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I said WTF when changing the headlight


Mel87

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Well I noticed last night my driver side headlight was out. Okay, simple fix... you'd think. I got out the owners manual on how to change the light bulb and did what it said, take the black plastic bezel off and take the 2 torx screws out. So then I disconnected the wire to take the bulb out. What ever F&$%@*( genius had the car before me gorilla glued the light bulb in to the head light assembly. I tried chipping it off with a screw driver, forcing it and nothing. I can not get this light bulb out. It is gorilla glued in 3 spots. Any suggestions?

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Well I noticed last night my driver side headlight was out. Okay, simple fix... you'd think. I got out the owners manual on how to change the light bulb and did what it said, take the black plastic bezel off and take the 2 torx screws out. So then I disconnected the wire to take the bulb out. What ever F&$%@*( genius had the car before me gorilla glued the light bulb in to the head light assembly. I tried chipping it off with a screw driver, forcing it and nothing. I can not get this light bulb out. It is gorilla glued in 3 spots. Any suggestions?

 

Gorilla glue isn't some shit that will just chip off. It's pretty durable stuff. Try googling ways to remove gorilla glue. You might have to use acetone or something.

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I would think he probably glued it because he stripped the threads on whatever it mounts to. So, instead of trying to figure out how to un-glue it you might just focus on taking that assembly out and replacing the whole thing?

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Oy, if it is glued to the entire headlight assembly on a CS, that's gonna be a bitch to get around as the assembly runs the entire width of the car and has both sets of headlights on it. I hope something simple like acetone will remove the glue..

 

The assembly also attaches to the bumper skirt and the fenders, and will take a fair amount of work to remove..

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Well it was the glass headlight housing. The piece you are supposed to be able to twist and pull out (the light bulb) was gorilla glued. So I got pissed and took channel locks, and it broke it. So I went to the parts store and bought a new Phillips one fore 30 dollars. After looking at it more the high beam one is the same, it is also glued...

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they are glued because the are Sealed beams. you are not suppose to just buy the bulb....

 

x2.

 

If you can get them apart just RTV them back in, which is what Ive been doing. You just need to be careful in your attempt of taking them out.

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Is THIS the headlamp assembly we are calling a SEALED beam?

 

I call BULLSHIT, this is a sealed beam:

 

sa650x488xCIMG0175.JPG.pagespeed.ic.sBtLAlg4Id.jpg

As you can see, there is NO way you can remove the bulb, my attachment is not a sealed beam, CLEARLY the bulb is a single unit from the housing.

 

Just be warned, the assembly is probably air tight(sealed) so if any moister gets in there, it won't get out! Probably why they designed it to be sealed is either the design of the car or a cost savings measure.

post-6319-143689079525_thumb.jpg

Edited by Oilpatch197
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Is THIS the headlamp assembly we are calling a SEALED beam?

 

I call BULLSHIT, this is a sealed beam:

 

sa650x488xCIMG0175.JPG.pagespeed.ic.sBtLAlg4Id.jpg

As you can see, there is NO way you can remove the bulb, my attachment is not a sealed beam, CLEARLY the bulb is a single unit from the housing.

 

Just be warned, the assembly is probably air tight(sealed) so if any moister gets in there, it won't get out! Probably why they designed it to be sealed is either the design of the car or a cost savings measure.

 

NO, it's not. You are not supposed to remove the bulb. It's a sealed beam. Look it up.

 

http://www.autozone.com/autozone/parts/Xtravision-Headlight/1996-Oldsmobile-Cutlass-Supreme/_/N-j4ybdZ8ihzg?counter=12&filterByKeyWord=headlight&fromString=search&itemIdentifier=954190_0_0_7690%2C8549

 

[TABLE=width: 0]

[TR]

[TD]Application:[/TD]

[TD]2 door model

Low beam[/TD]

[/TR]

[/TABLE]

 

 

How about you trust the people who have owned these cars and have experience?

Edited by GP1138
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That is what I thought forever, I mean most bulbs have the moisture ring or whatever it's called on the outside, and it IS a bulb that LOOKS like it should twist out. But it was glued... Ill get a picture of it.

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That is what I thought forever, I mean most bulbs have the moisture ring or whatever it's called on the outside, and it IS a bulb that LOOKS like it should twist out. But it was glued... Ill get a picture of it.
\

 

I thought the same thing, you don't need to defend yourself. It sucks because it makes the damn replacement more expensive, but it's a sealed beam. Bottom line.

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Here is the 2 headlamps. Old on the left, new on the right.

 

IMAG0634.jpg

 

Here is the bulb I broke out of the old one. Notice the greyish rubber thing (as I thought was a sealer) then look deeper inside and you can see where the bulb was glued... makes no sense.

 

IMAG0636.jpg

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idk why gm did that. as how they were made it wouldnt have been hard to make the bulb replaceable. but then again its gm do you have to ask lol

 

Probably to simplify replacement, so people did not have to handle the sensitive glass bulb and fiddle with it. As designed you have to take the housing out anyway, might as well make it a one-step process.

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Probably to simplify replacement, so people did not have to handle the sensitive glass bulb and fiddle with it. As designed you have to take the housing out anyway, might as well make it a one-step process.

 

I can kind of see the good in that. For example, the old headlamp had pits and little dings in them from rocks I guess that won't come off, and new one doesn't (duh) but that is the only pro I see of having to buy a whole new headlamp versus a new bulb.

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