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Car Forum / Nissan / Nissan Cars / February 2004Installing Headlight
I just went through one of the most frustrating experiences in my life, for a simple headlight change. It resulted in numerous cuts on my hand and one 2nd degree burn in the palm of my hand. There must be an EASIER way to change out the low beams (9003) on a 1995 Nissan 240sx. I, on the other hand, evidently took the hard way as follows: Remove outer ring Pry open the rubber gasket and attempt to ram a screwdriver in the proximity of the two brass clips. Hope that the brass clips release the bulb and rubber mechanizm. Snake the bulb out, and grasp it by its metal base Pull the crap out of the bulb until it finally releases. Install the new bulb. Attempt to reinsert the bulb in, somehow making the clips secure the bulb. I finally ended up breaking the clips off. Resecure the rubber ring, then the plastic ring. (Doing all of this with 3 inches clearance.) Before I do the other side, any better ideas? Swapping the headlight bulbs on a 95 Nissan 240SX is best done by just removing the entire headlight assembly from the car. The 3 inch clearance does NOT help at all one bit while trying to remove the headlight bulbs as you did. In order to get the headlight assembly off to swap out the headlight bulbs, you have to gain access the four 12 mm bolts which hold the headlight assembly in place - two on each side of the headlight assembly. Two of the four bolts are easily accessible thru the gap between the front grille & hood latch assembly. The other two require the removal of the side marker light. Steps to removing the headlight assembly are as follows: 1). Remove the side marker light - With hood open looking down at side marker light, unscrew the phillips head screw holding the top portion of the side marker light in. Then taking a NARROW long bladed screwdriver wrapped in a tee-shirt or towel & place it between the rear portion of the side marker light & fender. You want to push the side marker light forward, (using the screwdriver as leverage), towards the front of the car. You should hear a POP as the plastic ball clip holding the side marker light in place disengages from the car. Be careful though, too much pressure could crack the plastic side marker light housing - easily repaired though with a can of Christie's RED HOT Blue PVC cement available at your nearest hardware store. Once you remove the side marker light you should see the two metric bolts holding the headlight assembly in. Unscrew those two bolts. 2). Remove the center grille - OPTIONAL Unscrew or pop the two plastic retaining clips that hold the center grille in place. Then take the narrow long bladed screwdriver with the tee-shirt or towel wrapped around it and wedge it between the bumper & the bottom portion of the center grille. The center grille should pop up easily. Once the center grill is removed you should see the remaining two metric bolts holding the headlight assembly in place. Unscrew those two bolts. Once the four retaining bolts are loosen & removed, then the entire headlight assembly should just fall into your hands. Unscrew the outer ring, remove the rubber gasket & unclip the wiring harness connected to the bulb. The most difficult part I found is trying to get the damn wiring harness loose from the headlight bulb. @#$%^! ...damn Nissan engineers!! They must be sadists!! Anyhow, once you remove all the clips & harnesses from the headlight bulb, now would be the best time to take a can of Mother's aluminum polish & clean the clear plastic headlight assembly. The cleaners in the paste of Mother's aluminum polish does a fantastic job of removing the yellow haze which usually coats the outside portion of the plastic headlight lens. Also, another 240SX list member suggests pouring water with ice cubes inside the headlight assembly and swishing it around a bit to clean out the INTERIOR portion of the headlight assembly. The inside of the plastic headlight assembly also tend to get dirty and foggy too. Anyhow, if you want to learn more about your Nissan 240SX & join a FREE Nissan 240SX mailing list in which you can post all your Nissan 240SX related questions, click on the attached link & follow the instructions to subscribe. I've been a member for several years and have learned a ton of information from fellow subscribers. Don't let the cheesy webpage fool you - the mailing list is choked full of people who know almost everything there is to know about your 240!! http://www.amarok.org/modules.php?name=Sections&op=viewarticle&artid=1 Anyhow, hope this helps!! ID '95 Nissan 240SX member...www.SoCal240SX.org Attend the 2004 Nissan 240SX National Convention in Las Vegas Nevada - August 27-29th!!! http://www.240sxnationalconvention.org/ > I just went through one of the most frustrating experiences in my life, for > a simple headlight change. It resulted in numerous cuts on my hand and one [quoted text clipped - 19 lines] > > Before I do the other side, any better ideas? I agree, it's a painful procedure to change them, I remember changing it for the first time. but here's an option, leaving out that metal clip doesn't hurt the headlight beam position, as long as the bulb is snugged in and the rubber seal and the big plastic screw/cover is in place. one of my headlight doesn't have the clip since i broke the clip seat a while ago, and no problem with where the beam is pointing (test it though, it's fine with mine). Althought I am getting around it so well now, that i can change the bulb in less than 5 minutes with the clip, using my middle finger and my index finger. but I have a small hand. good luck >I agree, it's a painful procedure to change them, I remember changing it >for the first time. but here's an option, leaving out that metal clip [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] >less than 5 minutes with the clip, using my middle finger and my index >finger. but I have a small hand. good luck How to take them out on a UK 200SX. http://www.jull.co.uk/mods/headlights.html -- Peter Hill Spamtrap reply domain as per NNTP-Posting-Host in header Can of worms - what every fisherman wants. Can of worms - what every PC owner gets! Addendum: Just my luck...3 days after I post this, my damn headlight bulb goes out!! Talk about coincidence eh? hahaha.. Anyhow, the bolts holding the headlamp assembly in are 10 mm NOT 12...Oopss! Also, if you're swapping out the headlight bulb for the driver side, (right side of the car as you face the engine), you will HAVE TO REMOVE the center grille AND the plastic hood latch cover above and to the right of the center grille before you can access the two headlight assembly retaining bolts. Everything else is pretty much the same. ID > Swapping the headlight bulbs on a 95 Nissan 240SX is best done by just > removing the entire headlight assembly from the car. The 3 inch [quoted text clipped - 96 lines] >> >> Before I do the other side, any better ideas? >I just went through one of the most frustrating experiences in my life, for >a simple headlight change. It resulted in numerous cuts on my hand and one [quoted text clipped - 19 lines] > >Before I do the other side, any better ideas? download a workshop manual for the Silvia S14? "techinfo silvia" -- Peter Hill Spamtrap reply domain as per NNTP-Posting-Host in header Can of worms - what every fisherman wants. Can of worms - what every PC owner gets! |
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