Much like light bulbs in your home, the ones in your car will need replacing from time to time. Luckily, if your bulb does happen to blow, it can be a quick and simple process to swap it out.
So, if you do want to give it a go yourself, here’s a few simple steps to follow.
Checking your bulbs
The easiest way to check your bulbs is to have someone on hand to help while you operate the switches. Remember to press the brake pedal too as this sometimes has a dual filament bulb shared with the car’s sidelights. Check your high beam, main beam and sidelights separately, as well as daytime running lights if your car is fitted with them.
If you don’t have a helper, a top tip is to reverse up to a window – or a reflective surface – and use your mirrors to check your lights.
Bulbs to check:
- Daytime running lights
- Sidelights
- Headlights
- Full beam
- Front fog lights (if your car has them)
- Indicators
- Brake lights – including the high level one
- Rear sidelights
- Number plate light(s)
- Rear fog light(s)
- Reverse light(s)
What bulb fits my car?
LED, halogen or xenon? H1, H4 or H7? Like all car parts, bulbs come in a variety of sizes and with different power outputs. The easiest way to find out which one fits your car is to check the vehicle handbook. Alternatively, you can take the old bulb out and check the fittings on the back of it and compare them to images of bulbs online to find the right ones.
How do I fit them?
Generally, it's a case of removing the old bulb and plugging the new one in. The bulbs are usually held in the light fitting with a clip which will need to be released to get the bulb out. Having small hands is a definite advantage when changing bulbs, but it’s an easy job that most people can do at home and each bulb should take less than ten minutes to change. Once installed, make sure that the new bulb is placed correctly in the holder so the beam pattern reflects correctly. Then, close your bonnet, turn on the ignition, switch on your lights and check that your new bulbs are working. So, if you’re wondering how many people it takes to change a lightbulb – the answer is one!
Bear in mind, though, that some headlights can be a bit trickier to fix. A faulty LED headlight might not be down to the bulb itself, but rather by a power supply issue, for example.
When should I change bulbs?
You only need to change a bulb if it fails, but we recommend keeping spare bulbs in case this happens unexpectedly. Remember, you can be fined for having a blown headlight, and your car may even fail its MOT because of faulty headlights, brake lights or indicator lights.
If you enjoyed reading this, you might also like:
- 11 essentials for your car this winter
- A guide to driving in dark nights
- Tips for driving in bright/low sunlight
Photo credit: Iftikhar Alam via vecteezy
