does anyone know where i can find instructions to change these headlights out. I am going to put 10k or 12k hid's in as soonas i find out how.

Have fun!:rolleyes:....

That diagram is pretty helpful. You just have to figure it out first. Lol

Jack up the car and take off the wheel.
Take off all the pop-rivots and screws holding the wheel well in place.
Take the wheel well completely off.
The front bumper is held on by two bolts/screws, take those out and that side of the bumper will slide out (you will have to give it some force.
The headlight is held in by two bolts. Take those out, and then the headlight will slide out (with a little bit of force).
Good luck with it.

holy s$#t all that for a HEADLIGHT what is wrong with ten minutes of work. well guess i know what i am doing this weekend
thanks guys

No problem. Lol

Good luck with it. It is time consuming, but you will find that it is pretty simple.

Yea, I had a loose connection on my 09 bu headlight when we first got it. I took it to the dealer figuring it was a quick fix...... they ended up keeping the car overnight. I stopped in at the shop and looked at it and it looked like the whole front end was off of the car.

well, atleast i know what i can look forward too!

lol i don't knowif i want to get in to it. I might just let a custom shop put it in

Ahh... don't bother paying that much, it is really not that bad of a job. Set aside a little bit and you should be good to go.

I thought there was a federal reg for how long it it should take the average person to change a broken headlamp, like 15 minutes. It should not take an hour to change a bulb, especially at night in the middle of nowhere! Something has to be done!

This is insane! Why would you engineer a new car and make it this difficult to change headlight bulbs.

I think all of those instructions were to change the whole headlight assembly out, not just the bulb. ;)

Haha... Nope... It was to just change the bulb. Lol

The entire top engine cover has to come off, then the inner wheels wells, the wheel, the front bumper, the headlight bracket assembly... Then and only then can you get to the headlight. Lol

Are you serious? You have to completely remove the headlight assembly just to change the bulb? WTF!

I just looked at the owners manual for our 06 and it says you just have to lift the hood then unscrew the 2 bolts holding the headlight in then take the headlight out and replace the bulbs.
Why the hell would they make it so damn complicated on the newer Malibus?

So, which is it? Do we really need to "The entire top engine cover has to come off, then the inner wheels wells, the wheel, the front bumper, the headlight bracket assembly..."?

I can't tell from under the hood how changing the "light sources" can be accomplished.

Yea... By engine cover I meant that piece that goes from the bumper to the frame.

And, you can ONLY access that headlight from behind them, not from on top.

Don't all you new Bu owners feel like this is the only car that you have to take the front bumper off to change a bulb. I used to own a 02 Nissan Altima that you also had to take the bumper off to change a bulb. Just look at the configuration of most of the new cars and just how many do you think have the same problem?

Form over function I guess. I do remember my dad had a Sentra that required removal of the entire air intake to replace one of the headlights. I am not looking forward to this process on the Malibu, maybe they just want to ensure repair shops get some business. Does anyone have a picture guide to the bumper removal/light bulb change out process?

Where can I find the Instructions on how to change the Headlight bulbs? With all of this Daytime Driving Lights; they are already Burnt out!
Thanks!

Sorry, I did find it. I was on the wrong Page.
Thanks,
Ron

That diagram is pretty helpful. You just have to figure it out first. Lol

Jack up the car and take off the wheel.
Take off all the pop-rivots and screws holding the wheel well in place.
Take the wheel well completely off.
The front bumper is held on by two bolts/screws, take those out and that side of the bumper will slide out (you will have to give it some force.
The headlight is held in by two bolts. Take those out, and then the headlight will slide out (with a little bit of force).
Good luck with it.

