Jeep Tail Light

If your tail lights are not illuminating or are busted, you should troubleshoot them in a DIY manner first before going straight to the mechanic and paying hundreds of dollars to get them fixed. For a fraction of the price, you can fix your tail lights on your own as long as it's as straightforward as fuse or bulb replacement. Regardless, a lot of taillight issues can be resolved by the motorist himself or herself, such that going to the mechanic or your dealership's technician should be reserved for truly serious automotive problems or as a last resort if you were to fail on fixing your taillights by yourself.

Check out the fuse.

Like with any other light, your jeep's taillight might have a blown fuse, resulting in it being inoperable. A blown fuse doesn't only take out one light, but both lights at the same time. If your jeep is a new or contemporary vehicle, the tail lamps can either share a circuit plus fuse or they have separate fuses. A blown fuse can be indicative of a deeper issue, so check more than just the fuse but also the reason why it got blown. Use your user manual to locate the fuse box. In older jeeps, the fuse box is under the dashboard. In newer jeeps, it could be located under the dash or the hood. When replacing fuses, make sure the ignition is off.

Inspect the tail light bulb or bulbs.

If the fuse looks all right, check the tail light bulbs if they themselves have been damaged, cracked, or burned out. To check them out, you'll need to first unscrew the lenses from the outside with the help of a screwdriver. If the lenses lack screws, open the trunk so you could access the taillights from "behind" rather than attempting to open them "up front". Unscrew the bulbs and take out as well to study them the same way you'd do with any household bulb. Look at the filament wire inside if it's still intact or not. You can also check the bulb by tapping it against your hand to see if the filament is loose, vibrating, or moving.

Take a look at the taillight wiring.

If both the bulb and the fuse are in perfect condition, then it's time to check if there's something wrong with the wiring of your tail lamp. Located on the lid of your jeep's backside or trunk are the wires leading to the taillights. Check if the insulation has been torn apart or if the wires have been cut in any way. If they're merely loose, just do the necessary adjustments. There's also the possibility that even though the wires look fine from its exterior, it's broken from within its insulation. For newer jeeps, you might need to remove panels in the trunk to access the wiring.

Examine the tail light lenses

Last but not least, examine the condition of your taillight lenses. Whether or not you were able to solve your taillight issue, you still need to take this opportunity to study the health of these lenses. If they're broken or cracked, that could lead to future taillight problems if not addressed immediately here and now. More to the point, water could enter the lens and burn out the exposed bulb.