SC430 hard to reach parking light bulb
10-03-13, 09:58 AM
#1
Rookie
Thread Starter
SC430 hard to reach parking light bulb
Please have a look at the photo. This is the last of several bulbs that I need to replace. If anyone knows, what is the bulb number, and how do I get to it (from the top of the car, or do I have to remove the front wheel)?
This is the parking/running light on the drivers side of my 2002 SC430.
Thanks again!
Marty
This is the parking/running light on the drivers side of my 2002 SC430.
Thanks again!
Marty
10-03-13, 09:59 AM
#2
I did a LED swap on all my lights, if you search my posts from my profile you will see some hints and tips I posted on changing out these parking lamps. Quite tough on the driver's side.
Started by Mandyfig.... lots of useful info... https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sc-...n-project.html
Started by Mandyfig.... lots of useful info... https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sc-...n-project.html
Last edited by ShawnOk; 10-03-13 at 10:03 AM.
10-03-13, 10:11 AM
#3
Advanced
The bulb is a standard 168 just like the side markers. For obvious reasons try to get a "Long Life" rated bulb as you don't want to replace them often. The main problem in replacing this bulb is access and the very long retainer stem that holds the bulb in place. If you were to remove the tire / wheel and then remove the inner fender well cover, it would still be difficult to reach and then fully extract the bulb. I ended up removing the entire headlight assembly and replacing all the bulbs except the low beam HID. I used a 7440A for the turn signal and a 9005 for the hi-beam besides the 168 for the parking light.
10-03-13, 10:19 AM
#5
I got the 168 led from ebay (x10 incase any go bad)....took off my wheel, and pulled the fender lining out... you gotta just sneak your hand in and you will feel the long plastic socket, just turn and pull out.. putting back in isnt hard as you can poke it back inside and look from outside of the headlight if your close or not 
here are the pics:
here are the pics:
The following users liked this post:
quebola (12-04-18)
parking bulb
02-10-14, 12:45 PM
#7
Instructor
Hi Guys
Just a word of warning.
When I replaced my parking lights (side lights in the UK) with LED. As I put the holder back in place got the alignment slightly wrong and as I pulled it out again the bulb caught and dropped into the light. No way could I get it out, tried Blu Tack, sticky tape and in the end had to take off the bumper and remove the light.
Take care it does not happen to you.
Cheers
Steve
Just a word of warning.
When I replaced my parking lights (side lights in the UK) with LED. As I put the holder back in place got the alignment slightly wrong and as I pulled it out again the bulb caught and dropped into the light. No way could I get it out, tried Blu Tack, sticky tape and in the end had to take off the bumper and remove the light.
Take care it does not happen to you.
Cheers
Steve
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02-10-14, 01:49 PM
#8
Steve,
It so funny that you had the same experience OBP had. And I almost suffered the same fate while replacing them with LED’s. The key is a stable hand and do it slow.
OBP was able to get a friend mechanic to remove the headlight and retrieve the bulb. He now has Cree LEDs in his park light, real nice.
Tip for you who are about to embark on this park light replacement, raise the car, pull out the fender liner, get familiar with your step by step strategy and you will not lose a bulb into the abyss. Unless you are willing to remove the headlamp (and means the bumper drops), you will have an extra bulb jiggling in the bottom of the park light abyss.
Good luck and do it slow.
How’s the weather across the pond Steve? I do not know if you heard about our challenging experience here in Atlanta, GA 2 weeks ago, where we shut down on account of 2 inches of snow and ICE (and us being the butt of jokes in the late night shows). We are “fixing” to do it all over again (fixing is Southern for…”about to”). Here in the South, we all FIX things…carte blanch, LOL. Kidding aside there is a prediction of 2~3 inches of snow and ice in the next 24 hours and this will a test of will again.
Keep warm.
Mandy
It so funny that you had the same experience OBP had. And I almost suffered the same fate while replacing them with LED’s. The key is a stable hand and do it slow.
