Worst factory headlight design

[Sodo]

"Mazda 3" is similar. Had a friend stop by with a headlight out and he told me it was impossible, that he tried to have it done somewhere and the shop refused. Wrong thing for me to hear. 2 hours later I was victorious but almost told him he to take it to the dealer.

 

[GolfAddict]

I had a headlight burn out on a DTS a few years ago - it probably would have been a 2009 or so. I hadn't changed a headlight in years, but they sure were never that hard to do. I looked under the hood and it was not obvious at all, so I looked in the owners manual. For changing bulbs it just said something like "take it back to the dealer".

I thought that was pretty ridiculous, so I started googling to see if I could find instructions, and I did. Early in the process it had you removing parts, including the fender! I took it to the dealer...

BTW, headlights are covered with your bumper to bumper warranty, thank goodness.

 

[Baby Grand]

My Mazda6 is not much better, from my recollection.
But that's much less aggravating that trying to extract the oil filter on The Plant Manager's old F-Focus. You have to reach way down, between the engine & firewall. There's some kind of throttle cable bracket half way down the abyss. It's made of stamped & bent up sheet metal that they never knocked the sharp edges off of ad it always manages to get snagged on my skin, shirt sleeve or a glove, resulting in lots of language and a puddle of oil on the driveway.

 

[nybirdman]

That is the one thing I don't like about my 2010 Subaru Outback;remove the tire,inner fender liner to change a bulb.

 

[Industrial Toys]

08 GMC Sierra. Almost impossible and internet/youtube advice just plain wrong! Best to have fingers like ET. Wouldn't be so bad, if touching the bulb wasn't forbotten!

GREAT light though. I often get flashed by others even on low beam.
Some of those bright new headlights are just terrible! When I get blinded by those, I just put on my highs and leave them on!

 

[coobie]

My 2004 dodge 2500 series had the most god awful headlights.Might as well use two candles.

 

[GolfAddict]

My current car has headlights that move up and down, for some reason that I can't remember, and back and forth with the steering wheel. I can't imagine what it would be like changing a bulb. :shocked:

 

[3930dave]

So.... it seems pretty universal that the Design Priority has now become:

Make certain that only the most stubborn of DIY masochists dare take on these Manhattan Project Light Bulb replacments !

I can see leaving skin behind, on many of these. Or, major $$$ at a shop.

Rgds, D.

 

[Sodo]

Wouldn't be so bad, if touching the bulb wasn't forbotten!

Sorry for off-topic but it can help the issue at hand.

I think the "never touch a halogen bulb with finger oils etc" was determined to be an urban legend. It has something to do with uneven temperatures due to the glass can cause the tungsten to re-deposit in the wrong place, causing thinner sections of filament then burning out there (sooner). It was determined that halogen bulbs always redeposits unevenly, that lifetime difference between touched and untouched bulbs were not measurable. Wikipedia doesn't mention the re-depositing theory but says that contaminants on a quartz bulb can cause the bulb to explode. I've never seen that, they only burn out.

All you need is clean hands - wash hands before handling the bulb. I wonder if MFRs leave it on their instructions hoping the consumer might accept responsibility for the case where bulb life was very short. Or cuz they can't trust the installer to have clean hands.

 

[3930dave]

My 2004 dodge 2500 series had the most god awful headlights.Might as well use two candles.

Years ago, I remember driving my boss's Intrepid. Even back then, most of my flashlights threw more light.

Poor factory lighting like this would prevent you from getting a ticket written up, but that's about all it was good for.

Rgds, D.