It's nighttime, and you are driving your car on a dark road.Then a car passes in front of you and then another driver does the same action.
You hear the sound of sirens, and you stop your car. Now the policeman tells you that you have one of your lights out.
In the meantime, he gives you a ticket, and you wonder how much all that will cost.
That will depend on the type of car you have, and you must also take into consideration the number of lights you have to replace.
Cost of taillight replacement
Replacing one tail light bulb costs about $20.But if you need to replace all the taillights, and you go to a dealership or an auto shop, you should pay between $200 to $2000.
If you have a fancy car you will pay a lot more, but if you change your lights yourself you will save a lot of money.
Common problems
Inside the bulb there is a wire that creates the light, this is called the filament.
One way to tell if a bulb is defective is to remove it from the socket where it is plugged in and examine this filament.
If the filament is broken, it requires to be replaced with another bulb.But if you change the bulb, and it doesn't work, the difficulty may be something else.
Faulty fuse
When any electrical component is not working, the fuse box should be checked. A fuse is a metal part located inside a plastic housing. When a current is too high, it breaks.
This can be positive because it protects the other components of the electrical system.
Places where a safe can be located
Under the hood you can find a black box that contains many wires attached to it. Just remove the cover to access the fuses inside.
You should also look inside the cabin of the car, usually in the front passenger area. Look behind a plastic panel that you will find under the dashboard.
Faulty taillight fuse
Each of the fuses is attached to an electrical component, when you remove the cover you will be able to see what each one does.
This information can be found in the owner's manual. You can also look up a specific diagram online.
When you locate the fuse that operates the taillights, test it with an automotive circuit tester. If the fuse works, the tester will light up.
If it does not light, you should replace the fuse with a new one (that has the same amperage).
Rear bulbs with defects
If the fuses are working properly, you should check the taillight bulbs. Possibly you should remove the cover of the taillights.
However, some cars have an access panel. If this is the case, turn the bulb to remove it from the lens.
Defective bulb socket
Sometimes bulb sockets can fail. Inserting a bulb into a defective bulb socket will not work. The reason may be moisture ingress, as well as bad wiring.
If the bulb and fuse are OK, you should remove the bulb and check the socket. If the socket has lost color or if the pins are damaged, the socket may also be bad.
You can also use a multimeter to check the current at the socket. If there is no power to the plugs, your car may have an electrical problem.
Deteriorated wiring
If there is no power at the socket and the fuses are OK, then there may be a damaged wire. If this is the case, it is time to take your car to a mechanic.
We hope you can solve your taillight difficulty very soon.