OBP was able to get a friend mechanic to remove the headlight and retrieve the bulb. He now has Cree LEDs in his park light, real nice.
Tip for you who are about to embark on this park light replacement, raise the car, pull out the fender liner, get familiar with your step by step strategy and you will not lose a bulb into the abyss. Unless you are willing to remove the headlamp (and means the bumper drops), you will have an extra bulb jiggling in the bottom of the park light abyss.
Good luck and do it slow.
How’s the weather across the pond Steve? I do not know if you heard about our challenging experience here in Atlanta, GA 2 weeks ago, where we shut down on account of 2 inches of snow and ICE (and us being the butt of jokes in the late night shows). We are “fixing” to do it all over again (fixing is Southern for…”about to”). Here in the South, we all FIX things…carte blanch, LOL. Kidding aside there is a prediction of 2~3 inches of snow and ice in the next 24 hours and this will a test of will again.
Keep warm.
Mandy
02-10-14, 03:38 PM
#9
Hey Mandy, hope everyone gets home safe and early so no one suffers an 18 hour traffic jam. My SC is safe ( sort of ) in airport parking and riding on Blizzaks ( albeit old ones) so I hope I will get off with no SC abandonment situations this time around. I am escaping the ice storm by hanging out in snowy NJ, where there are many plows ( ploughs for WIL44), salt and grit on the roads. And two AWD cars in the garage ...
Yes WIL44 my parking light situation was just like yours like Mandy said. Drove me crazy for about 18 months before I finally got it fixed by a full bumper removal. Like Mandy says, I now have small Crees in there that look like mini-projectors. The problem with the 5 SMD LEDs that BIMMER416 showed us is ( I had those before I got them removed in favor of Crees ) that some of my SMDs kept failing and flickering so they did not last long. Keeping my fingers crossed on the Crees.
Yes WIL44 my parking light situation was just like yours like Mandy said. Drove me crazy for about 18 months before I finally got it fixed by a full bumper removal. Like Mandy says, I now have small Crees in there that look like mini-projectors. The problem with the 5 SMD LEDs that BIMMER416 showed us is ( I had those before I got them removed in favor of Crees ) that some of my SMDs kept failing and flickering so they did not last long. Keeping my fingers crossed on the Crees.
02-11-14, 11:36 AM
#10
Instructor
Steve,
It so funny that you had the same experience OBP had. And I almost suffered the same fate while replacing them with LED’s. The key is a stable hand and do it slow.
OBP was able to get a friend mechanic to remove the headlight and retrieve the bulb. He now has Cree LEDs in his park light, real nice.
Tip for you who are about to embark on this park light replacement, raise the car, pull out the fender liner, get familiar with your step by step strategy and you will not lose a bulb into the abyss. Unless you are willing to remove the headlamp (and means the bumper drops), you will have an extra bulb jiggling in the bottom of the park light abyss.
Good luck and do it slow.
How’s the weather across the pond Steve? I do not know if you heard about our challenging experience here in Atlanta, GA 2 weeks ago, where we shut down on account of 2 inches of snow and ICE (and us being the butt of jokes in the late night shows). We are “fixing” to do it all over again (fixing is Southern for…”about to”). Here in the South, we all FIX things…carte blanch, LOL. Kidding aside there is a prediction of 2~3 inches of snow and ice in the next 24 hours and this will a test of will again.
Keep warm.
Mandy
It so funny that you had the same experience OBP had. And I almost suffered the same fate while replacing them with LED’s. The key is a stable hand and do it slow.
OBP was able to get a friend mechanic to remove the headlight and retrieve the bulb. He now has Cree LEDs in his park light, real nice.
Tip for you who are about to embark on this park light replacement, raise the car, pull out the fender liner, get familiar with your step by step strategy and you will not lose a bulb into the abyss. Unless you are willing to remove the headlamp (and means the bumper drops), you will have an extra bulb jiggling in the bottom of the park light abyss.
Good luck and do it slow.
