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How To - Remove + Replace Headlights.


VRS 203

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Just a quick guide.

Pictures are not great sorry.

Time taken 25mins. (Hour Max)

Difficulty 3/10.

Tools needed.

  • Torx20/25.
  • Torx30 bit.
  • Extentions.
  • Ratchet.
  • Small pick or punch.
  • Medium flat headed screw driver.

First off, turn your steering full lock one way.

This is so you can access the wheel arch.

P1240697.jpg

In the arch are 4 torx25 screws the need to be taken out.

Do this either side.

You can turn the steering back the other way if you find it easyer to do the other side.

P1240700.jpg

P1240702.jpg

P1240699.jpg

Now you will be able to pull the side of the bumper away from the wings.

Pull it sharply outwards.

P1240704.jpg

Do this both sides.

P1240705.jpg

Open your bonnet if it isn't already.

You will see 2 torx30 botls to be taken out.

Holding the bumper on at the front.

Take them out.

P1240707.jpg

P1240706.jpg

Under the front of the bumper you will find 3 push clips.

I dont currently run any as I launched them the first time I took my bumper off.

You dont actually need these, but save them if you must.

There is a little plasic pin that had to be pushed upwards and out of the clip.

Use a small punch or pick to push these out.

The pins are a pain to find thats why I didnt bother puting them back in.

P1240709.jpg

P1240710.jpg

The bumper can now be pulled forward a bit.

You dont need to take it right off.

This will give you enough access to get the headlights out.

P1240711.jpg

Remove covers from the back of the headlamps.

P1240712.jpg

You will then see a torx30 bolt holding the headlight in.

Again, I dont run these.

See the picture for where they should be.

Take out these bolts.

P1240713.jpg

P1240714.jpg

You will see a 10mm bolt at the front of the headlights, take these out.

P1240715.jpg

P1240716.jpg

Next the 2 torx25 screws at the top of the headlight have to be taken out.

These screws are longer than the ones fron the arch lining so take care not to get the muddled up.

P1240717.jpg

P1240719.jpg

......

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......

Now this gives you access to the connector plug at the back of the headlight.

Take this off, you may need a flat headed screw driver to pry this off.

The connector clips are brittle and do break, so take it easy.

I broke mine a while back :(

P1240720.jpg

Now the lights should just come right out.

P1240722.jpg

Now change over bulbs, headlight motors etc if you are putting in new headlights.

You know the story, build it back up in reverse.

Make sure the headlights are lined up properly.

This may take 5 mins to get them lined up perfect.

Only thing to watch out for building it back up is that the holes in the bumper at the wheel arch lining are the correct side of it.

Sometimes you will find that the screw isnt going back in correctly, just check it is the right side of the lining.

Hard to explain but here is a few pictures.

P1240724.jpg

P1240725.jpg

Done.:thumbup:

P1240733.jpg

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Thanks for a great guide mate:thumbup:

I like the green:) I take it the angels were faulty thats why you changed em ??

No, they are fine.

Just had condensation in one of them.

So i took it out to dry it and decided i would fit the other ones for a bit.

Cheers.

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  • 6 months later...
  • 7 months later...

you can remove/replace the headlights without removing the front bumper and without scratching the paint ;)

Yep, you sure can, the difficulty is getting 1 of the 3 headlight fixing bolts back in again. You just can't get the bolt and washer that screw in horizontally towards your engine on either side of the grill to go back in. The bumper/washer contact encourage colourful language as you remove colourful paint trying to get them to go in.

It's pretty annoying, if the washer's bore was larger it would allow it to slide off the bolt it would be possible without taking off the bumper, but they can't.

I didn't remove my bumper when I installed my HID's, I just didn't put these bolts back in, with the good intention of grinding off the washers and replacing them with some sliding ones. Still haven't done it yet, but the other two bolts seem to be holding the headlights in fine in the mean time.

So in summary, you can remove headlights without removing your bumper, you just need access to a vice, a grinder and a couple of substitute washers.

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  • 2 months later...
  • 3 months later...

If I take my headlights out to replace the bulbs, wont they just go straight back into their previous position without having the level them correctly? Assuming I have to level them, any tips? Was thinking of having the car facing my garage doors and marking the outline of the light beam with a felt tip pen, but in broad daylight I'm concerned the beam will be too weak.

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  • 9 months later...

I've had to take out the front right light to fix a wiring short with the MAP sensor and managed to free up enough room for the 10mm bolt on the inside of the headlight unit by just unclipping the bumper at the wheel arches. I didn't have to pop the clips under the bumper.

And I can echo the point about making sure the flange of the bumper is the correct side of the wheel arch threaded clips! The one at the top goes in front (closer to the wheel) whereas the ones lower down go behind! The pictures show it but I forgot and spent 5 minutes cursing why the torx screw wouldn't fit back in!

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Thank you for that guide, :thumbup: this afternoon I replaced my broken N/S one with a new one. I wasn't looking forward to totally removing the bumper, as shown in the washer bottle mod, however as you can see, you don't have to take it all off. You are also right, those pins/clips are as pain. I knocked them out and lost them, they are somewhere in the under-tray, :doh: never mind, I'm sure you can pick up new ones if you want.

When you've got the bumper lowered and N/S headlight removed, you can check the steering fluid as you now have access to it. Obviously if you are replacing the headlight with a new one, you must check the alignment.

Oh, and next time I do it, I'm not buying a cheap copy, the quality of some of the fixings are not as good as the original unit.

Edited by Jim H
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  • 1 year later...
  • 1 month later...
  • 3 weeks later...

Have just done this work. Took a while but cracked it. One point though you don't need to pop those pins underneath the bumper, you aren't going to take the bumper off fully so they can stay. Good post though thank you.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I'm a bit confused by the comment about not needing to take the bumper off....you still need to tilt it forward to access the front bolts securing the clusters, right? If not, are you saying this can be done whilst not undoing the wheel arch liner torx screws?

On another note, regarding aligning the headlights (since I'm putting in different clusters), are the adjustments made using the lamp holders inside the cluster or is the whole cluster itself moved around before tightening down at the correct angle? Or are there adjusters, that this link makes reference to: http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/how-to/repair/1347221

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  • 1 year later...
  • 5 years later...
  • 3 months later...

I'm bringing back to life this topic. Anybody tried to replace the mechanism for vertical adjustment ? My headlight (standard, non facelift, non xenon) can't be adjusted, maybe the lifter is nuked. Is anybody aware of something like a repair kit or anything like this or should I just purchase a complete headlight ? 

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  • ColinD unpinned this topic

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