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Headlamp Replacement DIY Nightmare

45K views 83 replies 40 participants last post by  Billdaman1 
#1 · (Edited)
Headlight / Headlamp Replacement DIY Nightmare

Many thanks to the Member that posted the proceedure. I Tackled it today and I got my fill of rolling around on the floor and pulling and pushing in push pins. I have some additional tips that I pulled together.

Caution: The high intensity discharge system produces high voltage and current. In order to reduce the risk of severe shocks and burns, the battery negative cable must be disconnected any time service work is being performed on or around the high intensity discharge system.

The BRUTAL FACTS...you loosen the lug nuts on both front wheels, you will Jack up the vehicle , place two Jack stands under the frame rails, you will remove both front wheels, you will remove 10 or so push pins from each Wheelhouse liner and pull it back over the brake rotor.

You will then Remove the radiator Cover push pins, , remove the grill push pins.

You will then take a 10 mm socket, 10 mm stubby indexing wrench and a baby cresent wrench and remove the fore / aft nut at the rear of the heaplamp, then the other three 10 mm fasteners from each side that hold the Fascia Up/Down on Fore / Aft slots.

Front Fascia Retainer (Qty: 6)
Front Fascia Retainer (Qty: 6)
Front Fascia Bolt (Qty: 2)

Once you have done this on both sides you can slide the fascia forward to access the Headlamp.
Line art Automotive exterior Sketch Drawing Coloring book


You will then remove 3 fasteners holding each headlamp in place, you will then finese each headlamp forward. The Ballast will catch on the bumper, you need to up down finese to remove.
Line art Auto part Drawing Coloring book


Then you will have this mess: Tip you do not have to remove the front bumper fascia to perform this procedure as I did. Just remove enough fasteners and retainers in order to lower one corner of the bumper fascia to access the Headlamp housing.

Automotive exterior Bumper Vehicle Car Auto part


You will then remove each headlamp connector and take the headlamp assembly to your kitchen table. (NOTE: Be careful when you handle the assemblies. I was extremely careful, but somehow I put a cross car scratch across the lens, dont know how!)

Line art Auto part Diagram Drawing Automotive exterior


You will then need either a Tamperproof Torx set or a Jewlers screwdriver. I used the screwdriver on this lil bastarb:


Headlamp Bulb Cover Screw (Qty: 3) Remove all three with care. Then you will have your replacement bulbs. I choose not to take chances and replaced them all, and used lamp lube to give me life of the vehicle moisture protection:
Technology Electronic device Electronics


Headlamp Bulb Retention Spring (Qty: 2/per) Release the springs in order to access the high intensity discharge (HID) bulb. Pull the bulb rearward and release the electrical connector from the bulb. Pull the headlamp bulb from the headlamp assembly.


Reassembly: Tighten 3 N•m (27 lb in) When all bulbs have been installed, take both Headlamp housings to the vehicle and test them by hooking the connectors to them PRIOR to installing everything.

Once this is completed you will need to put it all back ...UGHHHHH

NOTE: If you have issues with the stud at the rear of the lamp housing, I feel given the assembly line sequence used at the assembly plant that the 10mm nut that holds the lamp assembly to the can is unnecessary. It is only there to hold the lamp housing in place while the vehicle is suspended on a "Clamshell" conveyor and elevated a few feet off the floor and until such time as the vehicle is returned to floor level (Flat track conveyor) on its tires and the operator can run down the 3 fasteners under the hood that secure the lamp housing in place, after the fascia has been installed. In my opinion its an assembly aid only , not needed.

NOTE: Mandatory Sequence on dwg above (Center fastener first, rear second, front fastener third for attaching the lamp housing to the vehicle . Important to maintain up/down and cross car gaps and fits to fender and fascia.


Tighten
10 N•m (89 lb in)
Front Fascia Nut (Qty: 2)
Tighten
10 N•m (89 lb in)
Front Fascia Cover

Land vehicle Vehicle Car Headlamp Hood


Enjoy, have fun its a blast!
 
