C5 Tech Corvette Tech/Performance: LS1 Corvette Technical Info, Internal Engine, External Engine, Tech Topics, Basic Tech, Maintenance, How to Remove & Replace
Sponsored by:
Sponsored by:

Need How To Headlight Bulb Change

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Nov 16, 2008 | 08:43 PM
  #1  
napacruzerc5's Avatar
napacruzerc5
Thread Starter
Safety Car
15 Year Member
 
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 3,732
Likes: 21
From: Napa Ca
Default Need How To Headlight Bulb Change

Found a lot of headlight motor/gears change/fix but only one other post I could find just changing bulbs. Looks like a simple headlights up but off, remove side cover, reach in and unplug; plug in new bulbs and replace side cover. Is it really that simple? And yeah I'll have latex gloves on to make sure I don't get finger oils on the bulb. Going with Sylvania Silverstars Ultras.
Reply
Old Nov 16, 2008 | 10:40 PM
  #2  
sperkins's Avatar
sperkins
Le Mans Master
20 Year Member
Photogenic
Liked
Loved
 
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 9,429
Likes: 44
From: Macon, GA
Default

http://www.corvetteactioncenter.com/...ght-bulbs.html
It is a tight fit to change the headlight bulbs.

1: Turn on your headlights to raise them up, then turn the **** back to parking to turn them off.

2: Remove the black plastic shroud around the light. I believe there are 3 screws on each side.

3. Reach your hand into the assembly from the inside of the car. This is where the tight fit is.

4. Make sure you have the OUTSIDE (low beam) bulb in your hand. You will have to do this by feel.

5. Turn the assembly counter-clockwise (if I remember right) and pull towards the rear of the car.

6. Pull the bulb out of the connector and replace with the new bulb.

7. Assembly is the reverse.
Reply
Old Nov 16, 2008 | 10:59 PM
  #3  
lucky131969's Avatar
lucky131969
Tech Contributor
15 Year Member
Active Streak: 30 Days
Community Builder
Liked
 
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 19,475
Likes: 1,171
From: Dyer, IN
Default

Originally Posted by napacruzerc5
Is it really that simple?
Yep
Reply
Old Nov 18, 2008 | 09:52 AM
  #4  
jovette's Avatar
jovette
Melting Slicks
20 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 2,172
Likes: 104
From: Des Moines Iowa
Default

Simple, yes. Easy, not so much, not if you are a big guy with big hands. It's a really tight fit, so be prepared to get some scraps, cuts etc. I found that it helped when I removed the hood stop, rubber bumper thing. Good luck!
Reply
Old Nov 24, 2008 | 11:51 PM
  #5  
napacruzerc5's Avatar
napacruzerc5
Thread Starter
Safety Car
15 Year Member
 
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 3,732
Likes: 21
From: Napa Ca
Default

Originally Posted by jovette
Simple, yes. Easy, not so much, not if you are a big guy with big hands. It's a really tight fit, so be prepared to get some scraps, cuts etc. I found that it helped when I removed the hood stop, rubber bumper thing. Good luck!

Removed the hood stop, put on rubber medical type gloves and still could not get enough torque to loosen the outside bulbs (low beams). Got the high beams swapped out although I did drop one of the blue wire separators in the "black hole". Used the headlight adjustment screw to raise/lower lights and later realized I probably messed up the adjustment. So...now need how to on headlight adjustment. Hopefully I'll get my nephew (smaller hands) to swap out the outside bulbs for on Turkey day before sitting down for the feast.
Reply
Old Nov 25, 2008 | 12:49 AM
  #6  
lucky131969's Avatar
lucky131969
Tech Contributor
15 Year Member
Active Streak: 30 Days
Community Builder
Liked
 
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 19,475
Likes: 1,171
From: Dyer, IN
Default

Originally Posted by napacruzerc5
Removed the hood stop, put on rubber medical type gloves and still could not get enough torque to loosen the outside bulbs (low beams). Got the high beams swapped out although I did drop one of the blue wire separators in the "black hole". Used the headlight adjustment screw to raise/lower lights and later realized I probably messed up the adjustment. So...now need how to on headlight adjustment. Hopefully I'll get my nephew (smaller hands) to swap out the outside bulbs for on Turkey day before sitting down for the feast.
If you moved the adjustment screws, then just turn on the headlights so they are aimed at a solid wall..garage door, etc. and adjust the screws until they are where you want them.
Reply
Old Nov 25, 2008 | 09:31 AM
  #7  
jovette's Avatar
jovette
Melting Slicks
20 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 2,172
Likes: 104
From: Des Moines Iowa
Default

