How To: Replace Headlight Bulbs [Archive]

derrick1623

04-30-2002, 05:18 PM

mp301guy

05-01-2002, 01:53 PM

what size are the low beams for the mp3?

ZoomZoomH

05-01-2002, 01:56 PM

IIRC, MP3s and all sedans have H4 headlight bulbs, which is a combo low/high beam bulb...

P5s have separate low/high beam bulbs...

lazymfg

10-29-2002, 02:08 AM

do u guys know if the headlights need to be re-aimed after putting in new bulbs? cause mine seems to be shooting downwards now. thx

Equinox

10-29-2002, 02:11 AM

Originally posted by lazymfg
do u guys know if the headlights need to be re-aimed after putting in new bulbs? cause mine seems to be shooting downwards now. thx

that actualy sounds like the headlight bulb is not pushed into the housing all the way, otherwise your aftermarket bulb may be made different but I woudl just check the fitment of your bulb

ZoomZoomH

10-29-2002, 09:03 AM

Originally posted by lazymfg
do u guys know if the headlights need to be re-aimed after putting in new bulbs? cause mine seems to be shooting downwards now. thx

you shouldn't have to, as the adjustment of the reflectors is a totally separate control from the bracket that holds the bulb in place.

check to make sure your bulb is inserted all the way in.

lazymfg

10-29-2002, 02:15 PM

ya its all the way in and it seems to be pointing a little upwards but the beam is pretty much all right in front of the car, i mean, i dont even think its even giving me 20-30 ft of lighting cause i almost hit a dog the other nite. a little more detail on how its supposed to be positioned would be muchly appreciated. thx

MCLi

09-21-2003, 09:22 PM

Would losing or tighten the screw on the clip have an effect on the bulb adjustment?

loccusst

11-02-2003, 02:42 PM

what is the low beam bulb for the mp5?

cyc

11-02-2003, 08:14 PM

loccusst

11-07-2003, 08:24 PM

thanks

Minus

11-10-2003, 03:51 PM

just look on the sides of the bulbs... it tells you what size they are
and if you cant find it get out your owners manual

Kooldino

11-10-2003, 03:55 PM

Any mp3 guys try those sylvania bulbs?

Minus

11-10-2003, 03:56 PM

nah, the silver stars? is that what you're talking about?

loccusst

11-13-2003, 09:07 PM

I'm lazy and my wife had the car. Thats why i asked. lol.

Poseur

11-16-2003, 02:51 AM

Okay, so hopefully I'm not the only moron who had this experience, and I'm gonna take the excuse of it being midnight when I was doing this, and I only had my trusty little petzl light to see by, so it was tricky in the tight quarters back behind the bulbs, but I could not for the life of me figure out how the clip worked. I was thinking perhaps it was 2 parts, or some weird thing. I actually got a bit frustrated and started using the calculated force method. Managed to wiggle it out from under the top side of the clip before I figured something was wrong and checked on the other side, finally it came to me and I realised I'm a retard spent like a half hour sitting there thinking "there's got to be a better way, they couldn't be THIS stupid"....

Okay ppl, so if you havne't done this before, the "clip" is a bent piece of wire that's hinged on the passenger side, and there's a "tab" on the driver's side that you can sorta unclip from the piece it hooks on, then the whole wire-clip thing all swings over to the pass side.

loccusst

11-16-2003, 10:23 AM

Don't worry about it... I spent an hour before I realised I need the adapter off of the oem h7 bulb for the new one. I was trying to come up with ways to rig it. lol

RX7jeff

11-22-2003, 01:31 PM

I just changed my drivers side low beam and had ALL of the above mentioned probs, could'nt figure out the wire clip, the ?!@#%!?! bulb holder would'nt fit back in flush,...a 2 minute job that took 1/2 hour. LOL
Some pic's might have helped.

BlkMica_03

11-25-2003, 10:27 AM

ok can you guys tell me how to get that damn clip on and for the bulb to be flush???

RX7jeff

11-25-2003, 05:36 PM

9ringer

01-06-2004, 08:29 PM

Thanks, I had already changed them before and didnt REMEMBER that I had to take off the black adapter piece.

