Headlight Bulb Replacement

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LPSISRL
Posts: 991
Joined: Tue Jun 18, 2013 12:49 pm
Location: Chesapeake, Virginia

Since the bumper cover plastic is quite flexible, it snaps in and out quite easily. I worried about that until about the 4th time I had to take it off. Give it a little tug by the wheel well and it easily comes loose. Just make sure you get all the screws out. There's a video that was posted some time about on now to remove it. Three bolts on top and 9 screws, I think.
2011 Kizashi SLS CVT (silver)
2005 Honda Odyssey
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motosonic
Posts: 68
Joined: Wed Apr 12, 2017 7:16 pm

LPSISRL wrote:I've had my front bumper off so many times I bet I can replace the bulb faster that way than any other. It literally takes me 5 minutes to get it off and 5 minutes to put it back on. but now since I've replaced my halogens with HIDs, I don't need to replace bulbs anymore. :-)
Is there a HID kit that's not obnoxiously bright and super easy to install? By super easy, I mean a 10 year old could do it. lol
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LPSISRL
Posts: 991
Joined: Tue Jun 18, 2013 12:49 pm
Location: Chesapeake, Virginia

I can only speak for the Kensun kit I bought off of Amazon. Any kIt requires you to drill a 1 inch hole in the headlight assembly dust cap fro the wiring. The stock wiring is all inside the headlight assembly with one connector on the outside for all the lights. It comes with the ballast which is a small box about the size of a standard iPhone. I attached it with double-back foam tape to the bottom of the headlight assembly where there is a nice flat spot. The instructions were pretty clear and all the wiring is setup so you can't plug anything wrong. I put in a second Kensun set for my fog lights. I did not need any instructions to install those. Make sure you order a kit for H7 bulbs.
2011 Kizashi SLS CVT (silver)
2005 Honda Odyssey
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KuroNekko
Posts: 5170
Joined: Wed Aug 15, 2012 5:08 pm
Location: California, USA

motosonic wrote:
LPSISRL wrote:I've had my front bumper off so many times I bet I can replace the bulb faster that way than any other. It literally takes me 5 minutes to get it off and 5 minutes to put it back on. but now since I've replaced my halogens with HIDs, I don't need to replace bulbs anymore. :-)
Is there a HID kit that's not obnoxiously bright and super easy to install? By super easy, I mean a 10 year old could do it. lol
All HID kits are quite similar in design so the installation process would be very similar. Some have relay harnesses that connect to the battery directly but it's not difficult to deal with and these provide benefits in voltage stability. You can also go with LEDs which have pros and cons compared to HIDs but again, the installation would be similar to an HID kit.
In my honest opinion, taking the bumper and headlights off are the hardest part of the process. Once these come off, you have a lot of space and access.
2011 Suzuki Kizashi Sport GTS 6MT (Black)
KlutzNinja
Posts: 286
Joined: Wed Dec 04, 2019 6:58 am

Speed_Racer wrote:Every time I feel bad about my headlights, I'm just glad I don't drive a Subaru. The amount of Subies I see with burned out headlights and/or taillights is astounding!
I’ve seen a lot of late-model Hyundai and Kias with burnt out head and taillights. Some were just a few years old if I had to guess. Sometimes also center brake lights if they’re not LEDs (like on Fortes and Elantras) if I recall right. Some current-gen, pre-refresh Honda Civics with nonfunctional taillights, too. And what’s the deal with 2016-2018 Accords with part of their LED DRLs out? It’s an issue with like literally every other Accord from those model years.

Anywho, I guess I should count myself lucky, because I’ve had my Kizashi for over two years (and ~12,000 miles) and I just lost my first headlight. And who knows how long these bulbs have been installed?. Of course it’s the driver’s side :facepalm:.
I bought some replacement bulbs for a few different lights a while back because I knew this was inevitable.

