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Headlight bulb replacement alternative?

226K views 76 replies 38 participants last post by  cavalier012882 
#1 ·
I've read some threads where you need to remove the front bumper, wheel well covers etc to get to the lights, is all that necessary? Can I just partially remove the wheel well to replace just the bulb? :confused:
 
#2 ·
There is no way around it, you will have to take the bumper off. At the most you would be able to change the turn signal bulbs without taking the bumper off. The headlights are bolted to the body and the bulb is recessed behind that. You don't have to remove the wheel well completely though.
 
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#4 ·
My thoughts exactly. Had I done my homework I seriously would have left the car on the lot for this. There is only one way to speak to corporate fools and that is through the checkbook. I've been doing some car shopping lately, and this is one more thing I now check for. Can I do simple maintenance without my rollaway, etc?
 
#5 ·
I thought we were the only ones with this issue but I found out on my friends new Ford Fusion (2012) its the same thing. Drivers headlight is manageable but you'll get some scrapes, though for the passenger side you have to remove the bumper and fender lining to get to the bulbs, not to mention the wiring harness is EXTREMELY short.

Mainly this is due to the fact that newer cars have less issues which means less visits to the dealer for maintenance (a way for them to make money). So what they did was make the small things "Dealership only" service so you have to come in for some reason. It was hilarious when I tried looking in the manual for the Malibu on how to adjust the headlights and it said something like "Pre-adjusted, if adjustment needed bring to dealer". All you really needed was a long flat head screwdriver and common sense lol.
 
#7 ·
Its not too bad, once you do it a few times you can knock out a side in about 45-60 min. Good luck.
 
#11 ·
I don't care how long it takes. The fact that I have to remove part of the body to change a light bulb that is required for driving at night is crazy. As mentioned above, what happens when I'm out of town, and a light goes out. I absolutely will NOT take my car to a dealer or anyone else. But all I can do now is cry about it... This is the only vehicle I've ever owned that I can't change the headlights in a few minutes with NO tools...
 
#13 ·
If it takes you an hour each said after getting use to it I think your doing something wrong. I can have the bumper off in 10-15 minutes tops now, from there the headlights are on with 2 bolts which is a minute each side. Theres only about 12 screws to remove and maybe 6 plastic push pins. The hardest part is getting the bolt from inside the fender lining attaching the top of the bumper to the fender
 
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#14 ·
I may just take a crack at it one of these days just to see what the hype is all about. Slap some Silverstars in that thing too (not going HID unless its with a projector retrofit).
 
#15 ·
Before starting the project have a blanket under the bumper that extends a couple feet in front of it as well. When it comes off it'll want to lay down. If you have factory fogs the wires will make it hinge and fall on its face. If not you can either set it down right there or walk it over to another blanket.

Turn the wheels, too. The one bolt behind each fender liner is a PITA. I left it out when I reinstalled my bumper. Do it first so you can flex the bumper as you remove the remaining fasteners. That way you can tell if you missed one. (Yeah, I did! ;))
 
#18 ·
Thanks for the tip Driven.

I'm thinking the same thing, Silverstars before they go out on their own who knows where. I agree on the HID's too...
Make it sort of a weekend project, better at home in the garage with a cold beer than anywhere else...lol
 
#17 ·
I put Silver Star Ultras in mine several months ago. In the past when I put them in my cars (3 or 4 before this) I could tell a marked difference. This time, though, it wasn't as noticeable. They're the same wattage but instead of about 2700K they're more like 4000K. Still a little on the yellowish side but whiter. If you've had yours for some time you might see a bigger difference since mine were nearly new when I replaced them.
 
#20 ·
At least the rear tail lights/turn signals are still a easy bulb replacement we can do on our own. Probably a matter of time before that becomes a trip to the dealership. Im over two years with my Bu and developing anxiety over the dreaded front light going. I wonder if turning the auto light off for daytime driving would extend the life of the headlights ?, just a thought guy's.....female here.
 
#58 ·
I wonder if turning the auto light off for daytime driving would extend the life of the headlights ?
Definitely. The bulb doesn't care if it's daylight or dark, any time it's on you're inducing wear. Turning it off will certainly extend their life and this is one main reason why I always turn the DRLs off as a standard practice.

