how do i remove the headlight housing to do the methanol cleaning of the inside of them? i am a little stumped and ALOT frustrated!

 

There are 2 ways to do this, I have done both.
The first way is to remove the HL assembly without removing the bumper cover :
1. remove the wheel on the side of the assembly you want to remove, and then remove the fog light access flap in the front fender well liner.
( you can do this without removing the wheel, if you are a contortionist )
2. using a 10mm 1/4" socket wrench with a long extension, remove the bottom 2 retaining bolts.
3. remove the top 8mm retaining bolts.
4. remove the threaded collars on the bottom of the assembly that the lower 10mm bolts went through.
5. remove the eyebrow light and disconnect the assembly wiring connection.
6. you can now easily remove the unit.

Second way :
1. remove the front bumper cover ( not easy, but can be done )
2. now it's very easy to access the headlight assemblies.

NOTE: when reinstalling the unit, get it in place, start the threaded collars and secure the unit with the upper 8mm bolts. Then screw in the threaded collars until they just touch the mounting tabs.

DON'T FORGET TO PUT THE EYEBROW LIGHT BACK IN BEFORE SECURING THE UNIT !!!!!!!

 

The bottom ones are a pita because your basically in there blind going through the fog light hole. For the first time I say remove the tire and remove or loosen the front wheel well liner. This will let you see what's going on in there and give you a better idea of what your working with. Once you have it in your head its easier to do things through the fog light hole on the other side without having to take everything off. It's a pain in the *** at the end if the day regardless. I would not do it unless you are absolutely sure the gunk is inside. Sanding the outside is much easier.

 

If you remove the front marker light from the fender (push it forward and pop the back out) you can see what you're doing through that hole while you work your wrench through the access panel in the fender liner. I left the wheel on but turned the steering wheel to move the front tire out of my way. I positioned a small flashlight inside the bumper cavity to light up the required area. You don't need to remove the lower threaded collars as they will come off with the headlight assembly unless you need the clearance to wiggle the assembly out - it's a PITA but it will come out if you're patient and get it at just the right angle. The first one will take you a while accompanied by copious cursing and maybe a band-aid or two, but then you'll be able to see how it all goes together and the second one will be a breeze.

 

thanks guys you both helped alot! it popped right out with a little work! you guys rock!

 

No prob. Where do we send the bill for consultation services ?

 

All true, BUT !
If you DO remove the threaded collars, you will be surprised at how much easier it is to get the sucker out !

 

Actually the first time I took out a headlight the collars weren't a problem at all, but that was because the butchers at the used car lot I got the car from had swapped out a non-working one without reading the service manual (or visiting this site). The lower brackets had just been torn off when they stripped it off the donor wreck thinking that it was only secured by the upper bolts! Further conversations with the vendor only served to confirm that they probably didn't consult the manual simply because they can't read words bigger than 3 letters long - but that's all history now.

 

i wish i saw this thread when i was installing hids and led corner lamps. my fingers cramped and scarred trying to get the bulbs in without removing the assembly

 

Thanks Alexfire for the tips! I just removed my headlights and took some pictures. It sounds a lot harder than it actually is. The hardest part was jacking up the car and removing the tire! Yes, removing the threaded collar makes it a whole lot easier to remove the headlight assembly. You can remove the collar after removing all the bolts. I just unscrewed it while holding the headlight assembly - it wasn't that tight. Removing the headlamp connector was a little tough. The other lamp assembly just twists off (90 degree counterclockwise). To remove the assembly, I tipped the outboard side toward the back of the car while twisting the inboard side forward. There is a rubber "sleeve" that surrounds the headlight. Be careful not to tear it as it can become "glued" to the headlight due to heat. I'm having my headlights sanded, polished and clear-coated. The removal took about 10-15 minutes per unit. I took some pics but I can't seem to load them here. Can someone give me some instructions?