Headlamp Replacement Rocket Science
I remember when replacing the headlamp on a car was a five minute job, if that. One of the low beams on my Honda Civic burned out last night. I called an auto parts store today, and they had one, for $8. Great, thought I. Then I looked inside the trunk. The headlamp was held in place by two Phillips head screws, in a small area that was unreachable with a regular screwdriver. So I went to the store, got the new headlamp, and asked if they had a tool that would fit in the space. They found me the 3-piece offset screwdriver set pictured below ($5). I had to take the battery out in order to have room to reach in, but I was able to remove the two screws, and the third screw I hadn't seen before, and replace the headlamp. Car worked fine once I put the battery back, and the new light appears a little brighter than the one on the other side that didn't burn out (yet). I had to find the security code to get the radio to work again, and read the directions for setting the time. Restoring my station presets I knew how to do without the instructions. Whew!
Later: I talked with my mechanic, and told him this story. He demonstrated that all it takes to get the headlamp out is a quarter turn, no screws need to be removed. Duh.
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Parking safety hazards? Easily fixed!
Flexible screwdriver
ThinkGeek sells a flexible ratcheting screwdriver that's pretty handy for those hard to reach spots.
Of course not needing one at all is even better, but there are times when it's the only tool for the job.
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