Kansei

02-20-2004, 04:34 AM

I'm pretty sure you have to have the light in there sitting flush before you try to reset the clip,...it took quite a while of dicking around/trial/error to get mine in there.
Note: on the drivers side you can lift the plastic resovour out of the way with a quick tug straight up, that will give you more room to work/look.
I would suggest having a actual look at the clip with the bulb/bulb holder out of there to see how it works.
I'm digging up a really old thread here... anyways, is there something that you can easily move out of the way on the passenger side so get the bulb in? It took me a while to get the driver's side in, and I didn't want to attempt the passenger side because I was so far away from home and would need headlights to see. It looks really tight in there though.

Now it's pretty embarrassing because I have one silverstar and one normal :(

Mxyzptlk

02-20-2004, 03:05 PM

I dont think so. Passenger side always the hardest for me cause theres not much room to hold the bulb and mess with the clip

Kansei

02-21-2004, 06:44 AM

I dont think so. Passenger side always the hardest for me cause theres not much room to hold the bulb and mess with the clip
Got the bulb in.. and it wasn't that hard, I just removed the dust cover and put it back on after the bulb was clipped in.

raku

02-25-2004, 02:51 PM

i coudlnt get the metal paper clip liek thing back in so i just electrical taped thebulbs in, is that really bad? haha they seem to be alligned really poorly now haha.

Mxyzptlk

02-25-2004, 06:52 PM

uh yes... tape is bad. You have to bring the clip over towards the bulb and up wards a bit. Hard to explain but try and pinch the square part of the clip in so that you can hook it into place.

elfhearse

02-25-2004, 08:22 PM

Another tip for the H7 on the P5. The round bulb base has a square edge tip and two ridges about 45° off of this square tip (install the square tip portion at 12 o-clock OR pointing up.) That was the biggest PITA - putting the bulb back in 'cause I didn't pay attention when I pulled it out. Very little room to work with on the passenger side due to location of the wiper fluid fill tube & power steering reservoir.
The sheet metal edge of the pass. fender inside lip put a nice rip on the edge of my hand too. (wear Mechanix gloves next time?)
and of course : never touch the bulb / don't cross the streams.

grindMARC

04-04-2004, 06:27 PM

do u guys know if the headlights need to be re-aimed after putting in new bulbs? cause mine seems to be shooting downwards now. thx
As other said, your bulb wasn't in properly. Its not the best design in the world. I pulled the car up in front of a wall after I swapped out the bulbs and I noticed one was low (and dim) too. I came up with a little trick to make sure they're in properly. Put your hand on the back of the bulb and then look through the headlight lens from outside the car. You want to see the entire base of the bulb all the way around the hole where the bulb pops through. Then its seated properly.

Oh, and the pic in the manual is your best bet on figurinng out that clip holding the bulb in place.

Black Majik MSP

04-27-2004, 12:35 PM

Just put my Osram Silverstars in...only took about 10 minutes & I could probably do it in 5 now.

Black Majik MSP

04-30-2004, 03:56 AM

Verdict is that the Osrams are awesome. The light isn't colored, just a very bright white. I always used to have to turn my brights on for the streets around my neighborhood & now with these, I don't. They look awesome too...I'll post pics this weekend.

Wwing49

05-26-2004, 10:34 PM

this is all in the owners manual

DaKidd

05-30-2004, 02:16 PM

Kansei

05-30-2004, 02:24 PM

OK, I am tring to just unplug the white harness in the back of the light but it seems like if I pull any harder its going to break! How hard do U have to pull to get this thing out? Is there a clip or something for just the white plug?
The white plug attaches to a black plug that the bulb attaches to. You can feel the black piece behind the rubber gasket.. unsealing the rubber gasket makes it a lot easier, then just separate the white plug from the black plug, get that big rubber thing out of the way, and then you can see the clip more easily. Do the driver's side first, it will make doing the passenger side less painful.