You can get detaild instructions for removing the Fascia At roadmasterinc.com.The instructions are very complete with pictures. The site is for Towing base plates. Just look up the plate that fits your car and you will find downloadable instructions. There is one catch 22 If you have a 2010 ltz like mine, there are 2 bolts at the top of the Fascia that connect the Fascia to the fender. You must remove the headlights to reach these bolts. Installing the baseplate as I will do is much Harder. I'm so old I can't do it anywhay. The chevy bodyshop will get my $200 to do the job I hope this helps

holy s$#t all that for a HEADLIGHT what is wrong with ten minutes of work. well guess i know what i am doing this weekend
thanks guys

That is why I got rid of my 2009 Malibu. I found it unconscionable that GM would do something like this.

That is why I got rid of my 2009 Malibu. I found it unconscionable that GM would do something like this.

:confused:

If that was the only reason, that doesn't make a lot of sense, given the big depreciation hit. If you just didn't like the car for other reasons, that's completely understandable.

I have a 10 year old minivan and I've only changed 1 headlight bulb. For my 1999 Miata, I've only had to change 1 bulb.

However, given the extra work/cost to get to the bulbs, I would recommend to others to change both sides while they have the front end off.

What usually sucks when you have the dealer do a job like this, is that they want you to buy the bulbs from them (paying dealer prices). And if you don't want to, you have to go through the whole song and dance with them on why they won't warranty the work since they don't know where you got the cheap (i.e., Ebay) bulbs from and they couldn't be expected to warranty the work (though there's some truth in that too if you do buy a cheap bulb from a questionable source).

I did have to replace my headlights; but that is not the only reason for the trade in. I was having problems exiting and entering, because of my nuero muscular disease. I purchased a SUV.

I have a 10 year old minivan and I've only changed 1 headlight bulb. For my 1999 Miata, I've only had to change 1 bulb.

However, given the extra work/cost to get to the bulbs, I would recommend to others to change both sides while they have the front end off.


I will probably replace the whole headlamp assemblies. Where I park, I usually start noticing the lens clouding after about 5 years.

That is why I got rid of my 2009 Malibu. I found it unconscionable that GM would do something like this.

FYI, many new cars are set up like this. The added structure for all the new crash standards sometimes forces this....

I wouldn't have to do all this just to replace a light bulb would I? Cant you just insert a light bulb in from under the hood?

Unless you've got an older generation Bu you have to.

Bassackwards engineering by GM and people wonder why they almost tanked before Uncle Sam bailed them out :(

last night i finished installing 6k low beams and 10k highbeams. 2-3hr endeavor. anyways. I tested the fit and they were snug in there. hi's low's all worked fine, so i put everything back together. After running for about 50secs-1 1/2min the lights start shaking/bouncing. Are the lights defective or did i do something wrong? please help thanks

Are the bulbs actually moving within the housing, or does it look more like the light output is surging and then falling off?

Checkout this thread:
http://www.chevymalibuforum.com/forums/showthread.php?p=38233#post38233

This might help!

it kinda looks like a sticky fog lamp. definitely not moving in the housing. I called the place were i bought them and they told me to wait a 2-3 days until the computer gets adjusted. If that dosn't work, i would need a "warning canceler". Which is totally legit, but it would make the bu's comp config similar to that of a higher end car i.e. bmw m-benz, that kinda thing. thanks for all your help.

Well, several new terms here. What is a sticky fog lamp, what is a "warning canceler", and what do they (or you) mean when they say it'll make the Bu's "comp config" similar to a beemer or MB?

I'm truly scratching my head trying to understand what that all means, and an explanation would go a long way to help me.

it looks like a jerking movement. I think the fog lamp thing was a typo but I can't remember what it was. Warning canceler is used to install HIDs on higher end cars that don't come with them. Give it a google. And if that's the case(malibu's needing them) then the way the set up is, done is similar to that of a higher end car?

The headlights get their voltage supply directly from the battery through a relay controlled by the BCM. All the BCM does is toggle the relay based on the position of the headlight switch or the auto lamp function. No way is there going to be any feedback from the lights to the computer. By the way which computer are you referring to? There are several in the car.

Warning cancellers are used to stop flicker due to headlamps being driven by an AC voltage. They change headlamp AC voltage to DC since HIDs require DC current. The warning canceller will not stop the flicker as the Malibu already uses DC current.

