- 1). Identify the burned-out brake light by standing at the rear of the car and having a friend depress the brake pedal. Tear off a small piece of white painter's tape and place it on the taillight lens to mark the bulb's position. The taillight lens has three different bulbs in it. Marking the taillight lens pinpoints the exact bulb you need to remove.
- 2). Raise the hood on the Lincoln and disconnect the negative battery cable with a socket wrench. Position the cable away from the battery and all other metal it may contact.
- 3). Lift the trunk lid and push everything in the compartment toward the backseat away from the license plate wall.
- 4). Pop off carefully the trim panel that crosses the trunk latch and set it to the side. Fold the trunk's carpet lining down to expose the taillight assembly. The carpet will automatically want to fold itself back up because it's molded to the trunk. If you have a weight, use it to hold the carpet down.
- 5). Remove the eight nuts holding the taillight assembly to the car's frame with a socket wrench. Then from outside of the car, grasp the taillight assembly with both hands and slowly pull it away from the car. Don't try to pull it too far--just enough to get your hand behind it to access the brake light.
- 6). Match up the tape mark on the outside of the taillight lens with the brake light socket. Remove the brake light socket by twisting it counterclockwise and then pull the socket out of the lens hole slowly.
- 7). Remove the brake light bulb from its socket by gently grasping it and then pull it straight out. Do not twist or turn the bulb, because it may shatter in your hand.
- 8). Put on a pair of latex gloves and open the packaging for the new brake light bulb. Place a fine bead of dielectric grease on the metal contacts at the base of the bulb, on both sides.
- 9). Insert the new brake light bulb back into its socket by pushing down on the bulb with minimal force. Then insert the bulb back through the hole on the lens and lock the socket in place by turning it clockwise.
- 10
Line the taillight assembly up for remounting and carefully push it back into place on the car. Return all eight of the nuts to the studs on the taillight assembly by hand and then tighten them with your socket wrench. - 11
Lift the trunk's carpet back up into it original mounting position and pop the latch's trim panel back on before you shut the trunk. - 12
Secure the negative battery cable back to its post on the battery. Then check the repair to make sure the new brake light functions correctly. Repeat this procedure to fix the brake light on the opposite side of your 1990 Lincoln if needed.
previous post
next post