Advice needed for replacing headlight bulb

[sh0rtlife]

with how our cars are built the poot is more about "dirt" than water//ie mostly dust

the boot being "glued" to the bulb is pretty normal on H4 bulbs..it basicly evetualy just gets stuck ther, be it something from the 50s or something 10+ years old
the H4 just has a really nice wide surface are for the boot to stick to..a lil dielectric grease here is your friend...carb/brake clean is good for softening the rubber off the bulb to get them to slip off..i do this on motorcycle grips all the time..and those are actualy glued on

i think another option for doing the headlights would be to go thru the fender liner...i know you can do the fogs thru there blindly..but i think the headlight bulb basicly sits squarly on top of the frame rail

[RMcG]

Originally Posted by CrimsonEclipse

One side went, and I pulled off the bumper, then accidentally tore the boot because it fused on. Not sure if it was because of heat damage or age or whatever, either way, boot went by by

I just left it off since I didn't have time to find a replacement. I've had no problem with it in 2 years of rain and snow.

Other side went out, (right side) and just reached in and cut off the boot, declipped the bulb assembly and replaced the bulb.

The car is good for another 5 years, it'll hold until then

Hi Crimson,

If you follow the links in the post about replacing the boot they go for about $15 each. I managed to save my boot and have been playing around with the boot and the "old" bulb I removed from the car prior to putting in the new bulb. I was out feeling around in the empty headlight bulb socket in the car a few minutes ago and I think I can replace the bulb (with the boot) just by feel as described in my previous post. I will let everybody know how it goes.

QUESTION(S): sh0rtlife, you are talking about using dielectric grease where the collar of the boot contacts the headlight bulb to keep the boot from sticking to the bulb, correct?

Some youtube videos recommend putting dielectric grease on the contacts of the headlight bulb.

How important is it to use dielectric grease on the contacts of the headlight bulb (before reconnecting the cable to the bulb)?

Thanks,

R.

[RMcG]

I plan to put the new bulb in the car in a day or two. I have attached some pictures showing how I plan to do this.

#1 I will put the new bulb back in the metal socket in the car by feel, being careful not to touch the glass with my bare fingers.
The large tab (facing up in picture 1) is at the top when inserted in the socket.
#2 I will secure the bulb in the socket by using the spring clip and compressing the two ends of the clip between my thumb and forefinger.
I can do this by feel, not sight, I already checked. It seems to be easy to do this with the boot off. So it should be easier to put the spring back on
than it was to get the spring off with the boot in place.
#3 After I secure the bulb in place I will put a little dielectric grease inside the collar of the black rubber boot, with the boot in a horn shape
and slide it on the the bulb (see picture 2)). (The boot is in a horn shape at this point, but will be collapsed out of its horn shape at the end of the operation.)
#4 There is a round ledge of rubber on the inside boot where the boot contacts the bulb, see picture 3) which is looking down into the
boot attached to the bulb, with the boot in a horn shape.
#5 I will push on the ledge inside the boot with the end of a large regular (not Phillip's head) screw driver. I will push all around the ledge
until the boot is tightly on the bulb, see picture 4).
#6 I will collapse the boot, so that it is no longer in the horn shape, but is “telescoped” (see picture 5).
#7 I will then reattach the bulb to the wires that power the battery via the connector and apply dielectric grease to the connector.

I walked down the local Toyota Dealer here and asked the head of the service department if it was OK to apply dielectric grease to the rubber
boot (to keep it from sticking to the bulb in the future) and he said, “yes.” (I was worried that a silicon based rubber would be degraded by the
dielectric grease.) He said that a lot of times you can twist the boot and it will release and stop sticking to the bulb.

Thanks,

R.

[RMcG]

I replaced the old bulb with a new one, a Sylvania SilverStar 9003. Things went pretty much according to plan with the replacement, but I had some trouble "feeling" if the boot was pushed all the way in with the screwdriver.

Unfortunately the problem persists, see my new thread Headlight problem persists after new bulb here.

Thanks to everybody for their input and interest.

R.