# License plate light



## Startingover (Apr 18, 2012)

Ok, didn’t know license plate had a light bulb. A stranger walking by stopped an said License plate light was out. 

Hope its not hard to fix.


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## lenaitch (Feb 10, 2014)

Difficulty can depend on the vehicle's design but they can be really impacted by rust or corrosion depending on things like the vehicle's age and operating environment. Quite frankly I wouldn't really worry about it unless your local law enforcement is really 'picky'. I doubt most of them would notice either.


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## chandler48 (Jun 5, 2017)

You could just buy a pint of tag light oil at the 7-11  Tag lights must be illuminated, so changing the bulb may be the simplest, but check for rust while you're at it.


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## lenaitch (Feb 10, 2014)

chandler48 said:


> You could just buy a *pint of tag light oil* at the 7-11  Tag lights must be illuminated, so changing the bulb may be the simplest, but check for rust while you're at it.



OK, I'll bite. Is that beside the shelf where they keep the keys to the batter's box?


Tag, plates, markers, etc. have to be illuminated in probably every jurisdiction, but in all my years I never heard of a cop up here ever writing for it - even the most, shall we say, persnickety, or for someone who failed the attitude test.


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## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)

lenaitch said:


> OK, I'll bite. Is that beside the shelf where they keep the keys to the batter's box?
> 
> 
> Tag, plates, markers, etc. have to be illuminated in probably every jurisdiction, but in all my years I never heard of a cop up here ever writing for it - even the most, shall we say, persnickety, or for someone who failed the attitude test.



I see cars stopped on Livepd & COPS. I don't know if they write for it. It may be a reason to stop a car. . .


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## de-nagorg (Feb 23, 2014)

Here you get what's called a "FIX IT" ticket.

You then have 2 weeks to appear at the dispatch office, and they check to see if the light is working.

If you don't appear with it fixed, then they issue a warrant, and you are looked up and fined.

So Rae, fix it now, before you get stopped. 

You can probably go to Auto-Zone, ask for a bulb, and the counter guy will change it for a nice lady. 

Normally this is a very simple twist and pull bulb, newer cars are just a pull, I don't know for sure what you drive, seem to remember a Subaru, but I dunno.

Get the bulb , then look above the plate for it's socket, and go from there.



ED


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## lenaitch (Feb 10, 2014)

Nik333 said:


> I see cars stopped on Livepd & COPS. I don't know if they write for it. It may be a reason to stop a car. . .



I used to do it all the time back when cars had wooden spoke wheels. It's not really necessary up here anymore since our Supreme Court validated random traffic stops in 1990.


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## Startingover (Apr 18, 2012)

How often do people turn their car on at night and walk around it to check all lights are working?


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## de-nagorg (Feb 23, 2014)

Startingover said:


> How often do people turn their car on at night and walk around it to check all lights are working?


That depends on the people involved. 

Professional drivers do, every day that they are driving at night. 

Amateurs, should at least weekly, depending on how often they are out at night. 

Lighting at night is as important as clean windows, good wiper blades, even decent tires. 

I stop preaching now, you be safe, some other people value your existence.


ED


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## lenaitch (Feb 10, 2014)

Startingover said:


> How often do people turn their car on at night and walk around it to check all lights are working?



Passenger vehicles, probably never, but the responsibility for equipment has to lie somewhere.


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## de-nagorg (Feb 23, 2014)

I discovered last week that my 09 explorer has a monitoring system that told me that one turn signal bulb had burnt out.

So I went and replaced the outage that day. 

ED


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## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)

lenaitch said:


> I used to do it all the time back when cars had wooden spoke wheels. It's not really necessary up here anymore since our Supreme Court validated random traffic stops in 1990.



Wooden spoke wheels?


https://forums.aaca.org/topic/162125-how-late-was-wood-spoke-wheels-a-option/


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## ServiceCall (Dec 8, 2019)

I’ve got wooden spokes on my ‘23 and a license plate light


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## Startingover (Apr 18, 2012)

Dad gave me 2 headlights that had a kerosene bowl attached to light. Sold them.

SC. Well maintained car.


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## Startingover (Apr 18, 2012)

Just tried to find my photo of dads first car. Model T or maybe Model A

Love those cranks in front. Probably not many women drove back then. Wonder if crank was hard to do.


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## chandler48 (Jun 5, 2017)

Model A crank could break your arm if the ignition advance wasn't set right and it backfired while you were cranking. Ignition advance and idle was set on the steering wheel where the horn is.


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## ServiceCall (Dec 8, 2019)

So will the “T”. 

I’ve learned the proper hand position, on the crank to prevent that problem. 

Thankfully, I have an electric start on this one!

It normally fires up on the 2nd revolution.


