mrempp

Well as i learn more and more every time I try to do simple maintenance to my car, I am pretty much mechanical retarded. I was changing the bulbs with some kaixen 5ks i got from excelerate and when i was trying to remove the bulb i bent the little metal clip. I tried bending it back as best i could, but its definitely not as tight as the other side. I drove down the road with my dad and girlfriend down the street and they couldn't notice them flickering, although i only was going 30.

The second issue is that when i was changing the passanger side i broke part of the new bulb.



The picture is the stock bulb but the part i broke is the piece that covers the wire that goes from top to the bottom of the bulb in the top of the picture. I didn't actually break the wire I just cracked a little of that piece that covers it. I went ahead and installed it anyway and it still lit up normally.

You think its fine, or am i better off buying another set of bulbs and bringing it to the dealer to have them fix everything i screwed up?

01tl4tl

the metal arm clip that holds the bulb in correct? it may be easiest to remove the bumper cover and the headlight housing-then you can see directly in at whats happening
It only goes on one side of the bulb, and then a dip and clip into its locked position
There are a few pics of it scattered on azine, DIY headlight change would be a good start

I broke about 1/4"inch off the end of the white cover thing on mine too- its been fine for several months so far
The new bulbs need about 100 hours burn in time- use them all the time when you are driving for a while to get their color and intensity settled- they actually get brighter!

No need for the dealer price on fixing the metal arm- try a small mirror to look in there first, so you understand whats happening , and if you cant get it from there- its real easy to pop the bumper cover off and .....

01tl4tl

that external arm on the bulb has to face up to- just like the ones you took out
no twisting it- just straight in a nd lock the arm on it

mrempp

I am pretty sure that external arm on the bulb was facing down on the stock bulbs that i took out. Are you sure that piece is supposed to face up? Not that I'm doubting your expertise, I just remember it being that way. And is it fine if I put a crack in that material that covers the metal (the gray part in the picture).

01tl4tl

I thought it was up, but could vary by year--its been a while sine mine went in
I broke off about a quater of an inch of that white insulator cover over the external wire- I think its a heat shield- but my lights are working fine
If it craps out later- then get some new ones and this time you will read the DIY first!

mrempp

any ideas on how to make the bulb stay in place tighter? I Tried pulling the bulb out without moving the clip the first time, and i bent it a little. should i just try bending it the other way? any other suggestions?

01tl4tl

bend the arm correctly-
go to the junkyard and get an arm off another car
You may have mangled the clip- and need to replace it

mrempp

any idea on the part number for that clip? I couldn't find it on acuraoemparts.com.

01tl4tl

I would hit the junkyard- thats a fairly standard bulb keeper arm
Most hondas will probably fit- you need to scavenge a headlight housing for a buck and get what you need
Held in by 1 Phillps + screw

mrempp

what do u think about just spraying some seafoam deep creep on it, that would probably take care of it right?