A car's broken tail light covers should be replaced as soon as possible to avoid further damaging the other components inside the vehicle that it's supposed to be covering. Save time and money while learning new skills by installing your own car's tail light cover. With just a few tools, a little amount of patience, and this easy-to-follow step-by-step guide, your car's tail lights will have a new tail light cover in no time.
Required skill level: Intermediate
Needed tools and materials
- Phillips screwdriver
- Socket wrench
- Replacement tail light lens cover
Prepare for the task
Before you start with the installation, make sure that your car's engine is off and the key has been removed from the ignition. After that, you can now remove the screws that secure your car's tail light cover using a screwdriver or a socket wrench. If you're driving an SUV or a typical car, these screws can be accessed from the inside of your car's trunk or cargo area. Depending on how your tail light cover is held in place, you will have to unscrew the old and damaged tail light cover either from the outside or from the inside.
Removing the old tail light cover
Once the bolts or screws have been removed, start pulling the lens cover out. Some tail light covers are designed differently so if the cover is hard to remove, try gently twisting it until it's completely out. The tail light cover is attached to the car by the bulb wiring so make sure that you carefully unscrew each bulb from the lens.
Installing the new tail light cover
Set aside the old and damage tail light cover then put the new cover in place. After that, insert each bulb and attach them to the new tail light cover. When all the bulbs are back to where they came from, secure the new tail light cover by putting the screws back.
Tips and warnings
- Before putting in the new tail light cover, do check if the light bulbs under the cover are in good condition so you can have them replaced all at once.
- After removing all the screws, keep them in a small container to avoid losing them. Putting the screws back on would also be a lot easier if they are already gathered in just one container.