Honda Civic high beams
filed in 1994 Honda Civic
Question: The right side high beam light has burnt out on my 91 Honda Civic hatch back. This is the inner lamp assembly. I checked the fuses and they’re intact and the connections are fine so I’m assuming its the bulb. I was wondering how you remove the light from the housing to change the bulb. The owner’s manual doesn’t show the process for the headlights (but every other), but I figure it’s similar. There appear to be locking collars around the bulb holder. Do I twist just the bulb holder and pull to remove or do I have to turn the plastic collar as well (it’s ridged and about 3 1/2 ” in diameter)? I tried doing both but they won’t budge so I’m wondering if I’m forgetting something before I go and apply some serious force. Don’t want to wreck them so I’d appreciate any advice!
Thanks!!!
Simply twist the outer locking ring about 1/4 turn (there are arrows on the ring, if you can get a light and your head down there to look). The locking ring only turns a small amount, and does not come off. Once the outer ring has been turned (unlocked), the quartz element (bulb) pulls out from the rear. It’s easiest to do a bulb removal/replacement after the electrical connector has been de-mated. Road grime and dirt tend to make the outer ring tough to turn the first time. ……Yes, all you do is just twist the outer collar. If it hasn’t been opened in a long time, be prepared for a lot of aggravation. When I had to replace the bulb on my mother’s ‘91 Civic, it took me nearly 20 minutes of playing and grunting to get it loose. My tip: Take a flathead screwdriver, and place the tip into one of the grooves in the collar. Tap the end of the screwdriver sharply a couple of times, and it will come off. Too bad it took me a lot of aggravation to figure that one out.
I wonder why there are instructions in the owner’s manual for replacing EVERY other bulb on the car, except for the most important ones! Go figure…
I’ve got a ‘90 CRX that recently blew a low beam bulb. Assuming they’re mounted the same way: Just the ring turns, not the bulb or its connector. On my CRX, the ring took quite a bit of effort to ‘break’ it loose before it turned the rest of the way. Enough force that I was concerned about breaking something, but at the time, I wasn’t 100% sure I was turning the right piece the right way. The service manual wasn’t too clear on this. I don’t recall now which way the ring turns, but something must have clued me in. Perhaps a close look between the ring and the bulb ( with a mirror ) will show the proper direction.
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