Dreaded Headlight question!!!

[xxfirerican]

So my headlight finally went out on my 05 limited coupe and the dealer wants 80 dollars to fix with or without me supplying the bulb and i refuse to pay that. Does anyone have a step by step guide with diagram or preferably pics on how to do yourself as i heard its a little difficult but i want to try to tackle this myself. please help!!!!!

[crossfirefrank]

It's really not that hard to do. I was given new silver stars for Christmas and finally last week installed them. The whole job (6 bulbs) only took about 1/2 hour. If it's on the drivers side it's easier than the passenger side due to access to the bulbs. Here is what I did for headlight replacement.
1) remove rubber cover on back of headlight unit.
2) remove wire connector, push side to side while pulling toward you.
3) release bulb clip. If you look in the hole you will see a clip that needs to be pushed forward then to the side to release it. The release is either on the top or bottom depending on if it's high or low beam. swing out of the way.
4)remove bulb. Make sure to look at the position of the tab on the bulb when removing. It will be either up or down depending on if it's high or low beam. If you don't follow this step the aim of the new bulb will be off. (this is were others have had problems).
5)install new bulb in reverse order. Do not touch glass area of bulb and make sure the tab is in the correct position and it seats properly in the socket.

Note: If your bulb replacement is on the passenger side and is the inner (high beam) it is very easy to access if you remove the coolant tank first. To remove the coolant tank.
1) remove electrical connector on the bottom of the tank.
2) remove the 2 nuts securing the tank on the top.
3) Pull tank straight up to release from the bottom mount. This is the hard part. The unit is mounted on the bottom in a rubber grommet, it is very tight and hard to release but should come loose.

good luck!

[GDrag]

Yeaaa it is really simple, deffinately not worth the $80... Really simple, once I get home today I can take some pictures.

[Opticon]

From memory...

- Open the hood
- Pop the rubber cap off the back of the blown light
- Pull the connector
- Squeeze the metal retainer tongs out of the way (they should simply flip down once you free them)
- Remove the lamp
- Install new lamp (tabs in the correct position, don't touch the glass)
- Push the retainer tongs back in place
- Replace connector
- Replace rubber cap
- Close hood
- Spend your $80 on something worthwhile (hookers and blow)

[xxfirerican]

then i checked another dealer and they said 150 for the labor!!!!!!! damm arizona and the stealership pricing, i deceided to replace both since they say do it in pairs havent attempted yet. when i pop the hood it looks like a black cup where the light is, im assuming this is what i have to open to get to bulb? and im confused as to when everyone says make sure the new bulb sits right i dont want my headlights projection to be off, does anyone have pics at all of what im supposed to do to help me out, thanks

[corfire]

I put Silver Star Ultras in awhile back. The instructions posted on here are good. The only thing I could add is that I used a small mirror to see the arrangement better, and needle nose pliers to disconnect/connect the clip and remove and install the bulbs. I don't have any pics.

[xxfirerican]

yea i just got silverstars so i cant wait, so im just going under the hood right the stupid stealership said they must remove the whole front to change, obviously to get my money lol. im just nervous about putting the bulb in will it snap in or something so i know i did it the right way and wont end up with weird placement when i turn my headlights on??

[corfire]

If you use a small mirror and flashlight, you can see how the bulb fits. The bulbs are held in place with a spring clip that can be released on one side to swing it away from the back of the bulb. The bulb has a tab that sets in a slot. You can release the clip and remove the bulb with needle nose pliers. The new bulb can be inserted in the same position with the tab placed in the same slot. It doesn't snap in. It just sets flush if the tab is aligned correctly. The clip holds it in place.

[Xfire fan]

Originally Posted by xxfirerican

yea i just got silverstars so i cant wait, so im just going under the hood right the stupid stealership said they must remove the whole front to change, obviously to get my money lol.

I believe the book instructs to dismantel the front end to change the bulbs, that is why the dealer told you that. Are they going to do it that way? probably not but they are still going to charge you book time on the job that's just how dealerships work.

[patpur]

I was also told you should not touch the bulbs with your bare hands. Might be a tall tale but I always use a latex glove which you can find at Home Depot or your local doctor's office.
Pat

[BRappaport]

Originally Posted by patpur

I was also told you should not touch the bulbs with your bare hands. Might be a tall tale but I always use a latex glove which you can find at Home Depot or your local doctor's office.
Pat

FYI...TRUE....not a tall tale...You should never touch the bulb with your bare hand. The reason is that oil from your hands and fingers will be left on the bulb...and with the high temperature that the bulb gets to...it bakes the oil and shortens the bulb life...burning out the bulb. Also, the oil will outgas and coat the inside lens...fogging that also.

Wear latex gloves...and make sure you use the un-powered gloves! Some gloves have a white power on the inside, to aid in getting them on and off.

[corfire]

Your should be able to replace the bulb without ever touching the glass.

[Xfire fan]

Originally Posted by patpur

I was also told you should not touch the bulbs with your bare hands. Might be a tall tale but I always use a latex glove which you can find at Home Depot or your local doctor's office.
Pat

If you take the gloves from your doctors office don't take the used ones.

[Derf]

I just did my hi beams this past friday...Damm. Long nose pliers, dental mirror, small flashlight are what you need. If you spray the bottom of the overflow tank (where it goes through the bracket) with wd 40 when you start the job it will come off easier. I had to kind of twist the plastic brackets some to get them off the studs, the it popped right off. Took me almost 2 hours, that included driving 10 miles to get a plastic dental mirror. I think I could do it now in 30-45 minutes. If you drink it is a 2 beer job.
Derf

[corfire]

I just used a small women's make-up mirror. I think there is something called a machanics mirror with a long handle the would work great. You just need a mirror so that you can get at an angle to see what your dealing with. For one of the bulbs I ended up needing to remove the spring clip totally to get the bulb out. Just take it slow and don't lose a clip!

[almecum]

Make sure they are fully seatted in the socket or they will not be aimed correctly. Mine were not seated when I purchased the car and the headlights sucked. Checked the forum and found the problem was they were not seated. Got them seated correctly and the problem was solved.

[xxfirerican]

how do i know when i do it if they are "seated" the right way

[corfire]

Originally Posted by xxfirerican

how do i know when i do it if they are "seated" the right way

I used the mirror to make sure that the tab on the base of the bulb was aligned with the slot on the holder. If it is not, the bulb base will not set flush, and I would think that the clip would be hard get back in place. Also, pay attention to the orientation of the old bulb when you pull it out. That should get you going in the right direction. The drivers side is the easiest. So, if you do it 1st you can get practice for the other side.

[xxfirerican]

thanks im still waiting if anyone has pics of this lol

[crossfirefrank]

Man take the plunge and put them in, it's not that hard.