I live in Connecticut and they require that your car pass an emissions test every four years. The last time that I took my Toyota Matrix in to be tested, I decided that I would also get my oil changed and tires rotated. Before everything was finished, the technician came out and told me that I needed to replace a light bulb in my taillight. The cost was nearly 20 dollars, which to me, seemed outrageous. The cost of the bulb itself is only three dollars at any auto parts store. This was a watershed moment – from that point forward, I decided that I would handle any maintenance task that did not require special equipment or could create a danger if I did it improperly.
Recently, one of my headlights went out and I decided that I was going to replace it. In most cars, you are only changing a light bulb and not the whole unit. I read my owner’s manual to find out the type of bulb that was required, although this was not necessary. At the auto store, or on-line, they have guides that you can use to determine the type of bulb, or any other part, that your car requires..
I decided to replace both headlights, thinking that if one went out, the other may not be far behind. The owner’s manual provided enough instructions to make the job easy. The only tool that I thought I would need was a flat tip screwdriver, which would we used to pry off a plastic cap. As it turned out, I did not need the screwdriver but did need an open end wrench to loosen the battery.
I had no difficulty at all in changing the passenger side headlamp. It was simple to locate and remove the connector from the headlight. The next step was to twist the old headlight counterclockwise and remove it from the opening. I inserted the new bulb and made a clockwise twist to lock it in place. The final step was to plug the connector into the back of the socket.
Replacing the bulb on the passenger’s side was not quite as simple. I have large hands and could not wiggle my hand into the space between the car battery and area of the headlamp that I had to reach. However, all I had to do was to loosen the auto battery in its case and tilt it to the side and I created a large enough space. Replacing the bulb was the simple six-step process:
Remove the connection plug
Twist the bulb counterclockwise
Remove the bulb
Insert the new bulb
Lock it by twisting clockwise
Connect the connector
I had to readjust the battery and secure it in its holder. The whole task took me 20 minutes and I saved the $25-30 that a mechanic would have charged. After I completed the task, I took the opportunity to check my oil and top off my windshield washer reservoir.
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