removing head lights?

[z_boi]

Hi guys!, Well, I'm new to z cars and i was wondering how do u remove the head lights, i have an 78 280 and the low beams are out. i tried to remove them but i dont now how to. I dont want to damage anything. Thanks!

[EScanlon]

BEFORE you go disassembling everything, and it CAN become that, why not check to make sure of the following:

1) fuses. You'll learn this soon, so here it is in a lump. The fuses are NOTORIOUS for appearing good, but in fact NOT letting current through. Pull them, and do a continuity check. If that's the problem you're done.

2) check for power to each of the lights at the front wiring harness below the radiator and in front. You'll see two large connectors, one for each headlight. Check with a multimeter to ground. You should get 12v from one of the wires to ground. If you don't get power on ANY of the wires THAT'S your problem.

If yoiu do get power on both sides, then you need to check the lamps themselves. It's just real unusual for BOTH lowbeams to go out together unless the car has not been maintained.

If you do have to replace the lamps, see if you can access the front of the retaining ring from the front of the car. It's tricky since the tab holes there are for alignment of the lamp and not necessarily for removal. If you can, then replace the lamps then. You might also for replacement lamps that would allow you to substitue H4 style bulbs.

If you cannot get the retaining ring off from the front, then you have to do the dreaded access from inside the fender routine.

Wash inside the fender with a power wand. You might want to go to a car wash for this, and spray the BACK of the headlamp assembly to clean it off as well as possible. Go home, jack up the car, remove the wheel and then look inside.

You'll notice that the headlamp "acorn" is held to the fender support with 4 Phillips SCREWS. Which will in all probability strip out their heads if you don't apply pressure properly. So be careful, otherwise you'll have to vise grip them out. Once you get the screws out, BE EXTREMELY CAREFUL of the rubber gasket between the acorn cup and the fender support as these are NO LONGER AVAILABLE and you need them to space the headlamp assembly in the buckets properly.

Now you can access the retaining ring and change out the lamp.

Reassembly is the reverse of removal.

Hope this helps.

Enrique Scanlon

[Bambikiller240]

Perhaps other have been able to remove the headlights from the front, but I've NEVER been able to do so.

To Enrique's post, I'd add that when you do get the headlight buckets (acorns) off of the car, do yourself a favor and replace the phillips head screws with cap screws (preferably stainless steel ones) which use a allen wrench to install/remove. Next time that you need to get at the headlights your job will be much easier and you'll have far less likehood of stripping out the screw heads.

[z_boi]

when i got the car , the low beams were already out, so im not sure. I have alrealy checked the fuses, but maybe i'll check them again, WEll, THANKS!

[thefastestz]

I removed the headlights without even removing the wheel there are a few screws behind the headlight is the fender well. the assembley just comes off , replace the bulb and put it back.

Sounds easy but it would help the remove the wheel. It was fustrating for me trying it without removing the wheel. I did this on a 73 240Z.

[Royce]

Yes, first test current across the fuses and inspect any wire connectors.

If you must perform surgery, do it right. Take off the front wheels. You can try to short cut things, sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. By the way since your car is a '78 it should have a plastic cover that you have to remove before you can get to the screws that hold on the headlight bucket. Sometimes they get broken or left off during reassembly. Hopefully yours are in place because it will have done a better job preserving you screws and maybe they will not be so tuff. The big problem is fitting you hand in there. A long screwdriver will help.

Have fun! Hope it helps!