How do you change the headlamp bulbs?
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 10,336
Likes: 14
From: Bellville OH
St. Jude Donor '06
How do you change the headlamp bulbs?
Just as the title suggest, how do you change the bulbs in your headlights, I have done a few searches and nothing came up so it is probably really simple to do(I hope)
Safety Car
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 4,394
Likes: 6
From: Melbourne FL
Actually it can be a real PITA to get your hand back there. The best way is to remove the black plastic headlight surround. Then reach back in there and twist it out. As I recall, one turns CW and the other CCW.
Best of luck, have some bandaids handy.
Best of luck, have some bandaids handy.
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 10,336
Likes: 14
From: Bellville OH
St. Jude Donor '06
haha so sort of the same deal with the running light, ill be doing it in the A.M. what tools do I need?
Instructor
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 208
Likes: 0
From: HOUSTON TX
not hard at all. just turn the on unplug wire connection. let cool! ( guess how i figured that one out) then unscrew plastic. wiggle hand in and turn. don't be scared to scrape hand, just get it over with and move on. 
Race Director
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 16,795
Likes: 62
From: Lake Havasu City, AZ
You need a philips screwdriver.
Raise the hood.
from under the hood and iboard of the lights assembly you will see two round ***** covers with rubber boots.
Remove the boots and rotate to raise the headlights manually.
Some will tell you can just turn the key to on, turn on the headlights, back off the switch one click and the headlights will stay up on their own....
That is true..... BUT they forgot to tell you of the auto off feature on the retained power circuit....
Since it is your first time and you will likely be a bit slower at the change out you could end up with your arm still through the side of the headlight assembly when the power cuts out and the headlight lowers
( @#$$%@!%@ ouch)
Once the headlight is up, remove the black plastic bezel, reach in and locate the bulb socket.
You will feel a locking tab that must be depressed (squeezed towards the center) once the tab is depressed rotate the socket out of the housing , remove it, pull the pigtail out thru the opening your arm is in an pull out the bulb.
DO NOT get your finger son the new bulb. The oil on your skin will shorten bulb life.
Reverse the instructions above once you put the new bulb in the socket.
Remove the 3 screws that hold the black plastic bezel from around the head lights
Raise the hood.
from under the hood and iboard of the lights assembly you will see two round ***** covers with rubber boots.
Remove the boots and rotate to raise the headlights manually.
Some will tell you can just turn the key to on, turn on the headlights, back off the switch one click and the headlights will stay up on their own....
That is true..... BUT they forgot to tell you of the auto off feature on the retained power circuit....
Since it is your first time and you will likely be a bit slower at the change out you could end up with your arm still through the side of the headlight assembly when the power cuts out and the headlight lowers
( @#$$%@!%@ ouch)
Once the headlight is up, remove the black plastic bezel, reach in and locate the bulb socket.
You will feel a locking tab that must be depressed (squeezed towards the center) once the tab is depressed rotate the socket out of the housing , remove it, pull the pigtail out thru the opening your arm is in an pull out the bulb.
DO NOT get your finger son the new bulb. The oil on your skin will shorten bulb life.
Reverse the instructions above once you put the new bulb in the socket.
Remove the 3 screws that hold the black plastic bezel from around the head lights
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 10,336
Likes: 14
From: Bellville OH
St. Jude Donor '06
You need a philips screwdriver.
Raise the hood.
from under the hood and iboard of the lights assembly you will see two round ***** covers with rubber boots.
Remove the boots and rotate to raise the headlights manually.
Some will tell you can just turn the key to on, turn on the headlights, back off the switch one click and the headlights will stay up on their own....
That is true..... BUT they forgot to tell you of the auto off feature on the retained power circuit....
Since it is your first time and you will likely be a bit slower at the change out you could end up with your arm still through the side of the headlight assembly when the power cuts out and the headlight lowers
( @#$$%@!%@ ouch)
Once the headlight is up, remove the black plastic bezel, reach in and locate the bulb socket.
You will feel a locking tab that must be depressed (squeezed towards the center) once the tab is depressed rotate the socket out of the housing , remove it, pull the pigtail out thru the opening your arm is in an pull out the bulb.
DO NOT get your finger son the new bulb. The oil on your skin will shorten bulb life.
Reverse the instructions above once you put the new bulb in the socket.
Remove the 3 screws that hold the black plastic bezel from around the head lights
Raise the hood.
from under the hood and iboard of the lights assembly you will see two round ***** covers with rubber boots.
Remove the boots and rotate to raise the headlights manually.
Some will tell you can just turn the key to on, turn on the headlights, back off the switch one click and the headlights will stay up on their own....
That is true..... BUT they forgot to tell you of the auto off feature on the retained power circuit....
Since it is your first time and you will likely be a bit slower at the change out you could end up with your arm still through the side of the headlight assembly when the power cuts out and the headlight lowers
( @#$$%@!%@ ouch)
Once the headlight is up, remove the black plastic bezel, reach in and locate the bulb socket.
