How to Replace a Brake Light in a Mercury Villager
by Dale YalanovskyA Mercury Villager is an SUV made by Ford and marketed under the Mercury nameplate. Much like the station wagons of old, it has a tail gate that lifts up and out of the way for loading. Lifting the tail gate is also the key to changing a brake light . The brake light that fits is a standard 3157 bulb, available at any auto parts or department store.
Step 1
Park your Mercury Villager on a level space, place the transmission in park and turn off the ignition.
Step 2
Lift up the tail gate to expose the mounting screws on the tail light lens.
Step 3
Unscrew the screws holding on the tail light lens with your screwdriver. Once the screws have been unscrewed, carefully lift the lens off and away from the vehicle.
Step 4
Grasp the exposed brake light bulb in your fingers and firmly pull it straight out. The spring clip holding it in will give way and release the bulb when you pull it out.
Step 5
Push the new bulb back into place where the old bulb came from. There will be tabs on the bulb that will only allow it to be inserted one-way. Once pushed in and seated correctly, replace the tail light lens by screwing the mounting screws back in, and close the tail gate.
References
Tips
- If possible, have a helper depress the brake pedal and illuminate the new light bulb before the lens cover is replaced. This allows you to see that the bulb works, and although rare, it also alerts you to a faulty bulb that doesn't work right out of the package. If that happens, replace the bulb with a new one, save your receipt and return the faulty bulb for a refund.
Things You'll Need
- Screwdriver
Writer Bio
Dale Yalanovsky has been writing professionally since 1978. He has been published in "Woman's Day," "New Home Journal" and on many do-it-yourself websites. He specializes in do-it-yourself projects, household and auto maintenance and property management. Yalanovsky also writes a bimonthly column that provides home improvement advice.