Bill

Well i was about to ask before reading the question, does having 6000k lows and 10000k highs cause the problem. I have 8000k lows and no flickering exists. I just need to figure out how to disable the lows when i wanna use my high beams, not that i really need to use them that much anymore.

Here's what I used as a preference to change my headlights to HID's on my 2010 Chevy Malibu LTZ.It's 99.9% right on the first page.

Here's the bulbs I used.
http://www.ddmtuning.com/Products/DDM-HID-Kit-Slim-Ballast-35W-or-55W

Here's how to take the bumper off.
http://www.egclassic.com/inventory/uploads/15772008ChevroletMalibuMeshGrille.pdf

Here's a website for the bulb number you will need too.
http://www.modifiedlife.com/2010-chevrolet-malibu-replacement-light-bulb-sizes/

Hope this helps everyone.It sure did for me.

Wow, the first real pictures of how to remove the front bumper cover!

Somebody should do a good how-to and add it to that section....

Here's what I used as a preference to change my headlights to HID's on my 2010 Chevy Malibu LTZ.It's 99.9% right on the first page.

Here's the bulbs I used.
http://www.ddmtuning.com/Products/DDM-HID-Kit-Slim-Ballast-35W-or-55W

Here's how to take the bumper off.
http://www.egclassic.com/inventory/uploads/15772008ChevroletMalibuMeshGrille.pdf

Hope this helps everyone.It sure did for me.

Question. Those are the cheapest HIDs I have seen, I haven't looked around a lot but they look nice. I would want to get atleast 8000k. If I have an LS what other things should I use on that page? H9 and H11 I think but how do I know which to get?

And in quantity does 1 mean you get 1 for each side, or 1 mean just 1 side?

Question. Those are the cheapest HIDs I have seen, I haven't looked around a lot but they look nice. I would want to get atleast 8000k. If I have an LS what other things should I use on that page? H9 and H11 I think but how do I know which to get?

And in quantity does 1 mean you get 1 for each side, or 1 mean just 1 side?

Here's a website for every bulb number you will need for any car or truck.But here's the one for a 2010 Malibu.

Chad,here's what I bought.I bought 2-Sets of the H11's (6000K)with a set of 55 watt ballast for my driving lights and a set of 35 watt's for my fog lights.When you buy from them,they come in sets.So when you buy 1,it means one set.

http://www.modifiedlife.com/2010-chevrolet-malibu-replacement-light-bulb-sizes/

Here's a website for every bulb number you will need for any car or truck.But here's the one for a 2010 Malibu.

Chad,here's what I bought.I bought 2-Sets of the H11's (6000K)with a set of 55 watt ballast for my driving lights and a set of 35 watt's for my fog lights.When you buy from them,they come in sets.So when you buy 1,it means one set.

http://www.modifiedlife.com/2010-chevrolet-malibu-replacement-light-bulb-sizes/

Have you had good luck with those HIDs?? $35 is so cheap for a set!

Have you had good luck with those HIDs?? $35 is so cheap for a set!

The $35 is just for the bulbs.

The $35 is just for the bulbs.

Tomx20---->

Silver LTZ is wrong.The 35 watt set is $35. And the 55 watt set is $45. The set comes with 2 bulbs and 2 ballast with all connections.So if you order a set of each then you will get 4 bulbs and 4 ballasts. They look great but when I go to turn on my 35 watt fog lights,they don't turn on sometimes but if I turn them off and back on, they work great. I don't know why that happens but I can live with it.These are my first set of HID's and I like them.Let me know if you have any more questions...

Tomx20---->

Silver LTZ is wrong.The 35 watt set is $35. And the 55 watt set is $45. The set comes with 2 bulbs and 2 ballast with all connections.So if you order a set of each then you will get 4 bulbs and 4 ballasts. They look great but when I go to turn on my 35 watt fog lights,they don't turn on sometimes but if I turn them off and back on, they work great. I don't know why that happens but I can live with it.These are my first set of HID's and I like them.Let me know if you have any more questions...

