drive safely on the road and avoid unfortunate accidents.
- To avoid future traffic tickets, make sure your vehicle's taillights are always in the best condition. The life of the lights is usually extended for several years. However, it is better to do a thorough review once a year or every two years. This will ensure that the taillights will always work.
- For this reason, traffic and highway officials are very careful about the condition of the taillights. They are able to quickly appreciate that the taillights are burned out because these have significant consequences for traffic safety.
- In some modern vehicles the taillights have LED bulbs instead of the normal ones. Some taillights with LEDs cannot be changed so you will have to change the taillight kit entirely.
- Without the vehicle's taillights, the chances of a rear-end collision increase. Some multiple collisions are caused by a defect in the vehicle's taillights. They are also very important especially during inclement weather that affect road visibility.
- If the taillights work perfectly, you can go to the police station and report that you have repaired them. This is a necessary procedure to void the traffic ticket.
- Better to know how to change burnt out taillight bulbs yourself. It is a very simple task as described in the previous steps, and thus you can save yourself the expensive maintenance of the electrical equipment of the vehicle by knowing how to replace the burned out taillight bulbs.
- The vehicle's taillights are an important safety feature of the vehicle. They transmit important signals to drivers behind you especially in case you stop, stop, make a turn or drive at night.
- It is also good to buy spare bulbs and extra taillight housings. This way, you don't have to rush to the auto parts store every time a taillight burns out. Some taillight bulbs can also be very difficult to find so it is best to have a few replacement taillight bulbs and housings.