--- title: "This ‘Easter Egg’ Used To Be a Common Feature in Chevy Trucks" date: "2025-09-22" modified: "2025-09-22" authors: - name: "Andrew P. Collins" job_title: "Executive Editor" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/andrew-p-collins" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/this-easter-egg-used-to-be-a-common-feature-in-chevy-trucks" categories: - "Chevrolet News" - "GM News" - "GMC News" - "News" - "News by Brand" tags: - "pickup" --- # This ‘Easter Egg’ Used To Be a Common Feature in Chevy Trucks ![GM truck with retractable "trouble light"]() *\Chevrolet, obsplus/eBay, edited by the author\* Before everybody had a phone that's also a flashlight, some cars had handy built-in lights you could use to poke around the engine bay or underside in a pinch. [GM]()'s retractable Trouble Light, found in pre-Y2K [Chevy]() trucks and SUVs, is a particularly cool relic of the pre-[iPhone]() automotive era. The Trouble Light was not designed as an Easter Egg—but it has effectively evolved into one with the passage of time. It's certainly not something [everyone instantly recognizes]() anymore. When GM C/K pickups were new, it was simply a helpful feature for looking around your engine bay when you were chasing a funny noise or even just checking your dipstick in a dark garage. But today, as people refer to the era of these vehicles as "the 1900s," the only real purpose for these cute little lights is to trigger some nostalgia. There have been various versions of this going back many decades, and quite a few similar aftermarket solutions (some plug into the 12-volt cig lighter). The Chevy one from the '80s and '90s was GM part number 15528774. Not every single GM pickup had one, but you will find them in many engine bays from before the GMT800 body style came out. Over the weekend, one of my fellow editors sent me this clip of a young truck enthusiast demo'ing such a light in an old Suburban, and the way he presents it made me realize how old I am. A whole new generation is already coming up and discovering this stuff! I say that with no shade at all, by the way. On the contrary, it brings me immense joy to see young people who are into old cars (and that definitely describes the [Speed Bump Garage]() guys). https://www.instagram.com/reel/DM8dFaxMmDn/ But yes, back in the '90s, and earlier, the Trouble Light was a thing. It's simply a little incandescent light that pulls out on a retractable cord that, incredibly, was long enough to go all the way to the back of a 'Burb. I guess you could update this now with an LED bulb and get a little more brightness—the light housing and assembly itself is readily [available on eBay]() for short money. But in 2025, it's much more practical to just use your phone or, even better, keep a USB-chargable headlamp in your car for the purpose of roadside examinations. GM was not the only automaker with such an idea. You'll find a long corded troubleshooting light in old Datsuns, too, among other vehicles. Around the turn of the millennium, some vehicles had battery-powered lights as standard equipment for such purposes. My '98 Mitsubishi Montero has one (well, it's supposed to, a previous owner lost it), old BMWs have them too, stashed in a glovebox slot that also charges them. *Know any other old-car features that are now relics? I'd love to hear about them—drop me a line at andrew.collins@thedrive.com.* ## Author As Executive Editor, Andrew touches everything on the site from daily news coverage to feature stories, sponsored content, product reviews, road testing vehicles, ecommerce, and more. He's held pretty much every role there is to have at an automotive news site and has been with The Drive's publisher Recurrent since 2020. Andrew's a lifetime gearhead and longtime writer with a particularly strong penchant for road trips, off-road adventures, and archaic vehicles. His passions outside of the automotive world include skiing, obsolete video games, and his dog Bramble who occationally helps review cars. ### Author social links [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()