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## lenaitch (Feb 10, 2014)

ServiceCall said:


> I’ve got wooden spokes on my ‘23 and a license plate light



Very nice. I see what looks like turn signals - do they have to be fitted to make it street legal where you are?


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## ServiceCall (Dec 8, 2019)

No I just put them on because people don’t seem to understand hand signals. Also add brake lights to it. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Bigplanz (Apr 10, 2009)

If are in Louiville, on a city street west of I-65, you WILL get pulled over for one headlight, no license plate light, basically any equipment violation. East of I-65, 50/50 chance of getting pulled over for an equipment violation.

When I got my 2000 Avalon, the first thing I did was check all the lights. One back up light was out, but that was it. Every time I get an oil change, they do a lighting check. Cops around here will pull you over for equipment violations RIGHT NOW.


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## Bigplanz (Apr 10, 2009)

I think the OP has a Corolla. This is one of several videos on the subject.


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## Startingover (Apr 18, 2012)

Yes Corolla.


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## de-nagorg (Feb 23, 2014)

Startingover said:


> Yes Corolla.


Didja get this repaired?

ED


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## Dave Sal (Dec 20, 2012)

lenaitch said:


> but in all my years I never heard of a cop up here ever writing for it - even the most, shall we say, persnickety, or for someone who failed the attitude test.



Tail light out, license plate light out, turn signal out, one headlight, all are "pimpy" reasons for making a traffic stop, but it was pretty common to use those as probable cause to stop a vehicle that looks suspicious. 

In this area, we used to joke about playing a game called "find the licensed driver", as most stops seemed to have warrants, a suspended or revoked license, guns in the car, etc. :wink2:


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## Mystriss (Dec 26, 2018)

True story I been pulled over twice for this "light on license plate out"

One time the light was just covered with blowing snow >.< STILL had to drive 30 miles to the DMV to get it "checked out"

Second one was on the kids truck, we had to buy a thingy ma bob LED license plate cover that plugs into the towing lights heh


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## mark sr (Jun 13, 2017)

> Tail light out, license plate light out, turn signal out, one headlight, all are "pimpy" reasons for making a traffic stop, but it was pretty common to use those as probable cause to stop a vehicle that looks suspicious.



40 yrs ago I was driving my 51 F1, stopped at a convenience store and bought a can of lemonade. I was taking a drink as I got back on the hwy when a cop passed. He wheeled around and pulled me over. He claimed my tail lights weren't bright enough once he seen my lemonade wasn't a beer. He gave me a repair and report ticket. He must of told me a half dozen times I did not need to take my truck to a shop, just to check it myself, sign the card and mail it in. Not sure why he gave me the mail in ticket.


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## de-nagorg (Feb 23, 2014)

That was to make his sergeant happy, that he was not wasting time on a suspicion that your open container was more than lemonade. 

I have lost track of the count on how many times that I have been stopped as a suspicious DWI, not once have I ever been, but they still see a slight variation in my lane travel, and WHAM, we are sitting on the side of the road, discussing it. Being blind in one eye, I tend to compensate too much for lane travel, and drift too close to the painted lines, for their comfort level.

After they are convinced that I am sober for 45 years now, they get called to a real emergency, and I can get on with my trip.


ED


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## Mike Milam (Mar 3, 2017)

Startingover said:


> How often do people turn their car on at night and walk around it to check all lights are working?


At least once a month for me. More often if the opportunity presents itself. Like waiting for the wife to come out of the house when we are going somewhere.


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## Mike Milam (Mar 3, 2017)

chandler48 said:


> Model A crank could break your arm if the ignition advance wasn't set right and it backfired while you were cranking. Ignition advance and idle was set on the steering wheel where the horn is.


Lots of broken arms happened in that process.


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## Dave Sal (Dec 20, 2012)

mark sr said:


> 40 yrs ago I was driving my 51 F1, stopped at a convenience store and bought a can of lemonade. I was taking a drink as I got back on the hwy when a cop passed. He wheeled around and pulled me over. He claimed my tail lights weren't bright enough once he seen my lemonade wasn't a beer. He gave me a repair and report ticket. He must of told me a half dozen times I did not need to take my truck to a shop, just to check it myself, sign the card and mail it in. Not sure why he gave me the mail in ticket.



I did something similar back in the 80's. Saw a guy pass me taking a swig from a beer. I was driving a plain car with no police markings so stuff like this happened quite often. Pulled him over, explained the reason why, and he showed me the can. Turned out to be an off brand can of soft drink that resembled a Budweiser can. I apologized for my error and wished him safe travels. Instead of being pissed, he thanked me for being vigilant in trying to keep drunk drivers off the road. Kind of made my day. :smile:


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## raylo32 (Nov 25, 2006)

Should be an easy fix. No matter that most coppers won't stop you for it, why give then any reason to do so??


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