Left Headlight

[APatterson]

ok.. bought some new bulbs for my 98 catera. the right was simple to change, but the left is much more cluttered and i cant seem to fit my hands in there to change it.. is my only alternative to actually take the headlight off for a bulb exchange? and to do that is it the two top bolts or are there more hidden..

-apatterson-

[Vesicant]

Left meaning the driver side ? Take out the battery.

[stevehogan]

There are two schools on this. Either remove the battery (and then reprogram the sun roof, windows, etc.) or remove the headlight assembly. I can take out the headlight assembly faster that I can pull the battery and do the reprogramming stunts Perhaps it's time to hold a forum-wide left-hand bulb changing challenge

SH

[Vesicant]

I have small hands Lol!

(installed a set of Sylvania silverstars)

[AllenPacla]

I'd rather remove the headlight assembly from the front. It's just a matter of removing about 6 screws more or less and will present less complications. Doing all the resetting of most of the functions after the battery has been disconnected can be a big headache specially if you don't know what to do and where to start.

[stevehogan]

My feelings exactly, plus the stupid battery clamps get a little looser every time you take them off and put them on, and if you mess them up, the battery cable is made out of gold-plated platinum - it must be, considering how much a replacement costs

It's 4 screws for the grill, one for the fill piece, a couple for the fill piece bracket and 3 for the headlight assemple. I can pull it and replace it in under 15 minutes.

It would be fun to determine what other "alternative" technigues people have worked out for Catera service issues. For a really cool one, look at changing the windshield washer fluid container. The service manual says to REMOVE THE FRONT BUMPER

[AllenPacla]

By the way, Jeff, do you know of any aftermarket sealant that we can use with the headlight assembly? I am talking about something to replace that black glue thing that seals the lens into the whole assembly. I am thinking of fixing the aiming device of my headlights and I already got some idea on how to do it, but the worry I am having is the seal. Right now, I already am having fogging problems and I believe that putting a new seal will solve this.

[stevehogan]

As far as resealing the lens to the housing, the original material is a form of hot melt adhesive, however, a good quality RTV silicon sealant will do the job just fine. As far as getting rid of the fogging and condensation, the seal around the lens is not the problem. The issue is that eventually damp air will get into the headlights by way of the lamp service boots. When they are removed to install new bulbs, ambient air gets inside (it will eventually get inside anyway, just from enough temperature cycles. It's not a perfect seal around the boots.) A good way to reduce or eliminate the problem is to open up both boots and use a hair dryer to blow warm air into one of the openings and allow it to exit the other opening. Don't set the hair dryer too hot. The idea is to blow dry air through the housing and remove as much of the damp air as possible. For good measure, you can place a packet of silica gel inside the housing (tape it to one of the service boots). The silica gel will absorb the remaining moisture and your lamp will remain condensation free for a few years.