2007 Maxima: Headlamp bulb change how-To, where to get those 9012 bulbs

[robo_geek]

These lovely Toshiba 9012 HIR Bulbs:

Yes they are bright, but they don't last long. First one failed at two years, 24K miles, second one the next week. I *did* drive with lights on during the day, but am gonna use the easier-to-replace driving lights as DRLs from now on.

Where to get them:

1) Nissan Dealer: $80 each (yikes!)2) John Deere Dealer, $30 each (John Deere Part AH211917)3) Online, candlepower.com, around $25 each.

As of today (3/18/09), NO auto parts stores in metro Atlanta sell this bulb. (AutoZ, PepB, Advance, Napa, Carquest). Pep boys will soon, at around $45 per bulb.

Georgia turf and tractor (John Deere Dealer) does sell them.

Note that there are NO generic 9012s. 9012 is a specific bulb only made by Toshiba under license from GE.

Tools required:

a couple of screwdrivers, one cold beer, 10mm socket

Helpful tool: looooong needle nose pliers.

Despite the horror stories about having to pull the bumper or remove front wheels to change bulbs, it aint all that hard. My 2007 Maxima needed first the left, then the right bulb replaced this month.

**Disclaimer** If you are what they call 'ham fisted' and tend to have little patience, just pay somebody to do this.

The driver side is pretty easy,about 15 minutes, no blood.

It might be easier on the passenger side to remove the front bumper and inner fender liner, but I was able to change that bulb in about 45 minutes without doing that, one small cut, mild scuffing on left arm/wrist.

Caution:the grey plastic ring that holds the bulb in place is fragile...be gentle when rotating the bulb.

Drivers side (the easier side). Takes around twenty minutes, without beer break.

1) remove air cleaner housing and snorkel (one bolt, some clips). You don't really need to unplug the maf sensor from the intake tube, but I did to make more room.

2) Reach down and turn the big white 'cup shaped' rear cover on the headlamp assembly. It may help to use a big screwdriver to get it turning.

Note that this part has a sloped shape on the rear...to make a little more room you can rotate this so the shallow side is up, this gives you a little more hand room for changing the bulb.

3) squeeze and upplug the connector to headlamp bulb, *Gently* turn the bulb counter-clockwise about 1/3 turn and then pull the old bulb out.

4) Installing the new one is pretty much the reverse. DO NOT touch the glass bulb, or it may fail prematurely.

Passenger side (the harder side).

1) remove plastic left underhood cover (6 clips)2) unbolt coolant tank (10mm x 2) and set aside...leave hose attached and tank upright, obviously.3) unbolt front bracket for coolant tank (10mm)

Now here is where it gets fun, because there is very very little clearance.

3A) Take a big swig of beer and put on some jazz....

4) Loosen inner fender liner to get your left hand in there....

(If you have small hands, you can probably change the bulb from the top, without doing this, if so skip to step five).

4a) remove phillips screw at around the 2 oclock position on the wheel arch, and remove the clip that's directly behind it closer to the engine. Also remove the screw at the very bottom, under the front bumper (about 4" forward of the wheel arch.

4b) carefully twist the inner fender back to get it outside the fender lip, if you don't like getting your arms scuffed, shove a sponge or something to hold the gap open. It's probably easier to remove the whole fender liner, but I'm lazy.

5) Carefully rotate the cup-shaped rear cover for the headlamp assembly....it helps to use a long screwdriver to get it started, and also to reach in thru the fender-liner gap you created in step 4. Once the rear cover is off, carefully unplug the connector to the lamp, carefully rotate the lamp 1/3 turn counter clockwise, and remove.

**remember the note about the grey plastic ring being fragile? At this step, mine broke. There are two tabs that hold this ring to the metal headlamp reflector....one snapped off.

A trip to the workbench for some epoxy, some foil tape, and big nylon wire tie to jerry-rig the plastic ring added 1/2 hour extra work. Upon closer inspection, this plastic part was defective...there was a burr which made the lamp stick and thus helped me to break this part.

6) pretty much reverse the steps to install. Insert the bulb and rotate it in to lock (this part is not fun at all...this took me 10 minutes alone and two swigs beer)

7) big tip...make sure the wiring harness for the bulb is not all twisted up or it will get in the way when you try to plug the connector back on. The IDEAL tool for replugging the connector would be a pair of looooog needle nose pliers, as your hands block the view.

__Again, as tight as the clearances are, most 'normal' people would just remove bumper/lamp assembly.....