Fix It

In 2004, Nissan introduced the Titan, a full-sized pickup truck available in the North American market. This truck comes standard with daytime running lights that are set low in the front bumper. If you want to install aftermarket lights either because the originals were damaged or you simply want to personalize your Titan, do not take it to a garage. This repair is easy to do at home making it the perfect do-it-yourself project for a Saturday afternoon.

Instructions

1

Park your Nissan Titan on a flat level driveway or parking lot. Apply the parking brake and turn the engine off. Depending on how long the truck has been running, you may need to wait up to 30 minutes for the truck to cool.

2

Slide under the front end and look directly behind the running light lens. Here you will find an access panel covering the inner workings of the running light assembly. Pry it off with a flathead screwdriver.

3

Locate the wiring harness which connects the Titans electrical system to the running lights socket. Grab the harness by the plug end. Squeeze the two side tabs and pull to release the harness.

4

Unscrew the three retaining bolts holding the light assembly to the Titans bumper. Use an adjustable wrench for this step. Place the bolts aside, but do not lose them as youll need them to secure the aftermarket running light.

5

Slide the old light assembly out and then insert the aftermarket assembly. Secure it with the three retaining bolts. Plug the wire harness into the socket. Snap the access panel back in place. Then repeat this entire process for the remaining running light.

There comes a point in time when everyone that owns a car will have to replace the headlights. In most cases, replacing the headlight bulb is as simple as opening the engine compartment and replacing the bulb, but with the 2003 Honda Accord, its a little different. Access to the headlights on this model is through the wheel wells.

Instructions

1

Turn the steering wheel in the opposite direction of the bulb that you want to change. For example, if you want to change the right headlight, turn your wheels to the left.

2

Pull the electrical connection off the old bulb by looking into the wheel well from the outside of the car. The electrical connection resembles a plug.

3

Remove the bulb by rotating it counterclockwise turn.

4

Remove the new bulb from the package but do not touch the glass. Put on gloves to avoid skin oils contacting the bulb.

5

Place the new bulb in the location where you removed the old one and rotate it clockwise turn to lock it in place.

6

Plug the electrical connection back into the bulb and make sure it locks into place.

7

Repeat the process for any other bulb that needs to be changed then turn on the headlights to test them.

In a perfect world, cars, trucks, and automotive components would last forever. But theres a delicate balance between cost and longevity, so vehicle manufacturers constantly push the engineering envelope as it relates to doing more with less. Although the headlight switch for your 2001 Ford F-150 is considered an electrical component, its mechanical aspect is susceptible to normal wear and tear after years of regular use. Replacing the defective headlight switch is easy, requiring minimal hand tools to get the job done.

Instructions

1

Connect a memory saver device to the vehicle, according to the products specific instructions. Although not absolutely needed to replace the headlight switch, using a memory saver will avoid short-term drivability issues after reconnecting the negative battery cable, in addition to saving you the hassle of reprogramming the vehicles stereo and other programmable features that depend on constant battery power. Open the hood and disconnect the negative battery cable with a socket and ratchet.

2

Insert a thin, non-marring plastic pry tool into the gap between the bottom right corner of the headlight switch assembly and the instrument panel trim. Carefully pry the assembly from the instrument panel. Disengage the locking tabs for the electrical connectors and then disconnect the connectors from the switch assembly.

3

Connect the electrical connectors to the replacement switch, then press-fit the assembly to the instrument panel. Make sure the new switch is in the off position. Reconnect the negative battery cable to the battery, then tighten the clamp. Use a flat-head screwdriver to spread the battery cable clamp, if necessary. Never attempt to pound or hammer a tight battery clamp onto a battery post.

4

Disconnect the memory saver device from the vehicle. Test the headlamp switch to complete the replacement process.

The 1996 GMC Sierra (also referred to as a C or K series truck, C for two-wheel drive and K for four-wheel drive) was manufactured with two headlight styles. Some came with old-style sealed-beam headlights, while others featured the newer halogen composite headlight bulb inserts. By 1999, the Sierra finally committed to the composite inserts and has used them exclusively ever since.

Instructions

Halogen Composite Headlights

1

Open the hood to the 1996 GMC Sierra.

2

Locate the two upper headlight assembly retaining screws near the radiator support rail. Remove the screws with the ratchet and a socket.

3

Pull the headlight assembly outward far enough to reach behind it.

4

Disconnect the harness plug of the low beam headlight (outer headlight in assembly) or the high beam headlight (inner headlight in assembly).

5

Twist the plastic base of the headlight to the left until it unlocks from the headlight assembly (about a quarter turn). Discard the headlight.

6

Place the new headlight in the assembly by aligning the tabs on the base to the notches in the assembly, and then push inward. Twist the base to the right until it locks into place. Avoid touching the glass bulb or damage will occur to it from oil in human skin.

7

Connect the harness plug to the plastic base of the new headlight. Rest the assembly inside its cavity and test the headlight(s) before reassembling the headlight assembly and replacing the retaining screws.

Sealed Beam Headlights

8

Remove the four headlight bezel screws with a magnetic tipped Phillips screwdriver. There is a screw near each corner of the bezel. There are two additional screws near the top center and the center of one side of the sealed-beam headlight. Do not turn those screws, as they are the headlight adjusting screws. The magnetic tipped screwdriver will help to avoid dropping the removed screws down into the grill assembly.

9

Remove the bezel and pull the sealed-beam headlight outward far enough to unplug the three-pronged harness plug from the back of the headlight.

10

Plug the new headlight into the three-pronged harness and place it in the headlight cavity.

11

Test the headlight by turning on the switch. Check both low and high beam for operation.

12

Place the bezel over the headlight, and then replace the four retaining screws and tighten them.

In the 1997 dodge Caravan, a single headlight bulb unit contains both the low-beam elements and the high-beam elements. That means theres only one bulb on the driver side and one on the passenger side. The benefit is there aer fewer bulbs to have to replace. The drawback is that, even if only one element burns out (the low-beam element or the high-beam element), you still need to replace the bulb for safetys sake. Headlights obviously enhance vision for nighttime driving, but they can also make your car more visible to other drivers during the day.

Instructions

1

Open the hood of your 1997 Dodge Caravan.

2

Locate the headlight assembly screw, at the top center of the assembly with the burned out headlight, then remove it with the ratchet and a socket.

3

Wiggle/jimmy the headlight assembly forward from the front of the Caravan far enough to reach behind and access the headlight bulb and wire connection.

4

Remove the wire connection from the base of the headlight.

5

Turn the base and retaining bezel of the headlight bulb counterclockwise to remove it from the headlight assembly. Remove and discard the old bulb.

6

Place the replacement 9007 bulb through the retaining bezel (make sure the threads of the bezel are pointed toward the direction of the bulb), then align the bezel and headlight into the headlight assembly. Do not allow bare skin (fingers) to contact the glass bulb portion of the replacement headlight. Skin oils and perspiration will overheat the glass, compromising the life of the replacement bulb.

7

Turn the bezel and headlight bulb base clockwise until it locks into place in the headlight assembly.

8

Reinsert the headlight assembly into position. Be sure to align the guide pins on the back of the assembly into their respective holders. Align the top of the assembly with the assembly screw hole, then replace the screw and tighten it with the ratchet and socket.