OK, NOW I'M REALLY FRUSTRATED!!! Can you tell?

I went back and re-installed the HID Bulbs today, and yes, i finally got them in correctly. That's all well and good. Well, knowing me, I couldn't leave well enough alone...

I decided I still wanted them a "little" higher. No problem right? The Adjustment **** is right there and easy to adjust right? Yeah, well it was for the passenger side. Got that one no problem.

The Driver's side is another story. First off it's harder to get to. I actually put a 12mm ratcheting combo wrench on it, to make life easier, and so I didn't get that NASTY black adhesive all over me. Well, apparently, the adjustment **** needs to be turned the opposite way than the passenger side to get the same result. I didn't realize this until the aim was angled DOWN as far as it would go (I thought nothing was happening) . Ok, no problem. Turn it the other way right? No such luck. THE WHOLE FREAKING ADJUSTMENT SHAFT CAME OUT OF THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY!!! EVEN THE SQUARE PART THAT IT THREADS INTO!!!

Anyone else have this lovely problem? It looks simple enough to just screw back in, but I can't get it in. I guess I'll have to start pulling stuff out of the car so I can actually get to it and pray it will go back in. HELP ME IF YOU KNOW A SECRET!

 

don't you have to unlock it before adjusting the headlamp angle? sounds like you broke something, that's gonna cost you $400, i suggest you download the repair manual before you start making anymore adjustments next time.

 

Ok, I think I've figured it out. The square piece that the adjustment rod and know actually screw into is RUBBER. At first, it looked like its made of metal or plastic. That piece actually came out with the rod. I didn't pay attention to the fact that is was rubber until a few minutes ago. When it happened, I was so pissed off I gave up at the time. Well I just picked it up of the garage floor where I threw it and realized that nothing is broken at all. I just screwed the rod too far and while trying to screw it back, I accidentally pulled the rubber piece out too. I took a small narrow piece of metal and poked it through the whole where the adjustment screw goes, and it made the headlight pivot up and down. So, tomorrow when I have more patience, I'll take out that Control box next to the Round duflotchy so that I can get better access, and I should be able to re-insert the rubber piece and have enough room to negotiate screwing the adjustment rod back in. Should be ok. I'll update when I find out for sure.

As for just costing myself $400, where did that come from? Even if I had to replace the headlamp assembly, I'm competent enough to pull the bumper off and the headlight myself. And the last time I checked, Headlights are selling on eBay all day long for less than $100. You must be the guy that takes pleasure in telling your neighbor that their dog just got run over... Or do you just collect Death Scene Photography?

I have the manual, and I looked at the diagrams and instructions before hand. Everyone makes mistakes, even me, with all the automotive technical experience I have. If I can build and engine, install a turbo, I think I can handle a freaking headlight...

 

Sooo...the light assembly is difficult to work on, things twist and turn and rotate opposite of what you think they should, the whole setup looks like it was designed by lobotomized monkeys...

The headlights weren't designed by Satan, they were designed by...CESSNA!

The Cessna design philosophy: If you can see it then you can work on it.

 

Say what? You meant, "If you can see it then you CAN'T work on it" right?

 

No, I really mean that if it can be seen, it can be worked on. So according to Cessna if say a control cable pulley can just be spied through an access panel 2 feet away, then by golly there's no problem working on that pulley even though you can barely touch it after really stretching and contorting yourself.

Sometime I really have to fight the urge to call Cessna up and ask them what the hell they were thinking of when working on their planes.

 

AAHHH, that makes more sense. Well this has been a learning experience. I'm used to working on Jap Crap and Domestics. This is the first German Engineered car I've attempted to work on...

They definitely know how to overcomplicate things don't they...

 

Hard for me to say if the Crossfire is overcomplicated since I generally don't work on cars. The thing is that the planes I work on - Cessna, Piper, Beechcraft - are mechanically back in the 40s so I have very little experience with the complex and high tech stuff. I can say though that it looks like the Crossfire engine compartment is well laid out.

 

If you think that's bad, I own a caddy SRX and if you need to change your headlights, fog lights ect. you have to remove the front bumper skin. Dealer told me cost would be around $150 labor.

 

Fixed it!!!

And didn't cost me anything. Just had to remove some stuff to order to get a good run at the problem...

 

~ glad to hear the good news!!!

 

And you are now qualified to work on Cessna aircraft.

 

Thanks, but I like to keep my flying on the track...

Of course I don't mind flying in an airliner...

 

I get antsy on an airliner. It's too noisy for me to sleep, I'm tall and long legged so getting comfortable is a problem, and even though I almost always get a window seat it is always over the wing so I can't see the ground. Still, if you need to travel long distances at a good clip it's the only way to go.

 

Had same problem on the passenger side. What worked for you?

 

I just bought a '04 Crossfire coupe and have that one headlight pointing to the ground thing (passenger side). From what I've been reading some people say the bulb may not be set in the housing correctly. Is this possiby the case? It isn't possible the two lights - bright and reg. are out of alignment with each other on their gear? I've had the bulb out a couple of time and it's the same Thanks for the help.

 

#1 eBay... Not the best of stuff. I'm sure I'll catch a lot of flack for this and I have bought cars off eBay so keep calm, but there are a lot of shady people out there.

#2A true HID kit, bulbs, ballast resistors, wiring harness, etc., well let's say $100 isn't gonna cut it. Add another 0 before the decimal.

Best of luck to you on this one though.

 

I just got a 2004 and had the same issue. There is a notch that the bulbs have to line up with. It took a about 30 min to get them in right and lined up. Most likely that is your problem get them seated and then adjust them. Mine were in upside down I found out, 180 deg from where they needed to be.

 

Hi,
New member here. Just bought the 2004 on 8/12 for the wife. A nice car that we've admired since the beginning.

Those headlite bulbs are a pain, eh?

Get this: the passenger side light did not look right at night. After reading a few of these threads, after first thinking that it was just an alignment problem, I took the rubber cap off. The bulb then fell out. It was never clipped in place. In fact, the clip was gone.

So, I got a worklight and searched around at the bottom of the radiator header/fender apron and I found the clip! How lucky is that?

It took me a while to get the clip back in, and reinstall the bulb. A small mirror was invaluable.

But I'd like to know what a-hole mechanic dropped the clip after knocking it out, let it get lost, and then just lay the bulb in the socket and put the rubber cap on to keep it in. What a jerk!

Anyway, after fixing it and getting the headlite assemblies lined up against the wall, I now see this problem: when driving at night, the patterns of the 2 headlites are visibly different, and I cannot even see any extra light from one side when the hibeams are on.

After researching all of the bulbs available, it seems to me that it is wise to use the same bulbs on both sides to avoid this problem.

So, tomorrow, I'll be taking all 4 bulbs out to match them up and go to the store to make 2 matching pairs if I can.

Any thoughts on this?

Thanks!

 

Frank...same deal for my XLR!!!!!