BMW Tail Light

One of the most important of your lighting system components, right up there with the headlights, for night driving, is the BMW tail light. Your BMW tail light serves you in a few different ways, keeping you safer on the road, especially at night. Your BMW tail light alerts other drivers to your presence, but also provides drivers behind you with a valuable means of judging how far away you are, allowing them time to adjust their speed or actions to accommodate your position. The odds of being rear ended by a driver whose attention may be wandering a bit is significantly reduced when each BMW tail light is in working order, as the bright light can mean the difference between whether the driver slows down or obliviously tries to drive right up over the top of you. When a BMW tail light malfunctions, often the source of the problem is as simple as a burned out bulb, an inexpensive and easy repair. Sometimes, however, the problem lies in a cracked and leaking BMW tail light housing that is allowing water and dirt inside. This repair will cause you little problem, as a full BMW tail light replacement unit is affordable and easy to install, a fast fix that will take just a little bit of your time and require only the most basic of hand tools to perform. If you need to replace one of your BMW tail light pair, you may want to consider updating or freshening the look of your vehicle by adding a custom look BMW tail light set, perhaps choosing from among one of the many Euro-inspired styles or retro looks that have been popularized during the past few years. You'll find an excellent selection of BMW tail light parts and replacement units in our easy to use online catalog, all reasonably priced and readily ordered, either online or by dialing our toll-free telephone number.

Yes, it's true that you can reach your destination even if your BMW tail lights are broken. But the real concern is whether you can reach your destination safely. Problematic taillights will prevent drivers behind you from seeing you in low visibility situations, thus increasing the possibility of an accident. No one wants anybody to get harmed and that is exactly the reason why traffic enforcers are mandated to keep all eyes on tail light violators. When that happens, broken tail lights won't just be your only problem. So if yours are broken and need repair, here's a reliable guide:

Difficulty level: Moderate

Things you'll need:

• Screwdriver
• Wrench
• New tail light bulb
• Pliers
• Electrical tape

Step 1: Locate the fuse. When it comes to problems with electrical devices, the fuse is the right place to start the repair. Older cars house the fuse box beneath the dashboard while newer ones may have it under the hood. Take out your manual and find the illustration that will guide you in determining the fuse that connects to your tail lights. Remember to make sure that the ignition is turned off even before opening the fuse box.

Step 2:Identify the blown fuse. Each of your tail lights may be wired to two separate fuses. If the two tail lights are out, both of the fuses are most probably blown as well. Inspect the piece of metal inside the fuse to determine the condition. If it is intact, the fuse is usable but already blown if broken. Take the blown fuse or fuses by hand or with a tweezer, and then replace.

Step 3: Tighten or reconnect loose or disconnected wirings. You may need to splice the wire with pliers for a more fixed connection. Replace any burnt wiring. And don't forget to insulate the spliced wires. The BMW tail light wiring harness is often located in the trunk's lid, so you have to open it to gain access.

Step 4:Find the tail light cover fasteners. To do this, you need to locate the screws or bolts that hold the cover. Some vehicles have them at the sides of the taillight assembly, while others inside the trunk. The latter would need you to pop the trunk open for access.

Step 5: When the fuse and wirings are already fixed, it's time to remove the tail light cover and check the bulb. Depending on the type of fastener used, use a compatible type of screwdriver or wrench in order to remove the tail light cover or lens. If the cover of your BMW tail light is also secured by glue, try warming it first in order to soften it. When the sticky compound softens a little, use a flat-head screwdriver to pry around the edges. Be careful not to crack the lens so as to avoid another repair task.

Step 6: Determine if the bulbs are busted. Remove the bulb connect to a tester. Avoid tapping the bulb to see if the filament inside it is moving or vibrating, because the very tapping can actually damage the filament. When it doesn't illuminate using the tester, get a replacement.

Step 7: Install the new tail light bulbs, and then, place everything back in place again.