Im really happy I found this site, you guys have great ideas. A used car is not without problems. So far I had the alt/gen replaced.($700.) Both headlamps blew when it failed. A new windshield, a week later I almost lost the top trim piece. It dented the roof when the one side came loose. I used a full length of velcro and clear epoxy on the ends,seems to be holding fine. My headlights create lots of shadows. Im hoping HID bulbs will help. Short of taking out the headlight assemblies I havent figured out how to get the spring clip over the longer back of the HID bulbs. Any ideas? I love my car and feel like a kid every time I get in it.
Thanks for reading

 

If you are installing HID's, removing the headlight assemblies is the way to go.
For one thing, you can mount the ballasts on the flat surface under the assemblies out of the way,
for another, it sure is easier to manipulate those pesky clips when you can see what you are doing.

Might sound kinda extreme, but if you really love the car, the way to go about the whole schmear is to
remove the bumper cover.
You get to see all sorts of areas that will need cleaning up, and it is child's play to remove the headlights
once the bumper cover is off. ( see above picture for "child's play" )

To remove the bumper cover :
1. jack the front up and use jack stands on both sides.
2. remove both front wheels.
3. remove the plastic pan under the engine ( 4 bolts and a plastic panel fastener )
4. remove the front plastic fender well shields.
5. disconnect the fog lights and the outside temperature sensor.
6. remove the 2 bolts on each side holding the bumper cover to the fenders.
7. remove the bottom bolts holding the cover to the frame.
8. remove the grille and the 2 top cover bolts.
9. remove the bumper cover.

( I've had mine off twice now, once for the headlight refurb / HID install, and once again when
I did some stupid damage to the cover by hanging it up on one of those concrete parking place wheel stops. )


BTW: Welcome to the forum !!!

 

Thanks, great detail, will the HIDs eliminate the shadows?

 

Did for me.
Many here swear by the el-cheapo EBay HID kits, I sprung for the high end
Morimotos from TheRetrofitSource.
H7: Morimoto Elite HID System - HID Systems from The Retrofit Source Inc

( I recommend the 4300K - pure white )