Changing Headlight/Foglight bulbs

[C598LS1]

....i know, i know...i need to get the service manuals. But how do i change the headlight bulbs, and the foglight bulbs? I'm going with the Sylvania Silverstars as replacements for all...just need to know what to do. Thanks.

[yellow_2002_germany]

It is a tight fit to change the headlight bulbs.

1: Turn on your headlights to raise them up, then turn the knob back to parking to turn them off.

2: Remove the black plastic shroud around the light. I believe there are 3 screws on each side.

3. Reach your hand into the assembly from the inside of the car. This is where the tight fit is.

4. Make sure you have the OUTSIDE (low beam) bulb in your hand. You will have to do this by feel.

5. Turn the assembly counter-clockwise (if I remember right) and pull towards the rear of the car.

6. Pull the bulb out of the connector and replace with the new bulb.

7. Assembly is the reverse.

It has been a while since I changed my bulbs so there may be a step I have left out. But the big thing is it has to be done mostly by feel.

I do not know how to change the foglight bulbs.

Hope this helps.

Randy

[djengr]

Fog lights are simple, but tight as you would expect.

You will need to jack up the front.

Remove the front fascia closeout panel and right and left lower cowl/spoiler.

Un plug the electrical to the back of the foglight, reach up in and unscrew the bulb. A bit tight. It is about a half or three quarter turn. Pull the old bulbs out.

Install in reverse.

You may need to adjust the beam if you tug to much like I did.


Good Luck.

[C598LS1]

Thanks guys, i appreciate it. I can see that this will be ALOT of fun. /sarcasm

[mqqn]

Fog lights are simple, but tight as you would expect.

You will need to jack up the front.

Remove the front fascia closeout panel and right and left lower cowl/spoiler.

Un plug the electrical to the back of the foglight, reach up in and unscrew the bulb. A bit tight. It is about a half or three quarter turn. Pull the old bulbs out.

Install in reverse.

You may need to adjust the beam if you tug to much like I did.


Good Luck.

Hi Guys -

I agree with the two posts above -

Headlamp bulbs have to be done by feel - I like the Sylverstars BTW...

The Foglight bulbs - yes you must lift the car, remove the access panel and then pull the brake cooling duct out of the way (just snaps in place...).

It was not necessary to remove the small air-dam corners on my car (nor is it specified in the service manual), but it it make the job easier, it is only two or three screws per side.

I'll be doing this again this weekend - a fog light lamp is out on the coupe...

best regards -

mqqn

[C598LS1]

Appreciate the additional info....thanks

[C6 CRZN]

If you have someone with a small arm you can change the fog lights by raising the hood, raising the headlights, and reach down right by the headlight. You should be able to reach it from there. My wife did mine.

[mqqn]

If you have someone with a small arm you can change the fog lights by raising the hood, raising the headlights, and reach down right by the headlight. You should be able to reach it from there. My wife did mine.

Hi C5 CRZN -

Now you're onto something! I'll have to see if the little lady can get her hand in there...Hmm.....

Thanks!

[mqqn]

I did the fog lamp on the 99 coupe 0- you do not need to remove the small spoiler corner - in fact it made it easier to reaplce the access panel if the spoiler corner is in place -

It took me all of 10 minutes to do the job (I wiped the parts clean when removed...took a little longer...).

BTW - its a 893 bulb in the stock fog lamps.

best regards -

mqqn

[rch105]

Although this thread is a few years old, I'd like to add my comments on replacing the fog light bulbs.

1. Open the hood

2. Manually raise the headlights by removing the dust covers and turn the wheels until the headlights are fully open.

3. Using a 13mm wrench, loosen, then manually unscrew the hood adjusters which are found on the inboard side of each headlight housing. Try not to turn the nut on the threaded shaft as you'll then have to readjust your hood to body level.

4. Slide your hand between the headlight housing and the body and disconnect the electrical plug. Turn the base of the lamp and carefully remove the bulb.

5. To install a new bulb, reverse the order.

It might be a tight squeeze for your arm (careful of any sharp edges), so you might want to find someone with a smaller arm.