Wwing49

05-31-2004, 12:23 AM

I remember pulling pretty hard while pushing the little button but yea drivers side is way easier some big tank was right by passenger and it was a bitch.I think it was winsheild washer fluid or something. GL

improte5

01-19-2005, 10:59 AM

are u guys sure it's an H7? last night i pulled out my oem low beam to swap in a PIAA H7 and the H7 was much smaller. The bulb, prong size & spacing was smaller than the oem that came out.

Wwing49

01-19-2005, 04:23 PM

are u guys sure it's an H7? last night i pulled out my oem low beam to swap in a PIAA H7 and the H7 was much smaller. The bulb, prong size & spacing was smaller than the oem that came out.

I think what you need to do is take off the adaptor (black thing that makes the OEM bigger) and put it on the PIAA. I noticed that too on mine. It takes a bit of work but it separates where the plastic and metal come together.

improte5

01-19-2005, 04:26 PM

aight - thanks man... i'll give it a shot tonight when i get off work.

improte5

01-20-2005, 12:52 PM

I think what you need to do is take off the adaptor (black thing that makes the OEM bigger) and put it on the PIAA. I noticed that too on mine. It takes a bit of work but it separates where the plastic and metal come together.

man that was the little piece of the puzzle that i hadn't known about. after i read your reply - it took me about 5 minutes to change both bulbs!

Wwing49

01-20-2005, 05:53 PM

glad to help

666 sothis 666

06-22-2005, 10:09 PM

well i think i managed to "1up" everyone here...

the wire clip that holds the light in place... well i managed to break the plastic tab that holds the wire clip in place, and then i dropped the wire clip down inside the headlight... it just baffles me as to why they would make a whole seperate design for the low beam, rather than duplicate the same design they used for the high beam, which is 1000 times easier!!! so WTF am i supposed to do now? is there a how to on how to remove the whole headlight assembly? i need locations on all the screws/bolts

cant beat a GM for ease of replacing parts... headlights on my syclone... unscrew 4 screws, remove bulb, pull off connector, replace bulb, replace screws, and have a nice day.

Wwing49

06-22-2005, 11:48 PM

i would search for the how to paint your headlights or something like that thread... they show how to remove it. Sry that happened to you, thats gotta suck.

meGrimlock

06-23-2005, 11:08 AM

detailed how-to on aiming your lamps (protege sedan has VOL lamps):
http://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/aim/aim.html

every time i install new bulbs the light aiming is off by a mile. i always have to re-aim. unfortunately the US govt seems to think horizontal left-right aiming is the devil (europeans however have seem to mastered it). so the aiming screw only goes up and down, and even though my beam pattern is flush, they merge in the middle after about 15 yards leaving everything on the left and right untouched by visible light. i brought it in to the dealer, they were able to aim it horizontally but i have no clue how they did it.
-meGrimlock

18green99

06-23-2005, 07:11 PM

Anybody have a link to a better diagram of how the clip sits in there? Or even photos? I'm struggling with the clips and jsut can't figure it out.

BananaBoat

07-16-2005, 12:20 PM

Anybody have a link to a better diagram of how the clip sits in there? Or even photos? I'm struggling with the clips and jsut can't figure it out.

I just finished changing my headlight bulbs. It is now a piece of cake to do . The very first thing you need to do is release the offset "middle" plastic clip (which is unreachable without something really short and stiff to push it over to release it). This will allow you to pull the white electrical connector off.
next, pull off the rubber cover, then, to release the clip, you push it in and down. It will then swing over to the side, allowing you to pull the bulb retainer out. The bulb must be inserted with the "lug" straight up so that it seats flat into its hole, allowing the bulb to be correctly aimed. Then you flip the clip over and in to secure the bulb/ retainer.Put the rubber cover back on and plug in the electrical connector and ops check your work. (rockon)

mnkyboy

09-05-2005, 10:11 AM

Ok. So I had trouble replacing this bulb since the H7 is smaller, bu this thread said the black piece is an adapter. Ill try that out.