Originally Posted by lucky131969
If you moved the adjustment screws, then just turn on the headlights so they are aimed at a solid wall..garage door, etc. and adjust the screws until they are where you want them.
Believe you should be approximately 15' from the wall when completing the aiming process. Probably a good time to re-aim your fog lights while you're at it. (They usually are too low, from the factory)
Reply
Old Nov 25, 2008 | 11:51 AM
  #8  
clif's Avatar
clif
Melting Slicks
Supporting Lifetime Gold
15 Year Member
 
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 2,939
Likes: 7
From: Simpsonville SC
St. Jude Donor '09-'10
Default

How do you aim the Fog Lights??? Mine are pointing almost straight down!
Reply
Corvette Stories

The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts

story-0

10 Ugly Corvettes That We Still Kinda Love

 Joe Kucinski
story-1

Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer

 Brett Foote
story-2

10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)

 Michael S. Palmer
story-3

8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems

 Pouria Savadkouei
story-4

10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years

 Joe Kucinski
story-5

How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972

 Joe Kucinski
story-6

Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!

 Michael S. Palmer
story-7

Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!

 Joe Kucinski
story-8

150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter

 Joe Kucinski
story-9

8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time

 Verdad Gallardo
Old Nov 25, 2008 | 04:35 PM
  #9  
jovette's Avatar
jovette
Melting Slicks
20 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 2,172
Likes: 104
From: Des Moines Iowa
Default

Originally Posted by csdunaway
How do you aim the Fog Lights??? Mine are pointing almost straight down!
There is a torx screw, @ approximately 2:00 position next to the fog light if I remember correctly.........it's either 2:00 or 10:00 or maybe both, just don't recall right now. Screw in or out, up or down as you desire
Reply
Old Nov 25, 2008 | 06:08 PM
  #10  
clif's Avatar
clif
Melting Slicks
Supporting Lifetime Gold
15 Year Member
 
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 2,939
Likes: 7
From: Simpsonville SC
St. Jude Donor '09-'10
Default

Originally Posted by jovette
There is a torx screw, @ approximately 2:00 position next to the fog light if I remember correctly.........it's either 2:00 or 10:00 or maybe both, just don't recall right now. Screw in or out, up or down as you desire
Thanks, I will check that out!
Reply
Old Nov 25, 2008 | 11:17 PM
  #11  
napacruzerc5's Avatar
napacruzerc5
Thread Starter
Safety Car
15 Year Member
 
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 3,732
Likes: 21
From: Napa Ca
Default

I guess my question should have been "how can you tell that you're not blinding oncoming traffic" just by looking at the lights on the wall.
Reply
Old Nov 26, 2008 | 09:55 AM
  #12  
jovette's Avatar
jovette
Melting Slicks
20 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 2,172
Likes: 104
From: Des Moines Iowa
Default

Originally Posted by napacruzerc5
I guess my question should have been "how can you tell that you're not blinding oncoming traffic" just by looking at the lights on the wall.
Did you mess up the adjustment on both driver's and passenger's sides?
If, you only messed with one side, then simply adjust the messed up side to be the same as the other side when headlights are on high beam.
Reply
Old Mar 23, 2010 | 07:51 AM
  #13  
CJ454's Avatar
CJ454
Pro
20 Year Member
 
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 606
Likes: 0
From: FL
Cruise-In II Veteran
Default

I know this is an old thread but I tried to do this last night but did something before I found this posting that I wanted to ask about.

I wanted to put the lights up without having them on so I saw a black **** thing on the left of the light (looking at the front of the car to the back on the drivers side light. )

It said something like... to manually raise light remove and twist. But when I did nothing happened. The lights still go up and down as normal. So My question is what was this thing and and did I mess up any alignments?

I did not mess with the passenger side.

I still have to change the bulbs but how do you get the lights to stay up without the ding ding and the lights being on? If not ill just have to deal with it.

Thanx

CJ

Last edited by CJ454; Mar 23, 2010 at 07:58 AM.
Reply
Old Mar 23, 2010 | 08:03 AM
  #14  
AnteVenom's Avatar
AnteVenom
Melting Slicks
20 Year Member
Conversation Starter
All Eyes On Me
 
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 2,456
Likes: 8
From: Cockeysville Maryland
Cruise-In IV Veteran
Daytona Jam 1 Veteran
Default

First, the black ***** on each side of the car behind the headlights are the headlight motors and yours most likely have the black rubber boot on each.

