s14 headlight trouble

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AJ-SPEC
Posts: 338
Joined: Fri Feb 07, 2003 8:15 pm
Car: 1995 240sx/se, 5 lug, no sunroof, no lsd

Post

what's up, I am having a hell of a time getting my new headlight bulbs in. HTF to they go in? I can't really see around the rubber part, and there isn't a whole lot of room. Please, somebody help me! HHHHEEEEEELLLLLLLLLLLPPPPPPP MMMMMMMMEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!

sorry, it's just so goddam frustrating! I mean it's a damn bulb, how hard can it be, yet it's kicking my ****in' ***!


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deftdrummer
Posts: 487
Joined: Sat Apr 12, 2003 4:39 am
Car: cars, drums, music, technology
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oh dude, believe me i went through some **** to get mine in and ended up breaking some **** and losing a very important part and having my headlights ****ed up for like 4 months. Listen carefully

1) after you unscrew the thing there will be a rubber protectant that goes around the bulb fixture. This rubber boot comes off if you pry it up on each end with A) fingernails or B) screwdriver. (dont worry its supposed to come out that way)

2) next, pull the rubber boot down a ways until it's out of the way. Next, there is a tiny metal pin that you have to remove that holds in the bulb itself. Look at the bulbs your going to put in for reference.

3) remove this pin by grabbing with your thumb and forefinger and push the tabs in. There is one on the right and left. You won't be able to see this very easily because there is a metal thing preventhing you to get a look. You have to do it by touch. Push the tabs in on each side and pull the metal pin outwards away from the headlight. There are small triangular things keeping them in place there.

4) Once you have the pin out the bulb itself should come directly out but be careful not to break off the tip inside the headlight fixture cause it's fragile. You have to work it out slowly. Then from there just unhook it by squeezing the right and left side and pulling it away from the bulb fixture. The cord and attachment will come off together

5) repeat all steps in reverse when putting in your new headlights. P.s. DO NOT DO NOT DO NOT lose the metal pins that hold the bulb itself in place. I used everything from rubber bands to duct tape until the nissan dealership could find me a new one.

why nissan didn't decide to make the same headlight fixture as the 300zx and even the HIGH BEAMS of the 240sx i will never know. It seems that turning counter clockwise and pulling out is a hell of a not easier than a metal pin holding it in place huh? Hope this helps...

and one more thing...it may even be easier to take the headlight out all together to get a look at what your doing for at least the first time. Every time i mess with my headlights now i just take it out. Its only 3 bolts or so holding it in place and it just slides out.

AJ-SPEC
Posts: 338
Joined: Fri Feb 07, 2003 8:15 pm
Car: 1995 240sx/se, 5 lug, no sunroof, no lsd

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thanks for the tip man, once I got the headlights out I proceeded to lay the smack down. :D Man, those silverstars are gonna look good tonight, they looked good yesterday exept they were pointed skyward... :(

chu
Posts: 3
Joined: Fri Nov 01, 2002 10:33 am
Car: 98 240sx 88 turboz

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do you replace the low beam from the front or the back? no owners manual :(

AJ-SPEC
Posts: 338
Joined: Fri Feb 07, 2003 8:15 pm
Car: 1995 240sx/se, 5 lug, no sunroof, no lsd

Post

not sure exactly what you mean. you can only take the bulb out from the back. might be easier if you take out the headlight housing though. take out the corner light, (1 screw, gotta kinda pull) and you can see the other 2 bolts that you have to take out, besides the two you can see.

chu
Posts: 3
Joined: Fri Nov 01, 2002 10:33 am
Car: 98 240sx 88 turboz

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yeah I pulled the whole thing out. the actual issue is my girl used my car as a boat saturday night (flash flood in tampa). and there is water in the headlight housing. your answer "you can only take the bulb out from the back" is what I had feared I got most of it out by removing the high beam bulb and draining, but there is still drops on the clear cover, at night it looks like I have '95 or '96 headlights "smoked", in stead of "clear" '97 '98 (I have a 98), I guess I just have to what for the water to evaporate, unfortunately it is 85% humudity at night here!thanks for your help, sorry for not being clearer with my question.

AJ-SPEC
Posts: 338
Joined: Fri Feb 07, 2003 8:15 pm
Car: 1995 240sx/se, 5 lug, no sunroof, no lsd

Post

Damn, bro, never let your girl drive your car, especially if you're not in it!:whipped

J/k, but here's an idea. try taking the headlight housing out, and remove the bulb. with all that crap out, let your housings sit in the sun or something so it dries. a fan would probably work too. get some of that blue magic metal polish and go to work on the outside of your housings. Not sure if that will work, but it's what I'd do.

a more extreme method would be to heat your housings up enough to pry apart. clean the insides and maybe even try buffing it with dishwashing liquid, I use that on my helmet to keep from fogging up. then get some silicon and seal the housings together, and cook them to get it to heat up and seal. this is a really sketchy explaination, but if you want to do it that way, I can ask my civic buddies exactly how to do it and post that.

the other option is euro headlights or s15 front end!

girls only drive after about 5-10 autox's and can drift as good/better than you. then you marry her and never let her go. :D


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