These little ****s:





I'm convinced that they don't actually function, pivot the assembly about a half an inch forward into misalignment, and only work properly when broken. The only other possibility is that mine are 5.0 and not 5.5, thus do not fit my assembly. I'm not even sure if the 5.0 has a similar part, but if it does...
I'm hoping somebody has a picture of their clip that functions properly and can tell me their make and model so that I can compare and contrast.
As **** luck would have it, I doubt most people even know how to disassemble and remove the entire headlight assembly thanks to DataDot.
Crossing my fingers...

 

Google.



http://forums.maxima.org/5th-generat...umper-gap.html

http://nycmaximas.org/showthread.php?p=771794

 

You have the 5.5 clip.

Why do you think all this? there is nothing wrong with this clip or it's purpose, that's just silly. If there is something wrong, it's probably with your car.

 

Bet you have a aftermarket bumper

 

Thanks for the photos, man!
I say this, because everything lines up correctly, but my headlight assembly doesn't click in and lock. Due to this, the clip doesn't allow the assembly to sit flat, but rather props the assembly forward causing a gap.
I do, but the bumper actually isn't the problem. The assembly sits flat and flush on both sides, but when I try to pop the arm into the clip, the clip doesn't hold the assembly at all. No gapping issues from the bumper as the only gap is from the clip pushing the assembly forward. Sort of a crazy issue.

 

I have a brand new one packaged, I've replaced these because I snapped one, and it does function, it holds the lamp down.

 

Are the right and left side the same part number or are they side specific? It seems like you have actual experience locking the arm in. Is there a trick that you've found or is it idiot proof like it seems? As dumb as it sounds, maybe I'm doing something wrong.

 

They're the same for each side, push the housing straight forward from the back side, not up or down just straight forward.

 

Remove the clip and go for a drive. Watch your beam of light dance around as you hit all the bumps in the road...

 

Probably missing or broken the OUTER clips, they are white in color and fit into the fender. There is a steel stub on the headlight that snaps into them on install.

They are famous for breaking or falling out during disassembly and even during assembly

 

If your headlight sit flush and the only gap you have is from the headlight sitting forward from the bumper then your 2 top mounting tabs should not align either. Take off the front upper grill and install the headlight on that side first, see if you can clip it first, then swing it around to line up the metal stub to the plastic clip on the fender.

 

Oddly enough I still have those male/female pins on both sides and everything is intact.

By the top two mounting tabs you mean the bolt down M6 arms that come out of the top of the headlight assembly? ...and when you say to undo the upper grill, you just mean to pop out those black, plastic, circular clips so that the upper bumper can pull out slightly, right? If so, I've tried that, too, unfortunately.

 

Post pics....

 

 

As dumb luck would have it, I retried the clip then pin theory and it worked. ****'s flush and locked in, now. Weird how the world works...