Headlight Removal

[Mongrel]

Hi all,

How hard is it to get the Headlights out on an MN?

I am thinking on moving my HID Ballasts to under the headlights - if they job is not a bad one.

I had a quick look today and it looks like open heart surgery.

Can some one enlighten me please?

Cheers
Mongrel

[Diablo]

easy job when you know how they are done. about 5 min job each. will give some instructions later if you like.

[Mongrel]

Yeah if you could!!

I undid the screws that I can see just under bonnet, but they would not budge!!!

Cheers
Mongrel

[Diablo]

There is one behind the light. Need to partially remove the plastic in wheel arch. I have my ballasts under the lights. Best place for them IMO

[chick_magnet_0001]

does this mean iiffff(big if) my hid's ever were to fail i can take the whole headlight out then take the bulb out(because the way the snorkel comes in its sort of blocked me from taking the bulb out (eg will the headlight assembly lift straight up if i went to take it out?)

[Diablo]

Sorry to disappoint chicky but it's a "when" not an "if". As a way to keep the lights alive longer try not start your engine with the lights already on. The spikes caused are not great for digital ballasts.

It's much easier and safer for the bulb if you remove the headlight to get the bulb out with hid lights (that ceramic insulator has the strength of a wet noodle). But the lights do not lift straight up. With some finesse the come forward.

[chick_magnet_0001]

thanks mate

[Cowboy Dave]

Chicky + finesse = me recalling removal of a strut with an angle grinder

[fridgie]

If strut = angle grinder does headlight = mallet and jimmy bar??

[perko]

ok Diablo you offered, how about those instructions

[chick_magnet_0001]

If strut = angle grinder does headlight = mallet and jimmy bar??

says the same guy that drilled a hole in his car for a snorkel with a hole saw and managed to make it look like a 3 year olds paper cut out

Chicky + finesse = me recalling removal of a strut with an angle grinder

haven't you had to remove a tritons strut yourself to pass judgment on something you paid someone to do, cough incapable man

[Diablo]

ok head light removal instruction. pretty sure the MN is exactly the same as the MN in this case (correct me if im wrong.

1. remove screw (10mm bold head) on the inside of the wheel arch just inside the arch fairing. its where the top and front plastic guard join. around a simular level to the headlight.

2. remove 3 of the plastic push clips that hold the lower piece of plastic guard in place. Note that this will not remove the plastic guard, only allow access to the bolt.

3. you should now be able to (with a little gentle persuasion), move the plastic guard out of the way enough to get a ratchet with a 10mm socket in (you may need an extension bar). its hard to miss the target nut. so when you locate it remove it. try hang on to the nut when you remove the ratchet as if you drop it, it might take a while to find.

4. Remove the two screws on the top of the light. again 10mm socket.

5. Remove the grill insert. this can be a bit daunting first time as it can be hard to remove. here the MN might be a little different. on the ML remove the push clips on the top. then you should be able to remove the grill. it might take a bit of force for the clips to come out. I pull mine from the head light side of the grill.

6. remove the 10mm bolt and philips head screw that hold the light in place on the inside of the light

7. the head light is now free. to remove the light gently ease if forward and up a little. you will need to get the bracket that the nut screwed to that was removed under the arch clear of the other parts in the engine bay. it can be a little tricky getting out (and back in again) but it will really only come out one way.



If i get time tomorrow i might remove a light and take pics to complete the right up. in the mean time hope this helps. and if i got anything wrong or missed anything please correct me, as this is all from memory. cant be bothered going outside with a torch I have removed my lights so many times now it is really a five min job. pretthy sure i wasted over an hour the first time

[NowForThe5th]

This might help, too

[Mongrel]

Thanks lads!!

All very valuable info.

I wont get to it this weekend, but I will get to it. Right now I have one Ballast cable tied up behind the driving lights. Too low in my opinion. I would not take a very deep crossing to submerge it!!

The other is cable tied to the battery tray, as there is a water bottle behind the driving light on the passenger side.

I will move them to under the headlight. The Grill removal is what is worrying me. Break a clip and it becomes expensive.

Cheers
Mongrel

[Diablo]

no longer pure hey

The clips on the grill are pretty solid. but they will break if your not gentle and just try rip the grill out. with the ballast under the lights your pretty much able to hide almost all evidence of your HID's too. Im not sure which brand you have, but they should be completely sealed and water proof anyway.

[Mongrel]

no longer pure hey

Hmm... That would be a different Mongrel I think. Not me dude.

[Diablo]

[fridgie]

I think we have Pure Mongrel and Mongrel now D,

memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=530

memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=6394

Try and keep up mate

[Mongrel]

heheh!!! Don't ask me how a 5'10 63kg bloke gets a nick name like Mongrel!!

Maybe its because of my other toy....



http://s935.photobucket.com/albums/ad19 ... 7f322a.jpg

[Diablo]

I think we have Pure Mongrel and Mongrel now D,

memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=530

memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=6394

Try and keep up mate

worked that out after i posted maybe i will just blame the late night i had

[perko]

Just a quick thanks to Diablo and 5th for the info, moved my ballasts today no more than an hour from tools out to away, it's easy when you've got instructions so much neater, thanks gents

The only bugger is two out of the five clips on the bottom of the grill are broken off, I think I must have weakened them when I installed the spotties, I didn't remove the grill that day just pulled out the top clips and bent it foward enough to get my hand behind there It's gone back in ok, next time I try to get it off will be a worry

[Diablo]

Good to hear it all went together ok Perko.

shame about the grill clips though.

[hunter57]

:oops:

Diablo are your head lights from MARS and are they any good

[Diablo]

yes my headlights i got through mars (although they still came from thailand). .

This is not to say they are OEM quality, but for an aftermarket product and for the price they are good.

If you talk to Kwyijbo he has actually modified them and improved the light output with new projectors.

[desblaze]

Just wondering how Kwyijbo modified his lights. I installed a set of these from prestige and the projector output is not as great as I would like. Would love to see what others have done to improve these.