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#3 ·
The Sylvanias look Factory perfect, I guess because they are direct replacements. BTW I paid $86 set for the D1 Lamps at Amazon and about $15 total at Autozone for the Amber, Clear, and Parking light sets.

Its a 2.5 hour job if you are fully prepared and work straight through. I could do it now in that time
Its about 4.5 hours if you are moving around looking for stuff and first time messing with those studs on the fascia is a real pain.

I could do it in 1.5 hours with a hoist, now.... but not earlier today!
 
#4 ·
Thanks for the info. I am very intimidated by this procedure, but there is no way I am giving a shop 1000$ to change light bulbs. I will have to figure out if the ballasts are a problem. I will be doing it some time soon before the Holidays. I will start early in the morning. I have done quite a few things by myself but I usually end up spending anywhere from 1.5 to 2 times the amount of time a regular DIY-er would. It will probably take me 6+ hours I am so mechanically backwards.
 
#5 · (Edited)
Its not really bad if you have the key tools, Jack, stands, 10 mm stubby ratcheting wrench, 4" baby cresent wrench (Believe me you will need it).

Tool Adjustable spanner Hand tool


and of course all the parts in advance. It would also be helpful to have a few spare push pins in the 3 - 4 types and sizes used. You will lose a couple pins and some just get damaged. Once the vehicle is on the stands you are well on your way!
 
#7 ·
The boys in Flint or Lux car Division were not the brightest bulbs in the lot in the 2003 - 2005 time frame. Most of the real engineers who started their careers with GM in the 60's and early 70's had taken early outs by the time this Serviceability nightmare was created.

I was at GM Truck at the time and didnt pay much attention to the "Mid Cycle Enhancement" that carried the Deville into the DTS. However I am sure it went like this:

  1. The bottom rung engineers at Flint were the ones assigned to Exteriors. I am sure A guy had the fascia, and a gal had the lighting
  2. The studio wanted world class fits, gaps to fender and grille and flushness to hood.
  3. They all got together and and put the Clay scrapers to work on what would satisify the Studio Chief
  4. The Criteria guys laid down the law as to what could be changed in the sheet metal in and around the tail light can area, with a serious focus on using existing body shop tooling and not tearing up the weld sequence.
  5. Costs were fought over and Purchasing won all battles
  6. Then someone woke up the drunk contract serviceability engineer and informed him that ..."we gis a lil problem here"...
  7. He muddled his way through the mess and they all agreed that 1.5 labor hours at the dealer to replace a headlamp and a horrible design did not trump dissatisifing the studio chief, the Vehicle line executive or ones boss who would be wondering just what you were doing with your time.
  8. Then ergonomics wizzed all over the attachment strategy for the Fascia and captive studs were made part of the Design for manufacturing strategy
  9. They determined that the design was no problem for the assembly plant as the lamp housings go on before the fascia so great!
  10. Then they launched the thing and the workers figured out how to finese the lamp assemblys and fascias together.

The customer? No one had his voice in the "Mid Cycle Enhancement" design

A typical GM Fiasco, we did this type of thing better than anyone. Root cause: Giving the Design chief what he wanted, numbskulls handling the designs, non GM Contract employees monitoring servicability, and cost being the deciding factor in all decisions.

Questions?
 
#9 ·
Looks like I cannot send private messages, so quick question....where exactly do I need to jack the car up from? I also have a 2007 DTS. I am going to be replacing the passenger side headlight since its hazing over pretty good.

Would you happen to have a picture handy? Or can you point me to a post with a picture of where the car can be properly jacked up from?
 
#17 ·
Not EVERY Northstar will have HG issues, and there were changes made:

In '00, there were improvements made to the casting process, and longer head bolts were used. This significantly reduced the failure rate.

In LATE '04, a change was made to course thread head bolts, virtually eliminating the problem.

..... What does this have to do with headlights?
 
