car repair, headlamp assembly, hydani

how to replace lightbulb in headlight of a 1999 hydani accent

Answer
    The 99 accent uses a #9004 bulb.  I'm not sure how you get at the bulb, it is usually from under the hood.  Sometimes there is a dust guard or structural member between the engine compartment and the back of the headlamp.  If that is the case, there will be an access panel allowing you to reach the back of the headlamp assembly.  The bulb has a three-wire harness plugged into it, held in place by a very strong clip that fits over a bump on the bulb.  When pulling that harness off of the bulb, be gentle with the clip, you don't want to break it.  This system was designed by Ford, who were the first to use this bulb in their '80s Escorts.  Like all Ford electrical items, they are designed so that the clip is easy to break.  You can still use the wiring if the clip is broken, but there will always be the chance that it will come loose on a dark country road.  The bulb is held into the headlamp assembly by a large plastic ring.  The ring has serrations on it to give you a good grip on it.  Turn the ring counter-clockwise about 1/4 turn and pull, the bulb and ring will come loose together.  Pull out the old bulb and replace it with the new one.  It is important that you not touch the glass part of the bulb with your bare fingers; the oils left behind from your skin can cause the bulb to crack later (although I  personally have never seen this happen).  Push the bulb back into the headlamp; it is sealed with an O-ring so there will be a little resistance as the new O-ring is pushed down into the hole.  Push it in until it seats solidly, then push the ring down firmly and twist clockwise until you feel it lock.  Plug the wiring harness back in and you're done.  This is a good opportunity to replace the bulbs with one of the newer, brighter replacements.
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