Wow, $35 for the ballasts and all?

Sorry, but I wouldn't put a $35 set of HID's in my car. Some corners had to be cut big time for it to be 1/4 the cost of most good sets....and when it comes to electrical/wiring/things that generate heat I would not take the chance.

I put the DDM tuning HID's in my car, my last car, and my parents car. No issues with any of their sets. My friends have the same kits also and no problems. Only thing is none of us run them off of the stock wiring, the power comes from the relay harness directly from the battery.
http://www.chevymalibuforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5555

I put the DDM tuning HID's in my car, my last car, and my parents car. No issues with any of their sets. My friends have the same kits also and no problems. Only thing is none of us run them off of the stock wiring, the power comes from the relay harness directly from the battery.
http://www.chevymalibuforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5555

I've used them too. For about $150-$225 depending on car, IMO they are the best ones out there.

Tomx20---->

Silver LTZ is wrong.The 35 watt set is $35. And the 55 watt set is $45. The set comes with 2 bulbs and 2 ballast with all connections.So if you order a set of each then you will get 4 bulbs and 4 ballasts. They look great but when I go to turn on my 35 watt fog lights,they don't turn on sometimes but if I turn them off and back on, they work great. I don't know why that happens but I can live with it.These are my first set of HID's and I like them.Let me know if you have any more questions...

Check your ground connections. I used to have a problem with the driver side hid in my Mustang, turned out to be a bad ground connection. A little sandpaper took care of that.

I put the DDM tuning HID's in my car, my last car, and my parents car. No issues with any of their sets. My friends have the same kits also and no problems. Only thing is none of us run them off of the stock wiring, the power comes from the relay harness directly from the battery.
http://www.chevymalibuforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5555

So are there kits that don't require a relay harness?? I've always had kits in my car that had them. What otter kinds of kits are there, and how do they connect differently from having a harness?

So are there kits that don't require a relay harness?? I've always had kits in my car that had them. What otter kinds of kits are there, and how do they connect differently from having a harness?
None of the kits require the relay harness, it is just a good investment. It provides direct voltage to the kit through 12 gauge wire (DDM relay harness at least) to the HID kit. This provides less stress on start up for the kit when the most power is needed, and this results (theoretically) in longer bulb and ballast life. The kit is $12.50 from DDM I think which really isn't much. The HID kit itself is plug and play, both the raptor and digital slim kits.

Check your ground connections. I used to have a problem with the driver side hid in my Mustang, turned out to be a bad ground connection. A little sandpaper took care of that.

I don't think it's the groung wire.Because I connected the wires to the orginal wiring.

So I went to the DDM website and it said,

(Use this relay harness to connect HIDs to cars with very small gauge wiring that cannot supply the initial surge current required to light the bulbs reliably. Symptoms indicating the harness is required would be intermittent starting or lights going out after being turned on for several minutes and requiring you to turn the lights off and back on for them to turn back on again.)

(Recommended for all 50W HID installations but most American and European cars work at 35W/50W without the harness. The harness is definitely recommended for Quad's and other ATVs or when running multiple HID installations. This harness is a fused relay isolation harness capable of supplying 40A at 12vdc.)

So I spent $36 more to make it right. I wish I would of bought these to begin with but I learn from my mistakes.Oh Well... So this should fix my lights from not coming on the first time I turn them on. Thanks for the info though Tomx20....

hey MAL I BOO: i was told that 10k and 12k arent that bright. i myself just purchased 8k and was told that they are alot brighter than the 10k and 12. just a little suggestion. helpful or not just wanted to let you know.

hey MAL I BOO: i was told that 10k and 12k arent that bright. i myself just purchased 8k and was told that they are alot brighter than the 10k and 12. just a little suggestion. helpful or not just wanted to let you know.

http://www.venturelighting.com/TechCenter/Lamps/Color%20Temp%20Chart.jpg

Color Chart for Light. Lumens is brightness.