How To Replace Headlight Housings and Bulbs
99-04 Mustang
Posted March 26th, 2008 by TheProfessor
Get: Highway driving had taken a toll on my headlights. We take the stock, hazy headlights on the 2002 Mustang and replace them with a smoked, clear corner version from American Muscle. We also show how to replace bulbs and aim the new headlights.
Don't forget to watch the Headlight Sealing Episode
What You'll Need
New Headlights! Well only if the ones you have are worn out like mine. I fell in love with the smoked version with clear corners. They are a little darker than stock but don't affect light output. Pictures and even video don't quite show how good they look in person.
Bulbs: 9007 for the headlight and 3157 for the parking/turn signal light. I used generic ones for the turn signal but insist on something brighter like Silverstar or Luminics bulbs for the high/low beam.
Bulb Grease: Some auto parts stores will tape the bulb grease packets to the headlights as if they come free with the bulbs. They are not free but definitely convenient–go ahead and splurge, your car deserves it.
Tape Measure: You want to be able to measure up to 25 ft when aiming your headlights.
Tape or Chalk: To mark your beam when aiming
Flat Wall and Level Ground: Surprisingly hard to find if you don't have a flat driveway.
Applications
This video is specific to the Ford Mustang (1999-2004) but the aiming measurements and process are almost identical for other cars. Note: some cars let you make horizontal and vertical adjustments.
Notes and Warnings
You'll probably break the little clips that hold the headlight harness to the bulbs. That's life.
Original Transcript
70,000 miles of highway driving will take a toll on plastic headlights. As we zoom in you can see thousands of little dents that give the headlight a foggy look. Even the sides are peeling!
I tried some quick fix products and wet sanding but they didn't work or I just didn't do it right.
I decided to replace them with a set of these smoked clear corners. They will add that perfectly new shine and a cleaner, meaner look to the front end.
In the next five minutes we'll show you what to do before installing your headlights, how to remove them, what not to do when replacing bulbs and how to aim your new headlights.
I'd like to thank American Muscle for sending over this new set of headlights and making this episode possible. If you want the same parts for your car stop by americanmuscle.com. The free shipping is a nice bonus.
This headlight is a bit darker than a stock, smoked headlight and it has a clean, clear reflector instead of an orange one.
American Muscle recommends sealing any aftermarket headlight assembly with silicone to prevent moisture from collecting inside the headlight. Lucky for you, we have a devoted a separate video to headlight sealing. Check it out at autohow.tv or americanmuscle.com
These headlights are some of the easiest to change. Start by pulling out the two slider pins that hold the headlight in place. Using some force pop the headlight forward a bit being careful not to scratch your bumper. Now with the extra space you can pull off the main headlight connector. The clips that hold it on are usually broken or break no matter how gently you try to remove it so don't get upset if it happens to you.
You also need to disconnect the parking and turn signal light connector before removing the entire assembly.
I am reusing these headlight bulbs since they are practically new. A small collar keeps it in place. Turn it counterclockwise and pull it off and then remove the bulb carefully. You want to be sure that at no time you touch the glass part of the bulb with your hands or dirty gloves. The oil left behind can cause bulb failure like shown here. If you are clumsy a pair of latex gloves would be a good idea.
The new headlight has an identical setup. Remove the collar and the plug and then install your headlight bulb. The flat part of the bulb connector will point towards the top of the headlight, or in this case, the ground. Reattach the collar and make sure it is tight.
Now we can move to the turn signal and parking light socket. Again, turn the socket counter-clockwise and remove.
One tip I recommend is using bulb grease wherever an electrical connection is being made. This grease will seal out moisture and dirt--one little packet should be enough.
I decided to install brand new amber bulbs since it's been a while. Just pop them in doing your best not to touch the bulb glass and then reinstall them. I went back and added some grease to the headlight connection and a little to the parking light connector too.
Now we're getting close to the seeing the final result! Reattach the two harnesses and then line up the two guide pins with the corresponding holes prior to giving the headlight a push into place. When everything is properly seated you should be able to reinstall the slider pins with ease.
Before you take off down the street you want to make sure your lights are aimed properly. Find a flat wall and pull up as close as possible with your lights on. Take a few pieces of tape and mark the center of the beam. Back the car up and take note of how far the beam moves--in this case you can see it drop pretty quickly. You want to measure it out so you are 25 feet from the wall and make sure you are doing this on level ground.
You may not have noticed before but there is a small adjustment screw on the top of the headlight towards the center of the car. You can use a 6 mm allen wrench to turn the adjuster which will move the headlight up or down. Adjust the headlights so they are 2-3 inches below that original mark.
Looks like we are good to go. And here are a few more shots of the new, sinister look! Another great mod!
