Tuesday, April 1, 2014
How to Replace a Headlight Bulb in an 06 VW New Beetle

Headlight maintenance is an important part of driver safety, and failure to keep the headlights of a vehicle in working order may result in serious injury to the driver. However, replacing a headlight is usually simple. This is especially true for a 2006 VW Beetle.
Instructions
- 1
Open the hood.
2Loosen the plastic housing surrounding the headlights by pushing back on the black lever above the headlights.
3Remove the plastic housing.
4Disconnect the electrical connector by clicking the tabs together and pulling it out gently.
5Remove the headlamp unit from the vehicle.
6Remove the black plastic tab on the back of the headlamp unit by pulling on it.
7Remove the side clips on the headlamp unit and remove the wire clip securing the headlight bulb into place.
8Pull the burned out bulb from the headlamp unit. Use a paper towel to install the replacement bulb by pushing it into the headlamp unit.
9Reattach the wire clips and the side clips.
10Lock the black plastic tab onto the back of the headlamp unit.
11Reconnect the electrical connector by plugging it into the headlamp unit.
12Place the unit back into the vehicle and reattach the plastic housing. Close the vehicles hood.
Thursday, November 7, 2013
How to Replace the Tail Light Bulb on a 1998 Silverado

The taillight assembly on a 1998 Chevy Silverado houses the brake/taillight combination bulb, the reverse bulb and the turn-signal bulb. The brake/taillight combination bulb takes one type of bulb or another depending on when and where the 1998 Silverado was manufactured. Most 1998 Silverados use the 3057 automotive replacement bulb, but some use an 1157 replacement bulb. Getting to the bulbs requires a single procedure regardless of which bulb your 1998 Silverado uses, but there is a slight difference for extracting the different bulbs from their respective sockets.
Instructions
- 1
Ensure the headlight switch inside the passenger cab is in the off position.
2Open the 1998 Chevy Silverados tailgate.
3Locate the two retaining screws on the taillight assembly (the screws were revealed after you lowered the tailgate) that has the faulty taillight bulb. Remove the two screws with the Phillips screwdriver.
4Turn the assembly around and rest it on the bumper with the wire harness still connected to the underside of the headlight assembly.
5Grasp the taillight socket and twist it counterclockwise 1/3 turn to remove the bulb and socket from the taillight assembly.
6Pull the 3057 replacement bulb straight out of the socket and push the new replacement bulb into the socket. For the 1157 bulb, remove the old one by pushing down on the bulb slightly while twisting the bulb 1/4 turn counterclockwise, then pulling the bulb from the socket. Align the dual notches on the base of the replacement bulb to the grooves inside the socket. Push the bulb slightly downward while twisting it clockwise to lock the bulb in the socket.
7Align the notches on the external section of the socket with the matching grooves in back of the taillight assembly.
8Reinstall the taillight assembly and replace the retaining screws. Close the tailgate.
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
How to Replace a Headlight Bulb on a 2004 Grand Prix

The 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix houses two headlight bulbs per drivers side and passenger side headlight assembly. The low beam bulbs are located on the fender side of the headlight assemblies and the high beam bulbs are on the grill side of the assemblies. Allow the bulbs look exactly alike, they require different automotive part numbers for low and high beam bulbs. Because of this, inspecting the position of the faulty headlight in the assembly and buying the correct bulb will make the repair that much easier.
Instructions
- 1
Park the Grand Prix on a flat surface, apply the parking brake and ensure both the engine and headlight switches are off.
2Open the hood and approach the headlight assembly with the faulty headlight bulb.
3Locate the headlight assembly retaining clip. Its behind the headlight assembly on top on the fender side. Lift the clip upward halfway to release the headlight assembly.
4Pull the assembly out being careful not to scratch the paint on the fender or the lens of the assembly.
5Reach behind the assembly and disconnect the wire connection and plug from the headlight bulb socket.
6Turn the socket of the bulb counterclockwise 1/4-turn to remove the composite bulb from the assembly. Discard the bulb.
7Install the replacement bulb into the assembly (handling the plastic socket part only -- oil in skin will damage the glass bulb of halogen bulbs because of the intense heat they burn at), but ensure the tabs of the socket end of the bulb are aligned with the notches in the assembly before turning it clockwise and locking the bulb into place.
8Plug the wire connection back into the socket of the bulb before replacing the assembly back into place and pushing down on the retaining clip. Test the headlight bulb for operation before closing the hood.