Gen 1 headlight bulb replacement for dummies

DRIVERS SIDE ACCESS) Too gain access to the driver side bulb you have to remove the upper windshield washer reservoir tank, this is easy to do. Immediately behind the upper headlight assembly there are white plastic tabs on the washer reservoir neck arm, just squeeze these tabs together and lift straight up on the reservoir neck, it pulls out of the lower tank and u can set it off to the side. The filler strainer in the neck has a long tail that hangs down into the tank, I completely removed it from the tank but you can just set it off to the left side.

PASSENGER SIDE ACCESS) Too gain access to the passenger side bulb you have to remove the upper engine air intake and the radiator overflow tank, this is not difficult to do. The engine air intake is immediately behind the passenger side headlight assembly, it is black plastic and is also immediately in front of the radiator overflow tank. There is a black plastic rivet in the mounting arm of the upper intake. With 2 small flat bladed screw drivers pry up on both sides of the small round head in the middle of the plastic rivet. Once the head is up about ½’’ you can then pry out the entire rivet without busting the tabs off. Then lift straight up on the upper air intake and set it out of the way. The radiator overflow tank simply pulls straight up off of the rear mounting bracket, the bracket has 2 small bumps that require enough lifting force on tank to release. Now you have ample space to access bulb.

BULB REMOVAL) Pull straight back on the electrical connector, then push out of the way. There is a large round black rubber boot around the bulb assembly, the boot is just pushed into a recession in the headlight assembly, just pull it straight back to remove. I had to pry out on the outer edges to get it loosened up before I could remove it with my fingers. The boot has to tabs that help to pull it back. Once the boot is removed you can access the wire clip that retains the bulb. The clip is hinged on one side and is bent into a small tab at the other side. You have to push this tab torwards the front of the car slightly so that you can slide it out from under the retaining tab. This doesn’t require much force but rather a little finesse. Once the tabbed end of the wire clip is released the clip hinges back and the bulb can then be pulled straight back and out of the headlight assembly. Pay attention to the orientation of the 3 metal tabs on the bulb fixture.

REASSEMBLY) Reassembly is just the opposite, don’t forget to put the boot back on before pushing the wire connector back on.

 

I have worked on just about every kind of contraption known to man, but it took me longer than it should have to figure out how to do the basic steps of headlight bulb replacement, hopefully this helps the next guy out with the details.