dykyy

Hi guys i have a 2g tl and im installing a set of new bulbs right now. I have successfully taken the housing and the bulb from the left headlight, however the right is giving me trouble due to an air vent from the intake.

I took out the battery and the plastic piece that holds it.

The housing just wont come out due to that air vent, im really frustrated as this should have been a quick and painless job.


Any help would be greatly appreciated!!

01tl4tl

if you thought this was a painless job you skipped over the DIY section coverage of the job--see 3rd item down the main gen2 thread list,,official diy..

it will show what to remove for your method of-`bumper on car`
many of us pop the nose panel off the car and remove entire light housing
for ease

question: did you have gradual bulb death- pink or purple tint to light at startup--when pointed at garage door for example
thats age death

If however you had moisture inside the lens - thats water death of the ballast/capacitor/ignitor system and may have blown a bulb too
see threads on ballast kit replacement,,60 bucks will get you a good aftermarket setup with all you need,,or spend several hundred or 2500 with dealer~

01tl4tl

note: on car--left is driver side, and passenger side = right
so we all talk about the same thing when describing a part or location,,
its always from `seated drivers point of view`

Insti Gator

I must admit, I definitely appreciate the help + time this forum has commited to DIY's to help us!

However, I used the link on the DIY page here - https://acurazine.com/forums/showpos...24&postcount=2 - And found a few pieces of information missing. This info may be "unecessary" for those with familiarity under the hood, but otherwise I believe it's needed.

1st - When working on the passenger headlight I detached the wiper fluid filler neck from it's plastic post and it pulled free of the rest of the tube. That made it so I could easily access the headlight.

On the driver side, I yanked out the "snorkel" on the intake for the same reason. Both things I'm sure unfamiliar people would otherwise be uncomfortable or unsure about doing.

2nd - The DIY describes this - "After its turned you can pull it out of the way. Then there is a metal clip that is a spring loaded that you push in and move to the side. Once thats is uncliped the bulb simply pulls out.
(The bulb is removed to show the clip)"

However, after the plastic cap is removed and you push in and move the spring, the bulb is still held in by interlocking pins so it must be twisted and then pulled out. Same with installation. Based on the verbage in the DIY I assumed the metal clip was the only thing holding the bulb in.

Just some thoughts to consider.

01tl4tl

the bulb cutouts are just `locator pins` that interface with the bulbs base
dont twist the bulb! it goes straight in and straight out,,,external wire points down

this is why I prefer the housing removal method to swap the lights--you can see what is going on much better
that 1 arm clip is a PITA if you dont know how it works--down - over- up and remove
all while working blind

Insti Gator

Oops! You're right!

Commpletely Agree!!

dykyy

01tl4tl, thank you for the help. I was almost sure that if anyone would reply, it would be you. I actually managed to install the bulb without removing the bumper cover, i bent the metal bar separating the "snorkel" and the air box. I pushed the snorkel as much as I physically could without breaking it. The housing came off with some force.

Btw, I also unscrewed the windshield washer reservoir, it was much easier to work on.

Lol, and as for the position of the headlights, I was unsure from which side to explain right/left.

Anyways thanks for the help guys, I must admit, I am a member on other forums as well, and not one is as communal and helpful as azine. Ppl don't shit on you for not knowing something in other words lol

smartypants

Thanks to dykyy.

I have exactly the same issue and this topic is NOT covered in the DIY. I'm about to take this all apart and do exactly what you're going to or have already done, using one side to test the other.

Did you like those Torx Security Screws ? Who has that bit in their toolbox ? What was Honda thinking ???

I'm assuming that you just yanked up on the "snorkel" and it came out. It was the same for the cover that goes over this structure, no direction in the DIY and so I just guessed there was a straight pin in the bottom and pulled.

Please post your symptoms and what fixed it when you're finished.

Thanks again !

dykyy

question: did you have gradual bulb death- pink or purple tint to light at startup--when pointed at garage door for example
thats age death

If however you had moisture inside the lens - thats water death of the ballast/capacitor/ignitor system and may have blown a bulb too
see threads on ballast kit replacement,,60 bucks will get you a good aftermarket setup with all you need,,or spend several hundred or 2500 with dealer~[/QUOTE]


It was definitely time to change the bulbs, they have been pink since i bought the car.. thats approaching 3 years already. One of the lights finally blew so i decided to change them. I bought aftermarket bulbs which came out to around $50. They are 6000k D2R with a one year warranty. I asked the guy at the shop if i needed the whole kit inc ballasts and relay and he said to just get the bulbs bc of the color change symptoms.

dykyy

The security screws from what i know are not sold in stores, maybe online but then again it's rare to come by security screws like that and the wrenches are probably expensive... if you can find them!!

I went to my mechanic and he let me borrow his. He told me that security screws among other things are tricks that manufacturers use in order for you to do maintenance services with them

As for the snorkel, i did not have the balls to just yank it out.. After all the car is not new, the plastics are more fragile, plus it looked like it wasnt just sitting there on clips (take a look near the bottom)

Anyways so what i did is i took out the battery with the plastic holder, i unscrewed the top bolt of the stock air box as well as the bottom bolt which holds a metal bar that separates the snorkel and the air box. With a screw driver i bent this metal bar from the bottom, slightly towards the air box. This gave me just enough room to move the snorkel a bit and finally to squeeze out the hid housing. The process was like giving birth, i swear. Now women cant complain that we dont know what it feels like jus joking!!!

smartypants

Had to take my secure torx off with vise grips. They won't be going back on. The electrical connector prevents the housing from turning anyway so I don't see what they're for.

Believe it or not, Amazon has a set of thirty funny shaped security bits for ~$5, of course criminals don't go on Amazon and order stuff.....LOL. I ordered a set to throw in my tool box for future use.


It would be nice to be able to edit the DIY's to include these little details that make these jobs so much more difficult.

Insti Gator

Exact same for me - 1 pink bulb with near zero usable output.

Bought Philips 4,300k OEM replacement bulbs for $62 from here : (they were $31 a piece when I bought them)
Exact same for me!

I agree - Mods?