Headlight Removal

[froggy]

By some miracle I’ve managed to undo the rusty T30 screws but now im stuck - how the heck do you unclip the wiring socket? Ive pushed and pulled all ways to no avail all ive done is pull it out of the headlight back box
It looks so simple on YouTube……

 

[A2Steve]

Going in from the wrong angle. Use a much smaller screwdriver and go in sideways in the little hole at the top of the connector. You are aiming to lift the small plastic tab.

The action you are doing there is actually pushing the tab you need to lift downwards making it even less likely to come off.

 

[A2Steve]

 

[froggy]

View attachment 103011

Thanks Steve, one side done it was a pain. Other side has torx screw welded to washer waiting for wd40 to work its magic before it rains

 

[froggy]

Damn thing turns with the washer and doesn’t unscrew.

 

[audifan]

You need a penetrating fluid such as PB Blaster or Plus Gas, WD40 is only a water displacer.
The seal inside the plug forces the parts against the lock. You need to compress the seal by pushing the plug further down they usually then release without the need of a screwdriver. The screwdriver can damage or break the locking if not very careful.

 

[Howey]

I go in from the front of the wiring plug with a curved pic and lift the tab works easier in my opinion

 

[froggy]

I go in from the front of the wiring plug with a curved pic and lift the tab works easier in my opinion

If I can get this damn torx screw free I’ll try that method! Looks like i will have to snap the housing for the torx screw and source a replacement.

 

[Howey]

Grind top of the bolt slowly as the heat generated may melt the headlight

 

[audifan]

Be careful now how you proceed. If the captive nut has rotated inside the bodywork then snapping the housing is going to destroy the light unit and still have the problem. If you are sure the bolt is just spinning and applying some upward pressure underneath it does not release it then best to cut the head off the bolt. You will then be able to remove the headlight without damage. Getting the remains of the bolt out is now a bit easier as the headlight is out of the way. If you are lucky it may just drop into the body but you may still need to cut more off the shank to allow it to drop into the body. You now need to source a rivnut to fit where the old nut was and a new headlight mounting bolt.

 

[froggy]

Be careful now how you proceed. If the captive nut has rotated inside the bodywork then snapping the housing is going to destroy the light unit and still have the problem. If you are sure the bolt is just spinning and applying some upward pressure underneath it does not release it then best to cut the head off the bolt. You will then be able to remove the headlight without damage. Getting the remains of the bolt out is now a bit easier as the headlight is out of the way. If you are lucky it may just drop into the body but you may still need to cut more off the shank to allow it to drop into the body. You now need to source a rivnut to fit where the old nut was and a new headlight mounting bolt.

The whole plastic housing now spins when rotating the torx screw. I will be as careful as possible but time to cut the torx screw i think
Edit* if i cut the head off the bolt, wont the thread then be stuck without any way to remove it?

 

[Howey]

Car I recently bought has a sheared bolt so I need to address this, as @audifan has suggested I hope a rivnut will save the day, then grease on the bolt to never have this issue again!

 

[audifan]

Unfortunately as many of us know or find out the front of the car really does suffer from salt spray corrosion of the fasteners and the electrical sockets and plugs. We never really think about this because the body does not suffer - unlike the suspension.

Having all the undertray and arch liners correctly fitted does reduce some of the corrosion but regular cleaning especially in winter can also greatly help. The headlight bolts and the number plate screws are the two worst items when they corrode and even worse you only really know about it when there is an urgent need to remove them.

 

[audifan]

Re-read the last three sentences of my post above your last one.

 

[froggy]

Re-read the last three sentences of my post above your last one.

Thanks @audifan. Before I proceed, as you said, cutting the housing will destroy the light unit so to be sure, I’m not cutting underneath the torx head into the plastic housing as arrowed in the picture, just the metal head of the torx bolt?

 

[audifan]

The big plastic nut is an adjuster for the headlight so do not cut that. The base of the nut passes through another black plastic part that is also part of the headlight so again do not damage that.

Either try to cut between the bolt head and washer or drill the head off the bolt. Make sure you are safe doing this and protect your eyes.

 

[froggy]

Both headlights now removed, thank you for your help. Sadly the driver side did not survive my less than surgical precision. @Clackers any headlights in at the minute good sir?!

 

[audifan]

IF the part that hexagonal plastic nut screws into is still intact, then you cut the bolt and refit the plastic nut into the headlight.

 

[Clackers]

As @audifan says, all is not lost mate...it looks like you have managed to remove the threaded but from the slam panel. If you soak the very left bit with penetrating oil, you may be able to remove the bolt from the threaded bit. I've got a load of headlamp bolts here...i'm around tomorrow if that's any use...

 

[froggy]

As @audifan says, all is not lost mate...it looks like you have managed to remove the threaded but from the slam panel. If you soak the very left bit with penetrating oil, you may be able to remove the bolt from the threaded bit. I've got a load of headlamp bolts here...i'm around tomorrow if that's any use...

Thanks for that, unfortunately I’ve also damaged the part attached to the headlamp and it’s unlikely I can repair it. The hexagonal plastic nut is also pretty bad, do you have any of those in stock?