12-15-14, 11:24 AM
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DIY Write-up: How to change parking lights w/pics
12-14-10, 08:33 PM
#1
Pit Crew
Thread Starter
DIY Write-up: How to change parking lights w/pics
well i had a pair of 4-LED parking lights from my 98 prelude and so y not on the ISF... this is my 1st DIY but hopefully it will help some of you guys out...
Time: about an hour, i was going in blindly...
Tools needed:
12mm socket wrench with extension
Flat head screwdriver (optional)
1) Remove the front cover. Total of 9 clips. just push the center of the clip and using your fingernail or flat head screwdriver and they will slide straight up... it's also mentioned and illustrated in the owner's manual on how to remove the clips (from what i can remember, in the how to adjust the headlights section i believe)
2) I chose to take the drivers side covers off first since it's a little easier to change first with a lot more room to work with compared to the passenger side... total of 4 clips and one 12mm plastic bolt you can remove with your 12mm socket with extension...
12mm bolt next to engine cover and right of the fat wire loom
3) Remove the passenger cover... total of 2 clips and one 12mm plastic bolt...
12mm bolt next to engine cover and oil dipstick
4) Back to the drivers side... a metal bracket is holding the cover/seal for the high beam/DRL/parking light... pull slightly and to the left (arrow in the pic) towards the passenger side... seal is kind of tricky to get out of the way with the 2 fat wire looms in the way... but the wire looms are flexible so wiggle as much as you can pulling the seal towards the passenger side as there are sliding tabs opposite the metal bracket side... i can't explain it in words but it will eventually slide out and you can remove it...
5) Now with the cover/seal out of the way, the parking light is up and to the right/driver's side... the arrow in the pic shows the tab that will disconnect the parking light socket from the wire... (THIS IS NOT WHAT YOU WANT TO PRESS) grab around the socket and twist to the driver's side/clockwise maybe 1/4 turn and it'll disconnect from the headlamp... then you can change the bulb... once you change the bulb go ahead and test it out by turning on the parking lights...
halogen bulb has a wider beam pattern than my 4-LED parking light so it's brighter looking straight ahead...
6) Once working, turn off the parking lights... then you can peek through the hole while looking straight through the headlamp to guide you back into the socket...
7) Now you want to have the tab oriented down so insert it twisted slightly clockwise and insert to twist counterclockwise so that the tab is sitting downward...
8) Now getting that cover/seal back on is tricky again... all i can offer are tips if any... there are sliding tabs towards the driver side so you just have to muscle and wiggle and tug, moving the fat wire looms out of the way... once the seal is sitting good, push the metal bracket over the cover...
9) Now on to the passenger side... VERY tight space to work with... you can remove the intake but i didn't have to... tips i can offer... REMOVE the low beam HID cover FIRST by unclipping the metal bracket... this cover has a yellow caution sticker on it next to the high beam/DRL/parking light cover...
now unclip the high beam/DRL/parking light cover... again you are going to have to wiggle and use some muscle... from what i can remember i rotated the cover clockwise so the bulge of the cover will slide and be parallel to the ground sitting downward and can be slid under the intake pipe and out of the way... remember there are sliding tabs opposite the metal bracket...
10) Once cover is out of the way, same procedure as the driver's side... tab of the socket is oriented on the bottom... so twist clockwise about 1/4 turn again, toward the driver's side and it'll come right out... replace the bulb... test that it's lighting up... insert back again, slightly turned clockwise and turn counterclockwise to secure it and the tab is oriented at the bottom...
11) High beam/DRL/parking light cover twisted so the bulge is sitting parallel to the ground sliding under intake duct and twisting counterclockwise to get it oriented the right way and it'll slide back in with the sliding tab... secure metal bracket... then replacing the low beam HID cover back on with the metal bracket...
This is a pic of the final product... but this is with the engine off because i think with the engine on, the DRL run too while parking light is on, but turn off when low beam HID headlights are activated...
ALL DONE... well basically done... just cover up the engine compartment back up with the appropriate cover... to reset the clips, just press on the pole slightly toward the tab on the bottom that is a little longer than the other 3... hard to explain but the pole needs to be pushed up and away from the clip... once reset, to secure it, insert the tab through the hole on the cover and then pressing the pole through until it clicks...
Any tips on getting those covers out easier are welcomed... and any clarifications let me know... hope i wasn't too confusing... Happy holidays!
Time: about an hour, i was going in blindly...
