How to remove the head lights

I made the fatal mistake of incorrectly adjusting the headlight beam direction to the point the adjuster no longer functioned. It is quite possible that you might have wound the adjusting screw off of the adjuster, or the ball joint on the end of the adjusting rod has popped off of the socket inside the lamp. If you are lucky you can retrieve the situation, if you are unlucky like me then you will have to replace the headlight.

To remove the headlight you have to firstly remove the side lights, and then after that remove the front grill. Now you are ready to remove the headlights. Both driver side and passenger side are similar except for the air intake on the drivers side (in the UK).

Take out the bolt that attaches the air intake to the front chassis. This will allow you to remove the plastic intake to gain access to the bulb connectors.

Remove air intake bolt

With the bolt removed the air intake can be pulled off in the direction of 1. Be carefull regarding the connector and wires to the sensor at 2 when you do this. You could undo the connector but there is just enough play in the wires for it not to be necessary as longs as you don't get too carried away!

Air intake bolt removed

The picture below shows the view with the air intake removed. The main connector (1) to the bulb has also been removed. This can be quite tough and you need to squeeze with thumb and forefinger (in my case both hands!) either side before pulling off. The second connector (2) is the connector to the motor to the tilt/level adjuster motor. Again this is fairly tough to disconnect and also a bit misleading on which bit comes apart. Just squeeze and pull!

Headlight connectors

The headlight is held by four bolts as shown below.

hey one bolts missing! ;-)

And here's one I prepared earlier.

I can't see the light!

Removal of the other headlight on the other side of the car is exactly the same except you have no airfilter moulding to worry about, but the battery does get in the way to compensate!

P1 stockcar racer!


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Page created and last updated 25th May 2003
Copyright © 2003 Steve Breen
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