Exiting a parking spot or driveway can be a tricky task, and you want to make sure cars around you known when you’re reversing.
That’s the sole purpose for reverse light bulbs: to tell other motorists when your car is backing up instead of moving forward.
Like all bulbs, reverse light bulbs will eventually stop working at some point.
Reverse light bulbs are one of the least frequently employed lights on your car and often last much longer than other bulbs, even to 150,000km and beyond before requiring replacement.
It’s an inexpensive task, usually costing around $15 to $55 to replace, although some speciality models can be costlier.
Reverse Light Bulb Replacement
WHAT IS A REVERSE LIGHT BULB?
A safety standard on all cars is reverse lighting. A reverse light bulb is always mounted on the back of your car and illuminates when your gearbox is shifted into reverse.
On many cars, the reverse light bulbs are fitted in the tail lamp housing beside the brake lights, and are always clear, white lights.
You’ll find one reverse light on each side at the back of your car.
When your transmission is shifted into reverse, the reverse light bulb is illuminated through electricity in a powered circuit.
The electricity flowing through the incandescent bulb causes its filament to glow white hot, which is the light that you see.
If the bulb’s contacts are corroded or the filament burns out or breaks, the bulb will no longer light up and you’ll require reverse light bulb replacement.
SYMPTOMS YOU REQUIRE REVERSE LIGHT BULB REPLACEMENT
- Back-up lights don’t illuminate when car is in reverse
- Warning indicator on instrument cluster panel (for some luxury models)