Always Something

 I don't follow myself around.   When I'm driving, that is.

My car isn't that flexible to chase and catch its own tail.

I knew when my rear blinker went bad because it started blinking super fast on the dash.  I replaced the bulb and it worked fine then.  I didn't know the brake and tail lights were also out on that side.  

I used the second bulb in the pack for the blinker lightbulb change to change the tail light after discovering it too was out, not just the brake light.  No go, still didn't work after the change.  WTF.   Today I went and got two more bulbs, to replace the brake light, on the bottom and thinking maybe that second bulb in the first pack I used for the tail light was bad.  But nope, no change.  Only the turn indicator light works.  It's the middle bulb of three.

What now?  Youtube, of course.

After watching videos I went for the easiest possibility, prying out the connections, from bulb to bulb holder.  But I suspect its the connections the bulb holder has to get power from the middle bulb, the only one with a direct electrical connection, the turn signal bulb.   

To check those I"d have to remove the entire outer casing.   Or youtube said it could be the brake light switch causing both the taillight and brake light not to function.  What a bother.   The brake light switch, which I'd not heard of, is up under the dash above the brake peddle and not that difficult to remove if you are a contortionist.

Or a fuse could be blown.  I found a fuse diagram for my car and wrote down the ones to check but haven't done that because I'm pretty sure its the contact issue, the simplest thing.

Not only those lights are giving me trouble.  The light in the garage room went out.  It had been out awhile.  I replaced it, went inside.  It was after dark by then, went into the bathroom, flipped the switch and none of the bulbs were working in the overhead 3 bulb bathroom light.  No more bulbs either, so I used a flashlight.  Today I got more lightbulbs and was shocked to see how much they cost now.   I was also a bit shocked to see gas prices have gone up $.20 per gallon in the last few days.

I do not mind tracking down electrical issues but I don't like it either.  My voltage tester broke months ago.  Now those are handy little devices.

Today's old lady dreams were as follows:   I think I'll just use cheap solar lights, take them outside during the day, bring them in to light my place at night.  I can get those at the dollar store.

Happy to say, I got the car lights all working again.  It was the contacts.  I pried them out so they'd more easily connect and that did the trick.