Tools needed:
12mm socket wrench with extension
Flat head screwdriver (optional)
1) Remove the front cover. Total of 9 clips. just push the center of the clip and using your fingernail or flat head screwdriver and they will slide straight up... it's also mentioned and illustrated in the owner's manual on how to remove the clips (from what i can remember, in the how to adjust the headlights section i believe)
2) I chose to take the drivers side covers off first since it's a little easier to change first with a lot more room to work with compared to the passenger side... total of 4 clips and one 12mm plastic bolt you can remove with your 12mm socket with extension...
12mm bolt next to engine cover and right of the fat wire loom
3) Remove the passenger cover... total of 2 clips and one 12mm plastic bolt...
12mm bolt next to engine cover and oil dipstick
4) Back to the drivers side... a metal bracket is holding the cover/seal for the high beam/DRL/parking light... pull slightly and to the left (arrow in the pic) towards the passenger side... seal is kind of tricky to get out of the way with the 2 fat wire looms in the way... but the wire looms are flexible so wiggle as much as you can pulling the seal towards the passenger side as there are sliding tabs opposite the metal bracket side... i can't explain it in words but it will eventually slide out and you can remove it...
5) Now with the cover/seal out of the way, the parking light is up and to the right/driver's side... the arrow in the pic shows the tab that will disconnect the parking light socket from the wire... (THIS IS NOT WHAT YOU WANT TO PRESS) grab around the socket and twist to the driver's side/clockwise maybe 1/4 turn and it'll disconnect from the headlamp... then you can change the bulb... once you change the bulb go ahead and test it out by turning on the parking lights...
halogen bulb has a wider beam pattern than my 4-LED parking light so it's brighter looking straight ahead...
6) Once working, turn off the parking lights... then you can peek through the hole while looking straight through the headlamp to guide you back into the socket...
7) Now you want to have the tab oriented down so insert it twisted slightly clockwise and insert to twist counterclockwise so that the tab is sitting downward...
8) Now getting that cover/seal back on is tricky again... all i can offer are tips if any... there are sliding tabs towards the driver side so you just have to muscle and wiggle and tug, moving the fat wire looms out of the way... once the seal is sitting good, push the metal bracket over the cover...
9) Now on to the passenger side... VERY tight space to work with... you can remove the intake but i didn't have to... tips i can offer... REMOVE the low beam HID cover FIRST by unclipping the metal bracket... this cover has a yellow caution sticker on it next to the high beam/DRL/parking light cover...
now unclip the high beam/DRL/parking light cover... again you are going to have to wiggle and use some muscle... from what i can remember i rotated the cover clockwise so the bulge of the cover will slide and be parallel to the ground sitting downward and can be slid under the intake pipe and out of the way... remember there are sliding tabs opposite the metal bracket...
10) Once cover is out of the way, same procedure as the driver's side... tab of the socket is oriented on the bottom... so twist clockwise about 1/4 turn again, toward the driver's side and it'll come right out... replace the bulb... test that it's lighting up... insert back again, slightly turned clockwise and turn counterclockwise to secure it and the tab is oriented at the bottom...
11) High beam/DRL/parking light cover twisted so the bulge is sitting parallel to the ground sliding under intake duct and twisting counterclockwise to get it oriented the right way and it'll slide back in with the sliding tab... secure metal bracket... then replacing the low beam HID cover back on with the metal bracket...
This is a pic of the final product... but this is with the engine off because i think with the engine on, the DRL run too while parking light is on, but turn off when low beam HID headlights are activated...
ALL DONE... well basically done... just cover up the engine compartment back up with the appropriate cover... to reset the clips, just press on the pole slightly toward the tab on the bottom that is a little longer than the other 3... hard to explain but the pole needs to be pushed up and away from the clip... once reset, to secure it, insert the tab through the hole on the cover and then pressing the pole through until it clicks...
Any tips on getting those covers out easier are welcomed... and any clarifications let me know... hope i wasn't too confusing... Happy holidays!
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01-11-11, 04:48 PM
#9
nice write up! i remember switching my parking lights and i didnt know at first to twist it to get it out, so i kept tuggin lightly cuz i was unsure about whether i was breaking it sooo i sat there and looked at it from the front view of the car for about 15 minutes and i tried to twist it and it came out....
09-18-11, 10:31 AM
#12
it is simple u must take the covers off and basically u can see the light at the upper corner. its a small bulb not your average halogen headlight bulb. pull it out and swap. its that easy. the only tough part is removing all the engine covers and air intake if you have big hands.