From Sylvania's website:

H11 Halogen (not Ultra) headlight - part #: H11 1250 +/- 150 lumens 550 hrs

H11 Ultras are expected to last 12-18 months.

It's not a ba-jillion, but 500 hours at an average 30 mph (town plus freeway) is about 15,000 miles. For me that's a little over a year. However, I modified my DRLs to use the turn signals instead of the low beams, and I don't do anywhere near 50% of my driving at night. So they should last 2, 3, or more years in my car.

I honestly thought I had seen that they lasted more like 2000 hours. Thanks for asking and allowing me to see it from their website instead of just seeing it in my memory (or what there is left of it)!
That seems like an awfully short lifespan, I agree that I would have expected MANY more hours. I actually can't recall ever having a burned out headlight on a modern GM vehicle, even ones that I bought brand new or nearly new and drove to 80-120k miles/12+ years old - they still had original headlight bulbs after all that time, and I do plenty of night driving. Some of them used the headlights for DRL purposes and I wasn't always able to easily defeat that feature, but still they lasted. Are the stock Gen 7 Malibu bulbs much lower quality than older halogens? Even the old sealed beam halogens seemed to last forever, not to mention the fact that some of us with antiques are still driving around with Power Beam and T-3 sealed beams that are 40+ years old (granted they get much dimmer with age than a halogen due to usage-related discoloration inside the glass housing.) Just seems like headlight bulbs are becoming about as disposable as wiper blades.
 
#21 ·
Yes, it will. But the bulbs should supposedly outlast the car. They're rated for a ba-jillion hours.

The turn signals will probably need replaced before that, but it takes the same effort to change them as the headlights - bumper removal.
 
#23 ·
From Sylvania's website:

H11 Halogen (not Ultra) headlight - part #: H11 1250 +/- 150 lumens 550 hrs

H11 Ultras are expected to last 12-18 months.

It's not a ba-jillion, but 500 hours at an average 30 mph (town plus freeway) is about 15,000 miles. For me that's a little over a year. However, I modified my DRLs to use the turn signals instead of the low beams, and I don't do anywhere near 50% of my driving at night. So they should last 2, 3, or more years in my car.

I honestly thought I had seen that they lasted more like 2000 hours. Thanks for asking and allowing me to see it from their website instead of just seeing it in my memory (or what there is left of it)!
 
#26 ·
I'll definitely consider those if/when these burn out. I've used SS Ultras on several vehicles but never owned any of them long enough for the bulbs to possibly burn out. The most recent was a '97 Grand Prix. Owned it for just over 2 years before the 3100 started leaking everywhere in the middle of winter and 20-degree temps. Pushed it off a cliff (so to speak) and got my '09 but never changed the bulbs in that.

Changed 'em on this one and they're a little brighter but not near the obvious change as the '97. When you changed yours to the XP bulbs did you see a small change, medium change, or drastic change?
 
#27 ·
Changed 'em on this one and they're a little brighter but not near the obvious change as the '97. When you changed yours to the XP bulbs did you see a small change, medium change, or drastic change?
You are aware that the "relative brightness" charts compare against old, tired halogen bulbs, aren't you? :p

None of them are that much brighter if all is new.

RwP
 
#31 ·
The guy at my dealership told me when mine do go out he would charge me $25 plus me buying the bulbs, Im gonna take him up on that offer, and while were in there, Im replacing all the incandescent bulbs with LED's, just one less thing to worry about.
 
#34 ·
On a slighly different note. GM is known for using inadequate wiring thickness (gauge) for their headlight circuit. There are aftermarket headlight harnesses for some GM cars that feature upgraded gauge wire. The wire gauge contributes to headlight longevity and headlight brightness. While I kinda doubt that anybody offers an upgraded wire harness for the Malibu, an industrious person with electrical talent could easily manufacure their own using the original sockets and connectors.
 
#35 ·
You CAN use a generic "HID Relay Harness" for your lights.

That's what I've got on my low beam halogens (I have HIDs on the high beam).

And as I'm adding the factory fogs (a 2000 Malibu), I'll be using an almost identical harness to drive them, so I can convert to HIDs on them also.

RwP
 
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