Replace Headlight Assembly

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ncscenic

Member
Joined
Feb 6, 2016
Messages
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I had a run in with a Turkey Vulture the other night totally dropping the passenger side headlight assembly off it's mounting bracket and was wondering if anyone had any experience replacing the assembly. It looks pretty simple but an extruded drawing or overview would be helpful before tearing into this.

Any resources, thoughts?


Thanks
 
It isn't bad. There are 3 mounts each has an M6(10mm head) bolt. First remove the rear portion of the light(side marker??? ) by removing 1 M6 bolt then lifting straight up, unplugging the lamp, and then the plastic cover around the hood latch. I'd get the lower front bolt off of the headlight first, it can be accessed from either top or bottom, I recommend top so you don't have to remove the under cover especially on the passengers side where the washer tank gets in the way. If you have the new headlight handy you can locate the bolt pretty easily. There is sort of a foot on the inside that was covered by the plastic cover around the hood latch, then the one in the back that was previously covered up by the marker portion. The headlight removes by rotating the housing out from under the fender.


If you need halogen headlight assemblies let me know, I just removed mine to install the LED versions last week. They are in very good condition except I cut the plugs off to use on my new lights.
 
Andrejun said:
It isn't bad. There are 3 mounts each has an M6(10mm head) bolt. First remove the rear portion of the light(side marker??? ) by removing 1 M6 bolt then lifting straight up, unplugging the lamp, and then the plastic cover around the hood latch. I'd get the lower front bolt off of the headlight first, it can be accessed from either top or bottom, I recommend top so you don't have to remove the under cover especially on the passengers side where the washer tank gets in the way. If you have the new headlight handy you can locate the bolt pretty easily. There is sort of a foot on the inside that was covered by the plastic cover around the hood latch, then the one in the back that was previously covered up by the marker portion. The headlight removes by rotating the housing out from under the fender.


If you need halogen headlight assemblies let me know, I just removed mine to install the LED versions last week. They are in very good condition except I cut the plugs off to use on my new lights.
Click to expand...
The service manual shows 5 bolts holding in the side marker(2) and headlight(4) assemblies not 3. One "bolt" is shared between the two. One of the headlight bolts cannot be accessed without taking down the front fascia which the manual says requires two people.

Has anyone successfully replaced the headlight assembly? If so can it be done without completely removing the front fascia to get access to the hidden bolt. Perhaps just a partial lowering of the fascia is possible by removing only the top mountings and leaving the bottom ones alone. Can the fascia be tilted forward enough to get access to the hidden bolt?

To summarize there are three bolts you can see holding in the headlight assembly down and one hidden "bolt" in the covered wheel well area you can not see. That one is the problem.

Any short cuts from what is written in the Service manual?

( Just because I use the word "bolt" does not mean it should turn into a link to the GM electric car.)
 
Turbo3 said:
Andrejun said:
To summarize there are three bolts you can see holding in the headlight assembly down and one hidden "bolt" in the covered wheel well area you can not see. That one is the problem.

Any short cuts from what is written in the Service manual?

( Just because I use the word "bolt" does not mean it should turn into a link to the GM electric car.)
Click to expand...
Click to expand...


I just reached under the headlight from above on one side and unbolted one side of the under tray for the other side.
I think I used a swivel ratcheting wrench for disasymbley and a swiveling 1/4" drive ratchet for re-assymbley. That said it's been almost a year, so I'm not sure. I defiantly did not remove the bumper cover.
 
Thanks but my Leaf must be different. It is the passenger (RH) side headlight I need to replace.

From the top, access is blocked by the high pressure A/C line as shown below. It prevents getting a hand underneath to reach the "bolt" which is just opposite.
KMsszw.jpg


From underneath, the washer tank seems to blocks any access from below. Did you remove the washer tank to get access?

Thanks for any help.
 
Turbo3 said:
From underneath, the washer tank seems to blocks any access from below. Did you remove the washer tank to get access?

Thanks for any help.
Click to expand...


I did not remove the washer tank from my car. From that picture your Leaf Looks same as mine,
 
Andrejun said:
Turbo3 said:
From underneath, the washer tank seems to blocks any access from below. Did you remove the washer tank to get access?

Thanks for any help.
Click to expand...


I did not remove the washer tank from my car. From that picture your Leaf Looks same as mine,
Click to expand...
OK, so on the passenger side you came in from the top between the high pressure pipe and the headlight assembly. The elbow must go all the way down so your arm can reach under to the other side of the assembly (10").

I just took another try getting my hand in there and that pipe makes it very difficult. I will try unbolting the bracket that is holding the pipe to the radiator support beam. That should allow the pipe to be pushed farther away from the headlight assembly. I just don't want to have my wife calling the fire department in to extricate my arm from the Leaf if I get it in and can't get it out again. ;)

I will give it a try this weekend.
 

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