Getting a headlight loose
 

Short story: I need to change a burnt out headlight in my car. The locking collar won't turn to release it. There are too many pipes/tubes/unidentifiable thingamahooies around it to allow me to get a wrench in. Is there some special headlight retaining collar release tool I don't know about? Any other suggestions to get enough leverage on it to move it?

Long story: I noticed the light was dead on the way home from work last night. I stopped by Auto Zone to get a couple bulbs. Since I have about 45 minutes in the morning between dropping my daughter off at school and leaving for work, I decided I would wait till then and make the bulb change in daylight instead of futzing around in the dark.

After various efforts by me and Mrs. Dallas and a neighbor I tried with the only tools I could find that would go in: needlenosed pliers, one on each side of the ring. I pushed down with one and pulled up with the other. It didn't move the ring, but I managed to lose my grip on the left side. My hand and the pliers came flying up to smash me in the left eye in a move worthy of the Three Stooges. Fortunately I was wearing my glasses--which needed a trip to the optician to straighten out the nose pad that had gotten bent--so I have a bruise along my lower orbital bone but nothing worse.

I'm trying to picture your particular situation there, but this I do know:

Vise-grips won't fly off and hit you in the face, and a socket set with a u-joint is what it takes to get into some of those tricky places.

Yeah you're right about the vise grips. (This wasn't the brightest thing I ever tried.) (Probably not the stupidest either, tho.) The retaining ring is plastic and 1.5 or 2 inches in diameter, so the socket idea doesn't really help. The surface has ridges all the way around it for traction, but it doesn't help. (Of course the one on the other side just popped off immediately.)

Oh. Superglue a section of thin nylon rope around it, with a loose end pointing in both directions? (Sounds like fun, right?)

On my old car, the service manual said that to change the oil filter, you needed to remove the right front passenger wheel and the plastic body panel behind it to gain access to the oil filter. As a result, I didn't change the oil filter as often as I should have.

I know this doesn't help you at all, but cars have gotten ridiculous when you have to post to a message board to get help to change a light bulb.

Oh, it's easy enough, but I think it's intended to come off by hand without any need for tools. It's just gotten stuck.

This is a 1995 Ford Escort.. you'd think the damned thing would just fall off!!

Two words: Pep Boys

Is it a H4 type globe?

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b322/perrys/H4.jpg

If it is, is the retainer ring a little round pressed metal dealie? If it is, you usually have to push it towards you (ie towards the front of the car) and rotate it to release (typically clockwise). This shouldn't take too much effort unless there is corrosion there.

Many others are held in with spring clips which are easy to release when you know the trick, but almost impossible otherwise. These clips are often within a ring that looks like a retaining device but is really only the mounting plate. Look for a little loop in the end of the spring clip, and again you push it toward you, and a fraction to the left or right to release.

[edit] I've just googled '95 Escort and there looks to be two types of headlight, a rectangle one and an almond shaped one. What I've said applies to the rectangle one more than the almond one. I hope this is of some help...

It's also useful to remove the electrical plug first (if you haven't already), and wear gloves if you can, 'cause there's always plenty of sharp things ready to take a bite out out of the back of your hand.

And if your car is a Recent Honda (Acura) Integra, forget it. You need to take the whole front bumber off!

Sometimes you have to push in on them while turning. Also, there are often demonic little retaining clips/springs/gizmos that hold the thing that turns in place so that it doesn't turn at an inappropriate time.

Give the manual a good look-see. I had this problem with the wife's old Sentra, and reading the owners manual explained the solution to me, even though it still was by no means easy.

good points hagar:

SD, I urge you to examine the other side that came off easily. Is it merely threaded all the way to the base? Or does it have a little lug that needs to fit into a slot, indicating the need to press ... inward to release, then unscrew. I recently made the same change and I didn't have the sticky collar problem you're talking about, but the idea of removing the plug first is golden--space is tight enough in there already. Also bonus points for the glove tip.

Tool of choice in my situation: Channel-Locks. Long lever for, well, leverage. Parallel jaws to grip the ring, and they can be neatly adjusted to the size of your collar and the size of your hand/grip. Maybe you even need to go an buy a new set to do the job. Now that would be a double win!

Unless you can see corrosion, I'd be really reluctant to go in there with big (or any) tools. If you're anything like me you'll break at least two other things. Bulbs should come out by hand.

I like the way you think: Oh, wait... Well if you can't get the bulb out, at least you have a new pair of channel-locks. That's what I'd do.

Forget it. Just drive the wife's car after dark.

The guys at Auto Zone might be able to offer advice. And/or sell you a Haynes or Chilton repair manual. They are definately worth having if you do any work on your own car.

Well I did not believe there was any need to push the collar down or in before turning. But I double checked, based on the other headlight, and then I read the manual. (SHOCKING!) It just said turn it counterclockwise 1/8 turn.

Nothing--I tried for another 1/2 hour before dinner. I admit defeat. My local garage that does most of our repairs opens at 8AM, so I'm going there tomorrow before work.