If you remove the boot(s) you will see the **** to turn on the end. You have to turn this **** a good bit before you will see any movement in the headlight being raised (and likewise when you are lowering the **** will appear to turn a good bit longer after the headlight appears to be fully lowered).

Anyway, using the stalk that controls your lights on the left of the steering wheel, if you turn only a half-turn you will see the headlights pop up but the lights will not come on. The lights do not light until you turn the stalk a full turn.

Either one of these processes should provide you access to take off the surrounds and get to the bulbs.


Last edited by AnteVenom; Mar 23, 2010 at 08:04 AM. Reason: spelling
Reply
Old Mar 23, 2010 | 08:36 AM
  #15  
CJ454's Avatar
CJ454
Pro
20 Year Member
 
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 606
Likes: 0
From: FL
Cruise-In II Veteran
Default

When I turn the stock 1/2 only my running lights come on. I have to turn them all the way on then turn the stock back 1/2 way and the parking/fog lights stay on but the lights go off.

am I missing something?
Reply
Old Mar 23, 2010 | 08:40 AM
  #16  
lucky131969's Avatar
lucky131969
Tech Contributor
15 Year Member
Active Streak: 30 Days
Community Builder
Liked
 
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 19,475
Likes: 1,171
From: Dyer, IN
Default

Originally Posted by CJ454

am I missing something?

Most likely the MFS on it's way out.
Reply
Old Mar 23, 2010 | 08:43 AM
  #17  
AnteVenom's Avatar
AnteVenom
Melting Slicks
20 Year Member
Conversation Starter
All Eyes On Me
 
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 2,456
Likes: 8
From: Cockeysville Maryland
Cruise-In IV Veteran
Daytona Jam 1 Veteran
Default

Originally Posted by CJ454
When I turn the stock 1/2 only my running lights come on. I have to turn them all the way on then turn the stock back 1/2 way and the parking/fog lights stay on but the lights go off.

am I missing something?
I believe I may have mis-said what I meant. Try turning the lights on son they pop up lit and then back off the stick 1/2 turn. I think this then leaves the lights up but turns off the lamps.

SOrry for the confusion. My headlights are out of the car so I couldn't run out and get it straight ahead of time
Reply
Old Mar 23, 2010 | 08:57 AM
  #18  
lucky131969's Avatar
lucky131969
Tech Contributor
15 Year Member
Active Streak: 30 Days
Community Builder
Liked
 
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 19,475
Likes: 1,171
From: Dyer, IN
Default

Originally Posted by CJ454
I still have to change the bulbs but how do you get the lights to stay up without the ding ding and the lights being on? If not ill just have to deal with it.
Interesting info in the owners manual............check it out.

http://www.gmpartshouse.com/download...98corvette.pdf


Reply

Get notified of new replies

To Need How To Headlight Bulb Change





All times are GMT -4. The time now is 06:45 PM.

story-0
10 Ugly Corvettes That We Still Kinda Love

Slideshow: 10 ugly Corvettes that we still kinda love.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-06-03 10:34:17


VIEW MORE
story-1
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer

A lot of money has changed hands at the online auction house over the years.

By Brett Foote | 2026-06-03 10:21:50


VIEW MORE
story-2
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)

Slideshow: 10 great gifts Corvette enthusiasts actually want for Father's Day!

By Michael S. Palmer | 2026-06-03 15:43:40


VIEW MORE
story-3
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems

Slideshow: These are the quirks, annoyances, and oddly lovable problems that every Corvette owner eventually learns to live with.

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-05-28 09:31:39


VIEW MORE
story-4
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years

Slideshow: 10 reasons why the C6 Z06 is still a performance benchmark after 20 years.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-27 17:20:09


VIEW MORE
story-5
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972

Slideshow: How much horsepower every Corvette engine lost in 1972.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-27 16:54:53


VIEW MORE
story-6
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!

Slideshow: How to Protect A Convertible Top: 10 DOs & DON'Ts

By Michael S. Palmer | 2026-04-03 00:00:00


VIEW MORE
story-7
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!

Slideshow: The 10 most explosive Corvettes ever built based on power-to-weight ratio.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-20 07:23:03


VIEW MORE
story-8
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter

Slideshow: From C1 to C8 we compare every Corvette generation by the numbers.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-12 16:54:12


VIEW MORE
story-9
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time

Slideshow: Some Corvette pace cars became collectible legends, while others perfectly captured the look and attitude of their era.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-11 09:50:51


VIEW MORE