Have fun!

[bighank]

I did the fog lamp on the 99 coupe 0- you do not need to remove the small spoiler corner - in fact it made it easier to reaplce the access panel if the spoiler corner is in place -

It took me all of 10 minutes to do the job (I wiped the parts clean when removed...took a little longer...).

BTW - its a 893 bulb in the stock fog lamps.

best regards

I replaced both fog lights seveal years ago with 885 bulbs. Instead of 37 watt they are 50 watt. Then reaim lights by parking about 20' from a light garage door or other flat surface. Use a Torx screwdriver and reaim them using the low beam headlights as a guide.
Did this several years ago and always use fogs with low beams.
Quite a diffenence in illumination.

[rch105]

I replaced both fog lights seveal years ago with 885 bulbs. Instead of 37 watt they are 50 watt. Then reaim lights by parking about 20' from a light garage door or other flat surface. Use a Torx screwdriver and reaim them using the low beam headlights as a guide.
Did this several years ago and always use fogs with low beams.
Quite a diffenence in illumination.

I'm going to try this the next time the bulbs need replacing. Thanks!!!

[EDenney]

Although this thread is a few years old, I'd like to add my comments on replacing the fog light bulbs.

1. Open the hood

2. Manually raise the headlights by removing the dust covers and turn the wheels until the headlights are fully open.

3. Using a 13mm wrench, loosen, then manually unscrew the hood adjusters which are found on the inboard side of each headlight housing. Try not to turn the nut on the threaded shaft as you'll then have to readjust your hood to body level.

4. Slide your hand between the headlight housing and the body and disconnect the electrical plug. Turn the base of the lamp and carefully remove the bulb.

5. To install a new bulb, reverse the order.

It might be a tight squeeze for your arm (careful of any sharp edges), so you might want to find someone with a smaller arm.

Have fun!

As was already stated, if you have small forearms or know someone who does, you DEFINITELY do not need to jack up the car or remove anything to change out the fog light bulbs, and it's an easy 5 minute job. I didn't even remove the hood adjusters, although it would have been easier on my arms if I had, and most people would want to remove them probably. Even so, that only tacks on another couple minutes, but it means having a tool whereas you don't need any tools at all to replace the bulb if you don't remove it.

I did notice one thing while I was changing the bulbs which might be helpful to others. It was rather difficult to see and disconnect the bulb down in that little open space underneath the headlight. Particularly because you can't really get two arms or hands down there, and you really need one hand to hold the wire harness and the other hand to disconnect and pull the bulb.

Unfortunately that's as far as the wire reaches, you can't just pull it up through that gap next to the headlight and above the fascia where you can get to it. However, I noticed that wire actually runs from a point near the center of the car and underneath a bar, over to where the fog light assembly is. I simply pushed the bulb and wire back underneath that bar in the direction it was coming from, and then I was able to reach down and grab the bulb and harness and easily raise it up above the front fascia (at least on the driver's side), where I had easy access to see and change the bulb using both hands. The wire on the passenger side was shorter so it couldn't be raised all the way above the fascia when you fed it back underneath that bar, but it came up high enough to where it was definitely easier to see it and work with it than it was trying to do it in that small space underneath the headlight.

One caveat: I have a Vararam installed which takes up less space than the stock air box, and I don't remember exactly what it looks like in that area with the stock air box in there there or how much room there is. What worked so well for me rerouting that wire, might not work as well with the stock air filter box, I'm just not sure. In any event, it worked for me and it's definitely something to try, especially if you have a Vararam installed.

BTW, I decided to replace my stock 37.5 watt bulbs with the Model #885 50-watt bulbs as someone suggested. They were only about $8 at a local auto parts store and I can't imagine why anybody wouldn't want to go with these over their stock bulbs, unless of course you want to change to the LED replacements that are available (for like $80 a pair), or to HIDs. The LEDs have a very blueish appearance and wouldn't have matched well at all with my Halogen headlights or I might have considered them.