headlight bulb removal?

[mikedudley17]

isnt there a how to on this? with pics? thkis guy is really complicating things lol.

[xstevex]

isnt there a how to on this? with pics? thkis guy is really complicating things lol.

very true!

[mikedudley17]

http://www.aveoclub.net/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=12


found it! ^ theres a how-to for ya!

you didnt need to take that out. thats just to stabilize the headlight. you should have just wiggled the headlight, and it should have came out. some times it takes a little bit more time, but it should come out with just those three bolts on the headlight tabs.

I pulled on the headlight as hard as I could and it would not budge... I was rocking the car back and forth. It took a pair of pliers to take out AFTER I unscrewed it from the assembly. That stabilizer wasn't gonna just wiggle out.

[mikedudley17]

you didnt need to take that out. thats just to stabilize the headlight. you should have just wiggled the headlight, and it should have came out. some times it takes a little bit more time, but it should come out with just those three bolts on the headlight tabs.

I pulled on the headlight as hard as I could and it would not budge... I was rocking the car back and forth. It took a pair of pliers to take out AFTER I unscrewed it from the assembly. That stabilizer wasn't gonna just wiggle out.

pay attention: YOU DID NOT NEED TO REMOVE THIS STABILIZER THING YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT! PUT IT BACK!!! LEAVE IT ALONE. FOLLOW THE HOW-TO I POSTED IN A PREVIOUS POST AND YOU SHOULD BE DONE IN 10 MINUTES.

[sycloneman]

I figured it all out after taking the second lamp assembly and looking more closely as to how the spring was placed. I must say it was the most work I ever had to perform on any car, GM or otherwise. That spring setup is for the birds!

[paulsaveo]

once I had the three bolts out, I used my long handled needle nose pliers and wedged them inbetween the headlamp housing and plastic portion of the stabilizer and pried alittle and it popped right out. I wasnt changing the bulbs though, I was removing the headlight assemblies so I could drill out an opening for the unused lens to relocate the bumper mounted side marker into the headlight assembly

[mcthumber]

I replaced both headlight bulbs this weekend. Piece of cake. Certainly not as easy as some cars but after doing some reading it was very easy.

--Remove Grille (3 screws and 2 plastic screw clips)
--Remove headlight unit (3 screws. Takes a bit of wiggling but comes out pretty easily)
--Peel back the rubber boot
--Used a blade screwdriver to gently pry the connector off the 3 prong bulb (much easier than pulling)
--Unclip the bulb wire (much easier than waht I've read here)
--Replace boot
--Plug in
--Test
--Replace everything in reverse order

When removing the whole housing is so easy, I see no sense in trying to work in the cramped space when the housing is left in place. There are a couple of demos on Youtube that help a lot.

Easy peasy, lemon squeezy.

--Mike

[Pickles]

You clearly have a newer aveo. This guide is for the old ones. And fyi, you don't need to take off grille to take headlight assembly out, and you don't need to take the assembly out to change the bulb, although I see you addressed the last part in your post

[mcthumber]

My Aveo is 2006. You can't get to the 3rd headlight enclosure screw without removing the grille.

I guess you could do it without removing the enclosure but it sure seems easier if you do.