#19 ·
Not likely. It's a wear item. Dealer charge for HIDs are like $300 each. You can get a pair of D1S HID new in box that outperform oem lamps from www.theretrofitsource.com look for CBI or SVS lamps for the D1S base I want to say they are $200 for the pair. You should always replace them in pairs due to color shift and lumen loss as they age. Not to mention when one goes the other is likely right behind it. Also make sure the lamps are cleaned and have no contaminants on them such as oils from your body as that will boil on the lamp and shorten life / cause it to burst.

....

One could also argue that the ballasts should be replaced too as they are marked with a 2000 hour life as well. But in my experience they don't need to be replaced unless they fail to work.
 
#21 ·
If you are not covered by Bumper to bumper then bulbs are not covered under GMPP

BTW the Sylvanias look Factory perfect, I guess because they are direct replacements. I paid $86 set for the D1 Lamps at Amazon and about $15 total at Autozone for the Amber, Clear, and Parking light sets.
 
#22 ·
Re: Headlight / Headlamp Replacement DIY Nightmare

I'm done with em guys. I love the ride, the comfort and the fact that I really love my Cadillac. But when I have to take apart half a car to change a light bulb I move on. Its the kind of stupidity that emptied Detroit in the first place. If I have to go to the dealer to reset a keyfob they have gone too far. I love my Caddy don't get me wrong. I've owned three; but there comes a point when enough is enough. I will buy a vehicle that I can pop a bulb in and out of. It may not be as safe the ride will be lousy and I'll probably have to change the thermostat every six months; but at this point I no longer care. If the Chinese come up with a car I can work on you can bet I'll be the first in line.
 
#24 ·
Re: Headlight / Headlamp Replacement DIY Nightmare

I'm done with em guys. I love the ride, the comfort and the fact that I really love my Cadillac. But when I have to take apart half a car to change a light bulb I move on. Its the kind of stupidity that emptied Detroit in the first place. If I have to go to the dealer to reset a keyfob they have gone too far. I love my Caddy don't get me wrong. I've owned three; but there comes a point when enough is enough. I will buy a vehicle that I can pop a bulb in and out of. It may not be as safe the ride will be lousy and I'll probably have to change the thermostat every six months; but at this point I no longer care. If the Chinese come up with a car I can work on you can bet I'll be the first in line.

I hear you. I kind of feel the same way. Lots of things on these cars seem like a step back, and not progress. Someone called it paying a "Cadillac tax". Sort of an apt description. But if things were too easy to replace, or if they lasted as long as they should, the dealer service departments would be out of business. I agree with you; I love my Caddy too. But sometimes it's hard to be loyal to stupidity.
 
#23 ·
Re: Headlight / Headlamp Replacement DIY Nightmare

Kudos for posting the procedure. I have put off and put off replacing both headlight because of severe discoloration on our 03 CTS. It will definitely be a springtime job. There is also a video on youtube that I've been looking at posted by an auto parts dealer. Might be worth a look too.
I have to agree absolute ridiculousness of this procedure. I mean what were they thinking? I'm replacing both because of cosmetics, I can't imagine the frustration one would feel if a single headlight were out and they have to go through this.

I also have to replace the timing belt. It's beyond my capabilities and mechanical knowledge. I've been quoted $1000. Is this high, midrange or what? It's from a private garage. I'm afraid to hear what the dealer would charge.
 
#30 ·
Thanks bildaman it took me one hrs last night to change the headlight bulb on 06 dts . It only took me an hrs because I took it to shop of a friend they lift the car up an cut the bolt that hold the bumper cover because we couldn't get off. At least we didn't have to take the entire facial of like you have to do on the european cars.
 
