How to replace a tail light on a 2001 Honda Accord

Replacing the bulb in a rear brake light (also called a tail light) is something you can easily do yourself in just a few minutes, rather than pay a mechanic to do for you.  For 2001 Honda Accord owners, all you'll need is a type 7443 replacement bulb, which you can get from a local auto parts store, and a slotted screwdriver.  (AutoZone.com sells a pair of long-life 7443 bulbs for $7.49, and Amazon.com sells a pair for $6.72.)

To begin, open your Accord's trunk.  Whichever tail light you're replacing (either the right or left side) you'll have to peel back the soft cover that hides the trunk frame so that you can get to the light.  There is a plastic screw located next to the trunk opening (the head of the screw faces the front of the car) -- remove this screw with your flathead screwdriver.  Then, peel the cover back, away from the frame, to expose the brake light and turn signal light.  (The brake light will be the higher of the two lights.)

The bulb assembly for the brake light is a gray plastic unit connected to an electrical wire.  Remove this assembly by grasping it and twisting it counter clockwise, then pulling it out of the cavity that it rests in.  Once the bulb assembly is free, disconnect it from the wire by pushing in on the plastic tab on the connector, then pulling the connector away from the light.

Now you should be holding the bulb in a small plastic housing.  To remove the bulb, simply pull it straight up, out of the housing.  Install the new bulb by pushing it (gently) into the now-empty slot.  Then reattach the power connector and slide the whole assembly back into the cavity that it came out of.  Twist the light clockwise to lock it into place.

Push the trunk frame cover back into its original place, making sure that the plastic mount that the screw attached to fits into the hole in the car's frame.  Then put the plastic screw back in and turn it until it is tight.  If someone else is nearby, ask them to verify that the rear brake light comes on when you start the car and push the brake pedal.

(Originally posted on Helium.com, January 2012)