Headlight Removal

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ebod

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I've got water in my drivers' side headlight. Per search results, it looks like I need to: (i) remove the headlight assembly; (ii) take out the bulb; (iii) dry out the inside of the light; (iv) seal with silicone; and (vi) replace bulb then assembly. Of course, I'm stuck on step "(i)."

Can anyone post or link to instructions on how to remove the headlight assembly? I see a couple of screws, but I'm not sure if they are the only ones and/or if they are even related to the headlight assembly. I'm a mechanical newbie, so the more detailed the advice the better.

Also, when I put the assembly back in, do I need to re-aim the lights? Any tips on how to do that or on how to mark the assembly when I'm taking it out to ensure it goes back in in the exact same position?

Thanks in advance.
 
ebod,

I'll chime in since nobody else has!

I don't own a 100, so I'm purely speculating, from my experience with the 80 series...

With the 80 you'll need to remove the front corner marker lights in order to access one of the bolts securing the headlight. That "might" be the case with your vehicle as well. We also have to remove the front turn signal lense to access another one, but I don't think you have those on your vehicle...

If it's just (clear) water getting inside your headlight assy, then you can probably remove it and have it aired out (blow dried, etc...) and apply silicone should do the trick.

If there's discoloration(sp), etc... then you might have to actually remove the headlight lense from the reflector/assy and clean it up. It's a pain-in-the-butt, but can be done!

I hope it's the former, but let me know if it's the latter (or if you need a ladder for your truck! :hillbilly:)

G'luck!!
 
Mot: thanks for replying with your $0.02. The water is clear, but the condensation hasn't dried up in over a week.

One last grovel for any 100 owners to provide some tips so I can try this this weekend. Where should I start (turn signal?, grill?), where are the screws I should be looking for? How much more than a screw-driver will I need? Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks
 
headlight removal is easy.
1. There is one philips head screw at the top towards the outside of the headlights that holds down the corner lights. Unscrew that and then pull the corner lights straight forward to remove it.
2. there are 3 screws on the top of the grille. One on either sides and one in the center. Remove those screws and then reach down the backside of the grille and release the clips on the right and left side of the grille. releasing these clips will let you remove the grille. Just pull straight up.
3.(i'm not sure if this applies because you have an 04) you need to remove the trim pannel under the headlight. If I'm right, it should just be a phillips screw on the grille side, and then a clip on the fenderside. Just pull straight forward on the panel after you unscrew the screw, and it should pop off. If you can get to the 10mm bolts without doing this step, don't do it.
4. There should be 2 10mm bolts at the top of the headlight, that go straight back, 1 10mm bolt that goes downward where the grille is, and then one behind where the marker light is.


That should be everything you'll need to do to pull the headlight off.
 
I am going to reply because I just had to do this to my 05.

Another_person's explanation of taking the headlight out is spot on, it really is that simple. The only addition is this: in order to get the side marker out, after removing the top screw, you have to release a catch down at the bottom on the marker between the main headlamp and side marker. On the passenger side, you should just be able to reach from behind the lights and push the tab in. Since I had water in the driver's side headlight, I had to remove the battery clamp and push the battery back a bit in order to get my hand down to the tab. I actually used the tip of a needle nose pliers to push the tab in.

Also, there is a vent at the top of the headlight assembly. I assume it allows for the air in the headlight to expand and contract with changing temperatures. This is how I poured the water out (there was a lot more than I expected!)

I am still unsure how that much water got into the light. I inspected the front plastic and found no cracks and the seal seemed fine. I ended up applying a bead of silicone all along the junction of the clear plastic and black plastic. I guess the water had to have gotten in through the vent.

Anyway, after poured the water out, I set the headlamp in the sun with a hair dryer set to low and cold blowing in through one of the light sockets. Did that for about 2 hours and it was completely dry. Might want to flip the over a few times during the drying process to get it out of any crevasses.
 
Thank you Another_Person and FATrabbit. Your information will be very useful. I'm wondering if my occurence was a one-time fluke thing. Maybe (when it rained few weeks ago) I hit a puddle perfectly so that water went in the vent. I may just wait till the next time it rains and see if it happens again (doesn't happen when I wash it). That said, this doesn't seem like something that would happen just once. I bet I'm following your directions next time it rains here in Southern California (based on today's 85 degrees, it feels like it may never rain).

Thanks again.
 
When it happened on our land cruiser, it just keep happening at least a few times a year and eventually the chrome just got really dirty and noticeably duller. Since my 06/07 upgrade/ls430 retro, we haven't had any issues though...
 
Changing the bulbs on my 04 (headlight, high beam, running light). I was hoping someone had pictures of this procedure if possible. I changed everything on my 05 LX, but I could access them much more easily then in the LC. Thanks guys.
 
Just replaced the PS headlight assembly and bulbs on both sides last weekend.
The toughest part was finding a 10 mm socket. That and removing the bulb connectors, it's one of those times you wish you could spontaneously evolve a third hand.
For the drivers side, just pull the battery. Much quicker in the long run when trying to get to the side marker tab and the connectors.
The side marker assembly takes some finagling to get out/in, if you find yourself trying forcing it just stop, take a deep breath and relax. Once you find the sweet spot it slides right out/in.
I was going to post pictures but it's not really needed, the steps outlined above work flawlessly, except for not mentioning removing the battery.
 
The drivers side look pretty crappy next to the brand new PS head light assembly so I replace it.

Seriously, why is the 10mm socket so Effing hard to find when you need it?

A tip if you replace the assembly and not the bulbs, I stuffed the bulbs into a set of nitril shop gloves to keep them clean while I changed out the headlight assembly.
 
Going to swap my 1999 LC front end to my 2005 LX. This thread was very helpful
 
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