#31 ·
Just a heads up to anyone getting ready to do this. I had the flickering light so I decided to buy the whole assy used on Ebay. I got one in mint condition for $200 changed it out with no problem and sold my old faded flickering one on Ebay for $120. The problem then was that the one I replaced look new and the other side was faded and worn so I bought another (Other side) one on Ebay for $160 that looks new. I then sold my faded one on Ebay for $190. My point is, If your going to do it you might as well go all out and do it right the first time. If you got a bad bulb, replace them both. Those little peanut bulbs go after a few years too.
As far as the work itself, I never jacked the car up or took the wheels off. Just cut the wheels all the way to one side and you have plenty of room. Its really not hard at all, I thought it was going to be a monster but it really wasnt bad. Think of all the money your saving and it makes it easier. For me personally my total out of pocket expenses were about $50 and my car looks so much better. Its a 2006 that sits in the Florida sun allday and the lights were way faded. Now they look brand new. Ebay is the ticket, just be patient and you will find a great deal. I hope this helps someone, if not Im sorry for wasting your time. Peace
 
#37 ·
Completely agree, that's what you get in the world today....someone scheming to pass their bad luck onto someone else...and then bragging about it. On my poorest day I would never rip off someone just to upgrade the silly lens on my headlamps. That's some value system. How about that integrity??

Sorry I know it sound harsh, but we all get what was meant, he is the smart guy the other buyers were suckers that footed the bill to update his old Cadillac. :cookoo:
 
#35 ·
I truly wish i had not read this thread. I just bought an 07 DTS a couple months ago (low miles, 32000, and I thought the price was fair, $19,000). I love the car, it has been a real joy to drive and it is my favorite car that i have ever owned, even outshining my '00 Buick LeSabre, and my 1988 Sterling 825 SL (and I loved those cars). Now i read how long it will take to change a lightbulb or how much it will cost me at a dealership to rape me. Hopefully the previous owners didn't drive at night in their 32000 miles. Not looking forward to a bulb issue anytime soon. If they can recall cars to have things fixed that are poor manufacturing quality, they should have a recall available forever on something so poor as this headlamp issue. This car must be a Rube Goldberg machine, you know, where you take a very simple task and build a machine that turns it into a complex task.
 
#38 ·
Well HIDs last much longer than halogen lamps do hour wise. They are much brighter and provide a more uniform light distribution than the halogen setups can.
You can whine about needing to take the bumper off to change a headlight lamp but this isn't a new thing cars have been being built like this for a long time.

Part of it is a side effect of improving fit and finish of the car exteriors, part is improving the flow on the production line to eliminate steps during assembly, another part would be to bring some people back to the dealer to do maintenance on their cars.
Also since the HIDs typically last so long usually if they fail they happen long after original owner no longer has the car or if they go out earlier they are covered under factory warranty typically as a defective lamp and the owner just has a dealer visit and its no big deal.


Sent from AutoGuide.com Free App
 
#39 ·
Can someone give me a list of all the bulbs I will need to do one side of the car? The amber on the driver's side is only about 1/3 as bright as the passenger side. Is there more than one amber bulb?
I figure if I take the car apart I might as well change all bulbs on that side.
Mark
 
#41 ·
How do you get inside the Headlamp assembly? Re: Headlamp Replacement DIY Nightmare

Advice needed ASAP! We are heading from Michigan down to GA this Thursday for 2 weeks & I have to get this fixed I am attempting to replace the headlight/blinker bulbs in my DTS I just purchased. It appears someone really hacked up the driver's side in the past. Only one of the tabs for the screws is still present. When I went
to install the new bulb in the drivers side, the housing inside the assembly that the bulb goes into is really loose. I fear this will cause the bulb to fail again soon.
The Torx screw heads are on the INSIDE facing the lens!?!?!?!!! I removed the HID control module from the bottom thinking I could get to them from there, but the
opening is only large enough for the wires to run through. I have no idea how to separate the clear lens from the black plastic assembly. Is it glued? How do I tighten those screws, & WHY would any engineer ever design such a ridiculous set-up? My first experience with a Cadillac & so far I am not impressed. Are Lincolns designed this poorly?
Someone drilled several holes through the lens all along the bottom, I assume to let water drain out. Doesn't show when the facia is installed so I had no idea. Is that a normal "fix" to alleviate the problem of moisture inside the lens? I sure hope not…

Thanks, Jim
 
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