Changing a light bulb. Or three
This weekend I was unusually motivated and worked on the green car.
I haven't driven it much lately.
For a month there was a problem with the right turn signal.
This unblinking arrow on the dash, let me know the problem was a bulb on the right side.
I could see the turn signal bulb was out, on the right tail light.
To change the bulb, I have to remove the plastic tail light assembly from the car body.
The wires are still attached to the lights, so you can't just pull the whole thing off.
I place a towel between the lights and the bumper to keep it from scratching the paint.
The bulbs screw into the back of the red and yellow plastic.
Most of the signal light bulbs around the car are very similar.
Last month I changed a bulb and put it back together.
The turn signal worked for a while, then quit again.
Here is a turn signal bulb, top and a brake light bulb, bottom.
If you notice they have different bumps that lock them into the socket.
A friend at the picnic suggested I had not clicked the bulb into place.
I remembered that was probably true.
Saturday I checked all the bulbs and they seemed to be in place.
(I did discover that a brake light was inserted in the turn signal slot, and vice versa)
Still, the turn signal would't blink on the right side.
My friends suggested the next step was to look for a relay.
That is a part under the dashboard, that makes the lights blink.
While I was crawling under the dashboard, I accidentally took a selfie.
The car's-eye view of me!
I found some likely parts under the dash and took them all out, one by one.
(I knew what I was looking for because I looked up the part online.)
Two of them looked very similar.
The parts store suggested that other one was the control for the Hazard lights blinker.
I bought a new relay, and changed out the one I guessed was bad.
Now all the turn signals worked. Hooray!
Then I changed a bulb in the front turn signal.
Since I got the car, the bulb was white and it should have been yellow.
I drove the car around Sunday.
Of course now the new bulb wasn't in correctly, and didn't blink.
It was kinda dark and rainy so I turned the headlights on.
Both arrows were lit up on the dash!
The blinkers wouldn't work for either side, when the headlights were on!
Maybe I got the wrong kind of relay?
Today found that the new front bulb was loose, of course
Also a brake light in the back. I fixed those.
Once again I tried the turn signals and inspected the lights all around.
They all light up and blink when they should.
When I turn the headlights on, they also work correctly.
So I can drive it safely, and at night, too.
But it still tells me there is bad light bulb on the right!
When I got the car 3 years ago, it was missing a fog light on that side.
It never complained before. That light isn't essential to anything.
Did it just now notice it is missing?
I haven't driven it much lately.
For a month there was a problem with the right turn signal.
This unblinking arrow on the dash, let me know the problem was a bulb on the right side.
I could see the turn signal bulb was out, on the right tail light.
To change the bulb, I have to remove the plastic tail light assembly from the car body.
The wires are still attached to the lights, so you can't just pull the whole thing off.
I place a towel between the lights and the bumper to keep it from scratching the paint.
The bulbs screw into the back of the red and yellow plastic.
Most of the signal light bulbs around the car are very similar.
Last month I changed a bulb and put it back together.
The turn signal worked for a while, then quit again.
Here is a turn signal bulb, top and a brake light bulb, bottom.
If you notice they have different bumps that lock them into the socket.
A friend at the picnic suggested I had not clicked the bulb into place.
I remembered that was probably true.
Saturday I checked all the bulbs and they seemed to be in place.
(I did discover that a brake light was inserted in the turn signal slot, and vice versa)
Still, the turn signal would't blink on the right side.
My friends suggested the next step was to look for a relay.
That is a part under the dashboard, that makes the lights blink.
While I was crawling under the dashboard, I accidentally took a selfie.
The car's-eye view of me!
I found some likely parts under the dash and took them all out, one by one.
(I knew what I was looking for because I looked up the part online.)
Two of them looked very similar.
The parts store suggested that other one was the control for the Hazard lights blinker.
I bought a new relay, and changed out the one I guessed was bad.
Now all the turn signals worked. Hooray!
Then I changed a bulb in the front turn signal.
Since I got the car, the bulb was white and it should have been yellow.
I drove the car around Sunday.
Of course now the new bulb wasn't in correctly, and didn't blink.
It was kinda dark and rainy so I turned the headlights on.
Both arrows were lit up on the dash!
The blinkers wouldn't work for either side, when the headlights were on!
Maybe I got the wrong kind of relay?
Today found that the new front bulb was loose, of course
Also a brake light in the back. I fixed those.
Once again I tried the turn signals and inspected the lights all around.
They all light up and blink when they should.
When I turn the headlights on, they also work correctly.
So I can drive it safely, and at night, too.
But it still tells me there is bad light bulb on the right!
When I got the car 3 years ago, it was missing a fog light on that side.
It never complained before. That light isn't essential to anything.
Did it just now notice it is missing?
I like the car's view of you!
ReplyDeleteGreat that you are so good with the cars!