You will feel a locking tab that must be depressed (squeezed towards the center) once the tab is depressed rotate the socket out of the housing , remove it, pull the pigtail out thru the opening your arm is in an pull out the bulb.
DO NOT get your finger son the new bulb. The oil on your skin will shorten bulb life.
Reverse the instructions above once you put the new bulb in the socket.
Remove the 3 screws that hold the black plastic bezel from around the head lights
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 3,012
Likes: 15
From: Jensen Beach FL
You need a philips screwdriver.
Raise the hood.
from under the hood and iboard of the lights assembly you will see two round ***** covers with rubber boots.
Remove the boots and rotate to raise the headlights manually.
Some will tell you can just turn the key to on, turn on the headlights, back off the switch one click and the headlights will stay up on their own....
That is true..... BUT they forgot to tell you of the auto off feature on the retained power circuit....
Since it is your first time and you will likely be a bit slower at the change out you could end up with your arm still through the side of the headlight assembly when the power cuts out and the headlight lowers
( @#$$%@!%@ ouch)
Once the headlight is up, remove the black plastic bezel, reach in and locate the bulb socket.
You will feel a locking tab that must be depressed (squeezed towards the center) once the tab is depressed rotate the socket out of the housing , remove it, pull the pigtail out thru the opening your arm is in an pull out the bulb.
DO NOT get your finger son the new bulb. The oil on your skin will shorten bulb life.
Reverse the instructions above once you put the new bulb in the socket.
Remove the 3 screws that hold the black plastic bezel from around the head lights
Raise the hood.
from under the hood and iboard of the lights assembly you will see two round ***** covers with rubber boots.
Remove the boots and rotate to raise the headlights manually.
Some will tell you can just turn the key to on, turn on the headlights, back off the switch one click and the headlights will stay up on their own....
That is true..... BUT they forgot to tell you of the auto off feature on the retained power circuit....
Since it is your first time and you will likely be a bit slower at the change out you could end up with your arm still through the side of the headlight assembly when the power cuts out and the headlight lowers
( @#$$%@!%@ ouch)
Once the headlight is up, remove the black plastic bezel, reach in and locate the bulb socket.
You will feel a locking tab that must be depressed (squeezed towards the center) once the tab is depressed rotate the socket out of the housing , remove it, pull the pigtail out thru the opening your arm is in an pull out the bulb.
DO NOT get your finger son the new bulb. The oil on your skin will shorten bulb life.
Reverse the instructions above once you put the new bulb in the socket.
Remove the 3 screws that hold the black plastic bezel from around the head lights
Thanx
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Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 2,332
Likes: 31
From: Silver Spring MD
Took me 2 days and disassembling the housing to change mine
I tried changing the headlights by simply untwisting the old ones and reinserting the new ones. On every other car I have encountered you simply untwist the socket counterclockwise, replace the bulb and retwist the socket clockwise till you feel it stop turning.
The C5 has little metal (aluminium) prongs which hold the socket in place. With large hands and little force they are EASILY bent out of shape.
When I "FINISHED" changing the bulbs I took a drive and saw the lights jittering every time I hit a bump. Tried several times to get the damn sockets seated correctly but NO GO. Finally got the Service Manual out, disassembled the ENTIRE HEADLIGHT HOUSING, and used needle nose pliers to re-form (not BEND - Difference if you FORM the prongs and they DON'T BREAK you have successfully FORMED them. ... If they BREAK then you must have BENT them) the fragile metal prongs which hold the socket.
Unless you have SMALL hands and a LOT of patience, be wary of changing the lamps. A real PITA.
BIGHANK
The C5 has little metal (aluminium) prongs which hold the socket in place. With large hands and little force they are EASILY bent out of shape.
When I "FINISHED" changing the bulbs I took a drive and saw the lights jittering every time I hit a bump. Tried several times to get the damn sockets seated correctly but NO GO. Finally got the Service Manual out, disassembled the ENTIRE HEADLIGHT HOUSING, and used needle nose pliers to re-form (not BEND - Difference if you FORM the prongs and they DON'T BREAK you have successfully FORMED them. ... If they BREAK then you must have BENT them) the fragile metal prongs which hold the socket.
Unless you have SMALL hands and a LOT of patience, be wary of changing the lamps. A real PITA.
BIGHANK
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,217
Likes: 5
From: Stark County Ohio
As stated above oil from your touch left on the bulb will greatly shorten the life of the bulb.
The bulb can be cleaned with alcohol to remove any oils. Just be careful to not retouch the bulb surface after cleaning.
The bulb can be cleaned with alcohol to remove any oils. Just be careful to not retouch the bulb surface after cleaning.
Advanced
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 70
Likes: 0
From: Mesa, AZ
Learned this the hard way. I'm glad the headlights did not close on their own with my hand in there. i did not know that would happen! Got lucky on that one.
