Brake Light Replacement: 2001 Ford Explorer XL Fleet 4.0L V6

The brake lights on your 2001 Ford Explorer illuminate when you hit the brake pedal and help prevent you from being rear ended by the cars behind you. Brake light bulbs grow dimmer over time and eventually burn out. See how to change the brake lights on your 2001 Ford Explorer. The first step is to locate the brake light socket in your Explorer. Remove the brake light socket and then replace the burnt out brake light bulb. When you replace the brake light bulb on your Explorer, be careful not to touch the bulb directly with your fingers - the oil from your skin will cause the area that you touched to burn hotter than the rest of the bulb, which causes the bulb to burn out quicker.

If you are going to replace a bulb in your housing, it is a good idea to replace all of them. Not only will the lights on your Explorer be brighter, you decrease the likelihood you will need to change any of the bulbs again in the near future. A burnt out bulb in the taillight cluster of your Explorer is an excuse for a police officer to pull you over. Check your bulbs frequently and change burnt bulbs promptly.