Front Combination Lamp (?) Bulb change

[deyab]

Edit: I think Corner light is the right term.

I changed the headlights as one of them burnt out (changed both). I followed the directions in this manual: http://www.nicoclub.com/FSM/maxima/1998/EL.pdf page EL-40. After changing those lights, the adjacent lights are looking very dim & yellow in comparison to the new bright white halogen lamps. So I want to change those bulbs as well. But I just can't figure out how to get to those bulbs or take the entire assembly out (if that's what it takes). See http://www.nicoclub.com/FSM/maxima/1998/BT.pdf - page directions in page BT-6 & BT-7. In BT-6, diagram D shows the screw to remove to remove this lamp (this is right beside the main headlamp). But I am not able to take this out by removing this screw alone (screw #4 in diagram D). In that diagram, what is Pawl?

I can use some help. I don't need to replace the entire unit - just take out whatever bulb is there and replace it. BTW, what bulb do I need? I changed the headlights with http://www.amazon.com/Sylvania...d=003

I did take out the electrical connector that is connected to this lamp assembly. Thanks for any help!
Modified by deyab at 3:45 PM 10/30/2009

[jltibbs]

Welcome to NICO!

The bulb is a 1157.

Take a flat head with a towel around it, in between the corner lens and headlight. Pry outward to remove the corner lens. Insert the screwdriver closer to the bottom to pry.

[deyab]

Thanks jltibbs. But I still can't take the corner light assembly out. And I am afraid I will break it off if I use more force. Thanks for any tips.

[jltibbs]

There's a ball popped into the headlight housing. That is what you are trying to release. Be sure that when you pry, you are bringing the handle towards the grill.

[deyab]

jltibbs, that helped somewhat, but it is still not coming out easy and I am not sure I want to risk destroying the corner unit. That would be my ineptitude. But I am having second thought as well. Both the bulbs are ok, but looking mismatched after I changed the headlight with http://www.amazon.com/Sylvania...d=003. I would need to find a replacement light as well to make this worthwhile. So I wanted to ask - anyone bought this headlight? If so, what would be your recommendation of a corner light that a) matches OR b) looks good? Once I identify the replacement bulbs, I would feel better about trying to take the corner unit off.

Here's a pic: what do you guys think? Should I bother?

[jltibbs]

Honestly, you can try and try to match the bulbs, but because your headlights are halogen and corners are not, it will be very hard to match. I ALWAYS recommend contrast here. Here's a crappy photoshop of what I'm talking about.

[deyab]

Nice. And no, I think that's good photoshop job since I don't know how to do that. I also don't know how to do that to the corner light as well - same kind of film that goes on tinted windows?

[jltibbs]

LOL. No, get an amber bulb, or a chrome amber bulb.

[DenverJohn]

Okay so I'm only 1 year late. However I just wanted to chime in that I was replacing the headlight assembly on my son's '99 and was having the same "problem" as deyab. Namely that I was concerned about breaking the combination lamp (turn-signal to you and me). I had the same instructions http://www.nicoclub.com/FSM/maxima/1997/BT.pdf as him but the pawl just wouldn't release. Thanks to jltibbs, this forum, and a dash of WD40 it popped free once I went beyond the force I applied previously. Popped the two clips on either side of the grille, four nuts and it's out.