How’s the weather across the pond Steve? I do not know if you heard about our challenging experience here in Atlanta, GA 2 weeks ago, where we shut down on account of 2 inches of snow and ICE (and us being the butt of jokes in the late night shows). We are “fixing” to do it all over again (fixing is Southern for…”about to”). Here in the South, we all FIX things…carte blanch, LOL. Kidding aside there is a prediction of 2~3 inches of snow and ice in the next 24 hours and this will a test of will again.
Keep warm.
Mandy
Had heard about the 2" of snow shutting down part of the US, but had no idea where it was. Don't worry it takes less than that to shut down our railways!! A couple of years ago one line shut down in the autumn because of leaves on the line, can you believe that?
Hope you get through this next fall ok.
Weather here is odd this winter, just loads of rain for weeks. Huge areas of the UK are flooded and some have been under water since Christmas and no let up with the wet stuff.
Hardly been cold, no snow and very little frost, just non stop rain.
Took my SC to the dealers today for it's annual MOT check (safety check that is done every year after the car is three years old). First time I have uncovered the car this year!!! When I get her back she will be covered again until the spring probably.
Take care
Cheers
Steve
02-11-14, 11:46 AM
#11
Instructor
Hey Mandy, hope everyone gets home safe and early so no one suffers an 18 hour traffic jam. My SC is safe ( sort of ) in airport parking and riding on Blizzaks ( albeit old ones) so I hope I will get off with no SC abandonment situations this time around. I am escaping the ice storm by hanging out in snowy NJ, where there are many plows ( ploughs for WIL44), salt and grit on the roads. And two AWD cars in the garage ...
Yes WIL44 my parking light situation was just like yours like Mandy said. Drove me crazy for about 18 months before I finally got it fixed by a full bumper removal. Like Mandy says, I now have small Crees in there that look like mini-projectors. The problem with the 5 SMD LEDs that BIMMER416 showed us is ( I had those before I got them removed in favor of Crees ) that some of my SMDs kept failing and flickering so they did not last long. Keeping my fingers crossed on the Crees.
Yes WIL44 my parking light situation was just like yours like Mandy said. Drove me crazy for about 18 months before I finally got it fixed by a full bumper removal. Like Mandy says, I now have small Crees in there that look like mini-projectors. The problem with the 5 SMD LEDs that BIMMER416 showed us is ( I had those before I got them removed in favor of Crees ) that some of my SMDs kept failing and flickering so they did not last long. Keeping my fingers crossed on the Crees.
I that really how you guys spell ploughs???
Fortunately when mine dropped in the light I was used to removing the bumper so it was fairly easy, but a bugger (pitta for you guys) when it happened. Had no trouble with my 5 SMD's, got them in the side light, repeater lights and reg plate lights. I have 7w Cree in my reversing lights.
Cheers
Steve
08-03-14, 08:26 PM
#12
Awful day today... So I was changing my drivers turn signal bulb and the bulb fell out of the bulb holder and into the lens! I'm so angry at myself! Anyone have any hints or tricks, short of dropping the bumper and removing the headlight and shaking it out? If that's my only option, can someone direct me to the best thread for step by step directions to drop the bumper and remove the headlight without damaging anything. Thanks in advance.
08-03-14, 08:37 PM
#13
Awful day today... So I was changing my drivers turn signal bulb and the bulb fell out of the bulb holder and into the lens! I'm so angry at myself! Anyone have any hints or tricks, short of dropping the bumper and removing the headlight and shaking it out? If that's my only option, can someone direct me to the best thread for step by step directions to drop the bumper and remove the headlight without damaging anything. Thanks in advance.
08-03-14, 08:55 PM
#14
Try this ShawnOk. Take a thin semi flexible wire and wrap a bit of blue painters tape so you have most of the sticky end on the outside. If the wire is thin and flexible, you can coil the end on the tape. Imagine how a frog's tongue works. I've had success on a number of occasions with this method. Good luck!