Ok, I can't figure out how to get the headlight out of our 97 maxima. At some point in time before we bought it, a bulb exploded in the housing and left the lense with this fogged look. Looks really crappy. I thought I could probably take the headlight unit out and try and wash it out with some soap and water, but I can't figure out how to get it out. The Nissan service manual is very poor in explaining this. It says to remove the "combination lamp" first by removeing a screw and then removing the lamp. I did this, but the lamp won't budge. The picture of the corner combination lamp shows that it is held in with one screw and a "pawl." Well, whatever this pawl thing is, it sure has a tight hold on the corner lamp as it won't budge. I have tried prying on it hoping that it would just snap out, but it doesn't want to and I don't want to break it. Does anybody know how to do this? All I can say is that I am dissapointed with this Nissan manual as the one for my 280zx is usually much more specific than this one is. Oh well. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

 

Did you ever figure out how to do this? A blue bulb exploded in my headlight and I have no idea how to remove it.

Thanks for any info
RJP

 

First you need to take the top screw off, thats the one that connects the 2 lighting assemblies (headlight and turn signal). Then you have to remove the outer assembly by pulling straight forward. It's tough and you need to use some force. Mines didn't crack with a good amount of pulling. Tip: lubercate pawl when putting back on. Once removed, remove the 2 screws securing the headlight housing (between turn signal and headlight). I think you can firure it out from there.

 

I had the exact same thing happen to my headlight...I wonder if there is a TSB on this, or if this happens to every car (don't the lights normally just go out instead of exploding?). Just curious, those of you that have had this happen, which headlight went out (looking at the car from the front)?

I tried to pull the headlight out, and was not successful (mainly because I thought I was going to break it). Now that I know I need to yank harder, I think I'll try it again. One thing that made it a little easier to get to was to remove the turn signal light...this is easily done with a screw driver and cloth (like the owners manual suggests for removing the light).

By the way, I've read that you need a heat gun to detach the front headlight lense from the casing so that you can get inside to clean out the glass. This may be a dumb question, but is the heat gun mentioned just a hot glue gun without the glue stick? Or something else?

 

....I have had two bilbs blow up in my headlight. The first time I tried to get it out and clean it, but gave up and took it to the dealership. They took it out and tried to clean it, with no luck. I watched them while they were doing it and the chrome finish on the inside was ruined.

The second time, I just went straight to the dealership to have it replaced again. I don't know what the deal is with these lights.

 

Well, I haven't tried again lately on getting the headlight off, but might later tonight again. From what I have heard, halogen bulbs often blow up. This is usually because some residue gets on the bulb and when the bulb heats up, parts of it heat up at different temperatures and the thing explodes (or something like that). I have heard that when replacing halogen bulbs, that you should never touch the bulb with your bare hands as this will leave a greasy residue on it that will make it explode. Anyhow, hopefully I will be able to clean it out, if not, well i guess it will just have to look crappy. Thanks for all the replies!

 

I think the heat gun is a hot air gun and not a glue gun.

 

Finally I was able to get the headlight out. The corner light was not to hard to get off after I read your posts and applied them to the actual situation. Sure enough, if you get a skrewdriver inbetween that pawl thing which you can sort of see if you bend the light back, you can twist and pry on it and the light just pops out. Then the headlight comes out fairly easily. There are 2 screws behind the corner light and a couple of nuts behind the hedlight next to the radiator. The grill pops off fairly easily with some prying, and then you have your headlight removed!! I took the light out the back and poured hot, soapy water down into the housing and let is soak for a while. This was after dumping out all the glass and other stuff from the blown up bulb. Sloshing the water around in the light removed almost all of the residue from the explosion. The chrome was slightly scratched up from the explosion, but not too bad. After it was cleaned out, I just set a blowdryer in front of the opening and it dried up in about 10 minutes. I put the light back in and it looks much better. It was real obvious before as one light was fine but the other one was obviously fogged up. Anyhow not too hard with a little help from maxima.org! Thanks!

 

Don't touch the bulb with you bare hands. It's bad, as the oils from your greasy little grubbs get on the glass and leave a residue. That's the case in ALL professional lighting. Halogen bulbs would be considered professional. If you can, use rubber gloves or something, but don't ever touch ANY of your lights with your fingers.. That is what causes them to blow, normally.

 

This just happened to me. I had my new head light installed about 3 weeks ago because a bulb exploded in it. MontaraBob was kind enough to give me one of his old ones. If you are trying to take the cover off w\ a heat gun. Don't try it, it's useless. You need to buy a whole new head light because everything is scrathced from when the bulb exploded. Also, was it an after markert bulb that exploded? New 97 head light, $115.

 

i broke both sides of my headlights trying to get them out.. i know how to pop out the corners, there are two felips showing, how do you take out the whole headlight with the housing? i know there is one nut holding the light, is there another.. anyhow, i already snapped it and there is like a rubber bushing one holding it, that i cant seem to pry off.. Well just need the info so i can get some new headlights..

 

Yes, there IS another one. When installing Hyper whites in my clearence slots, I was trying to pry the side glass off. I got one of the guys at Auto zone to come out and take a look, being as I couldn't get the critter off. Well, the dude saw ANOTHER one down there. Even though the manual says there is only ONE screw, there is another. In order to take the side glass off, you must FIRST remove the whole headlight. ... Too bad they don't tell you that in the manual. It's impossible to get to; At least, with a normal screw driver. One of those weird critters with the funny L heads might be able to get it, but I certainly couldn't. Note, my hands full of cuts from doing a contortionest act to get the !@#$%ing clearence bulbs loose. And then putting them BACK. Oi...

 

I ended up snapping the plastic off around the second screw you were talking about by prying on it really hard.

There seems to be no real use for the screw either...I used the oven to et my healight apart, cleaned it thourougly, and put it back together, sans the 2nd corner light screw, and have had no problems.

It's not a $115 dollar problem. Just use the over at 250 degrees for 10 minutes instead of a heat gun...works MUCH better.

IanS

 

That worked really well?

 

Yep - Good as new, save one small scratch that the bulb blowing caused.

IanS