Before this, I had a 2010 North American Ford Focus for over six years (but only about 26,000 miles), and never had an issue with its lighting. My brother has a 2011 Ford Escape that he’s put a ton of miles on in about the same amount of time I had my Focus, and I don’t think he’s ever had a lighting issue, either. Both cars rely completely on incandescent halogen bulbs, save for the central brake lights which are LEDs. Weird that these Recession-era Fords are as reliable as they are haha.

Also, yes, I don’t put many miles on my cars. Relatively short commutes to school and now work. *shrug*
Luckily the garage I park in at work makes for a good place to work on cars. It’s secluded by the time I’m out and illuminated well enough to do a lot of things. It’s also very close to a PepBoys. I’m hoping I have the tools necessary to drop the bumper.

Honestly I’m kind of glad it’s just the bulb; I noticed on my drive home tonight that everything looked more dim than usual. At first I thought it might be an alternator issue, because I didn’t know what it looked like to drive with one headlight, and dying alternators are often associated with dim headlights that brighten with higher revs. The higher revs thing didn’t work. I was also wondering if maybe my eyes were just messing with me. But then I pulled in at home and saw only one part of the wall was illuminated.
I wonder if there’s a higher likelihood of the left bulb going out than the right, and if so, why? It sure seems that way.
Current: Blue 2018 Mazda 3 GT 5-Door
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KlutzNinja
Posts: 286
Joined: Wed Dec 04, 2019 6:58 am

Okay so someone is commenting on the YouTube videos for the headlight replacement tutorials saying that dropping the bumper is unnecessary because you can just move the air filter box and fuse box if needed. Has anyone here tried that?
Also, on one video, the Kizashi owner pulled off only the driver’s side of the bumper, and it seemed to make reassembly much easier. Has anyone here tried that as well?
Current: Blue 2018 Mazda 3 GT 5-Door
Previous: Blue 2010 Ford Focus SES,
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BLyons
Posts: 226
Joined: Sun May 24, 2015 12:22 am

Honestly, taking the bumper off is extremely simple and only takes a couple minutes. I'd rather do that than mess with the filter and fuse box, and taking it half off seems likely to stress the points where it's still attached, which I would rather not do with a part that is next to impossible to replace.
Black 2011 Sport SLS AWD
KlutzNinja
Posts: 286
Joined: Wed Dec 04, 2019 6:58 am

BLyons wrote:Honestly, taking the bumper off is extremely simple and only takes a couple minutes. I'd rather do that than mess with the filter and fuse box, and taking it half off seems likely to stress the points where it's still attached, which I would rather not do with a part that is next to impossible to replace.
Thank you for the feedback. I had the same concern when watching the video. The cost of replacing the bumper versus just undoing a couple more screws and doing more work to reassemble everything isn’t worth it. I still haven’t done it; I’m trying to leave work before it gets dark :lol: . And I didn’t have a screwdriver short enough to fit under the bumper without the car being jacked. I’ll try to park it on my sloped driveway where the angle meets the flat garage floor and do the procedure there.
Thanks again.
Current: Blue 2018 Mazda 3 GT 5-Door
Previous: Blue 2010 Ford Focus SES,
Black 2013 Kizashi Sport GTS-L (CVT; FWD)(RIP)
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KuroNekko
Posts: 5170
Joined: Wed Aug 15, 2012 5:08 pm
Location: California, USA

Removing the bumper isn't hard and is going to give you much better access to the headlight for removal. I wrote a tutorial on it a while ago. Find it here:
viewtopic.php?f=32&t=2861

Also, you should always replace the headlight bulbs in pairs. If one goes out, the other is likely on its way out. For the Kizashi, it's a best practice to replace in pairs given the access issues. And lastly, yes, the Kizashi is known to have headlight bulbs that blow out faster than normal. This, combined with the access issues, is a good reason to upgrade to HIDs or LEDs in my opinion.
2011 Suzuki Kizashi Sport GTS 6MT (Black)
Tom Kizzie
Posts: 210
Joined: Thu Jan 18, 2018 11:04 am

Yep headlightbulbs always as a set of 2. Also chances are you get different light if you replace only one.
kizashi 6mt black
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