How do you repace the *uc**g bulbs on a LH car!

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Zentraleinheit - 20 Oct 2007 19:50 GMT

First, sorry for the all the *

I want to replace the orginal weak headlight bulbs on my 96 Eagle Vision
with super bright versions.

But when I try to remove the 2 (per unit) torx screws to pull off the cover
I run into trouble!

The torx head of the screwdrive won't engage the torx head of the screws on
the left headlamp.

The screws on the right headlamp just trun, and turn, and turn, and.....

Is there a another way of getting to the bulbs?

Or should I go back to the garage where I just had my coolent problem fix
and let them do the change?

(maybe along with the never chaneged in 5 years air filter also due to
striped screws!)

It just seems so strange that the other major lights are so easy to change,
yet, the most critical light of all is a *uc""g pain.

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Bill Putney - 20 Oct 2007 20:00 GMT

> First, sorry for the all the *
>
[quoted text clipped - 19 lines]
> It just seems so strange that the other major lights are so easy to change,
> yet, the most critical light of all is a *uc""g pain.

Let me suggest that you go to www.dodgeintrepid.net forums. There are
experts on 1st as well as 2nd gen LH cars there. You'll probably find
the answers already there (good forum search engine, also some 1st gen
FAQ's and How-To's), or if not, post your questions there.

Bill Putney
(To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my
address with the letter 'x')

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Steve - 22 Oct 2007 14:56 GMT

> First, sorry for the all the *
>
> I want to replace the orginal weak headlight bulbs on my 96 Eagle Vision
> with super bright versions.

Be careful. The only thing you can really do to "upgrade" those lamps is
to use something like Sylvania Xtravision (or equivalent) bulbs, and put
relays in the circuit to bypass the very thin wiring that feeds the
lamps. Using over-wattage bulbs is a recipe for disaster with that
plastic lamp housing, and given how expensive it is to replace you
REALLY don't want to melt it.

Actually, there is an option but it requires a friend in Europe. You can
replace the entire headlamp housing with a set from a European Chrysler
Vision, which has SUPERB headlamps. But be prepared to sink some $$ and
time into it because you have to do some fabrication, since the European
cars have automagic headlamp levelling motors and the US cars don't. I
did this for my wife's car many years ago, and never regretted it. But
doing it for a car much closer to its end-of-life doesn't make financial
sense.

Before going too much further, you might want to contact Dan Stern at
Daniel Stern Lighting, who used to be a regular poster to this newsgroup:
http://danielsternlighting.com/

> But when I try to remove the 2 (per unit) torx screws to pull off the cover
> I run into trouble!
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
>
> The screws on the right headlamp just trun, and turn, and turn, and.....

You gotta find a way to clamp the captive nuts to keep them from
spinning. Once you do that, you can glue them back in place with epoxy,
and you won't have the problem again.

> Is there a another way of getting to the bulbs?

You can remove the entire lamp-and-carrier assembly. But the third screw
is deeply buried down behind the front bumper, and a major pain to get at.

> (maybe along with the never chaneged in 5 years air filter also due to
> striped screws!)

'
That one's easier, because you can use a pair of vice-grips to "pinch"
the plastic around the captive nuts that are spinning in the plastic
housing. Pinch the plastic bulges around the outside of the captive
nutswith the vice-grips, unscrew the screws. Then glue the captive nuts
back in place with a stout epoxy, after cleaning the plastic and the
nuts carefully. End of problem.

> It just seems so strange that the other major lights are so easy to change,
> yet, the most critical light of all is a *uc""g pain.

Well, it wasn't SUPPOSED to be, its just that the captive nuts break
loose and then its difficult. The headlamps on the whole first-gen LH
series of vehicles are an abomination. I've heard that the guy who
actually designed the original lamps did a great job, but they were
deemed "too costly" by the pencil-necked bean-counters and the
disastrous lights that the cars have are the result. :-(

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