BUT, why are the Silverstars and other aftermarket lights only lasting less than a year? My stock OEM lights lasted over 3 yrs, and one is still going. Is there something people are doing wrong? $40 seems like alot ot spend on headlights 1-2 times a year...

ghettobubba2001

09-06-2005, 09:45 AM

dont drive alot during the night hours is a good way to solve that!

komiero

09-20-2005, 02:10 PM

ok, i've read all the threads and still dont exatly know WTF to do with the plastic clip to replace the bulb. first it's a H4 (not that that matters) but seriously how do you get that white plastic clip off!!!!!
in the owners manual it states that you need to press the sides of the clip and then pull the clip away from the housing. i was looking at the clip and it doesn't look like there is anything to press-in on the clip. is it on the underside or top that needs to be pressed or what? or do you just get a thin screw-driver and pry the *#^@'er out....LOL

any suggestions would be most appreciated!!!

please could you e-mail to komiero at yahoo dot ca

thanks

komiero

09-20-2005, 08:29 PM

ok...for everyone that has problems with this i figured it out. basicaly if the plug will not move, it is because there are no clips to press on the sides of the plug. what i did was i just pryed open the black weather cap and unpluged the wire holding the bulb in, then carefuly move the lower wire holding the bulb and pull the entire unit out. the get the bulb out from the plug, wiggle it out.

Insert the new bulb in the housing and clip the wire back into place, put the black weather cap on (with "top" facing up) and make sure the entire weather cap in pushed in all the way, then just push the plug back into the light bulb....DONE!!!!!!!!!

Hydron

09-26-2005, 11:27 AM

MAZDA PROTEGE 95-03 - XENON BULBS H4 (Hi/Low Beam)
Ebay xenon bulbs (http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/MAZDA-PROTEGE-95-03-XENON-BULBS-H4-Hi-Low-Beam_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ33710QQitemZ794186 4754)

can i use those xenon bulbs for a Mazda protege LX 2002???

DongTran

09-26-2005, 12:03 PM

thanks for the writeup :)

komiero

09-26-2005, 07:03 PM

rachfore

09-27-2005, 01:50 AM

Does anyone know how to replace a Mazda 2002 protege tail light cover? It is on the drivers side. I am not sure if I have to replace the whole assembly or just the cover. I see the cover only for sale and my lights work but don't know if I need something special to attach it.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Rachel

p5power

02-07-2006, 09:12 PM

Kagymp5

02-08-2006, 07:43 PM

i'd love to have a talk with the engineer who signed off on the placement of the wiper fluid resevior....i swear i'm going to chop the first inch or two off one of these days!! oh and another guy i would like to talk to....oil flter placement....
yea im with u on that for oil filter and washer fluid resevior i wana kill em both

WHoISU

02-11-2006, 07:51 PM

ok...for everyone that has problems with this i figured it out. basicaly if the plug will not move, it is because there are no clips to press on the sides of the plug. what i did was i just pryed open the black weather cap and unpluged the wire holding the bulb in, then carefuly move the lower wire holding the bulb and pull the entire unit out. the get the bulb out from the plug, wiggle it out.

Okay so i got the drivers side done but the pass. side i cant remove the damn plug i tried doing it your way but the clips on both sides are the same right?...sigh...ill wait till 2maro theres no more light out.

thanks.

2003newlyack

03-23-2006, 05:10 PM

just got my two new lights in today was a pain to figure out but once i did it was easy.. let me know if you need help

Worbit

04-02-2006, 05:06 AM

i'd love to have a talk with the engineer who signed off on the placement of the wiper fluid resevior....i swear i'm going to chop the first inch or two off one of these days!! oh and another guy i would like to talk to....oil flter placement....

amen to that.....i tired to get some new lights in today and those bastards kept annoying me so i gave up.

Is there a how-to on how to replace the fog lights?

Black_Protege_5

04-02-2006, 05:26 AM

You have to remove the foglight and it is the same clip. The foglights are easier then the headlights. Remove the plastic tray under the bumper close to the fog light. And there is one large bolt. Undo that and remove the clip and everything is out. Shouldn't take more than 15 mins to do both.

Worbit

04-02-2006, 02:29 PM

ok, im about ready to start pullin' shit outta my engine bay just to get these lights in. Ive removed the wires and the rubber boot on the head lights and now i cant seem to get the headlight to come out freely. ive got the top have to move out but the bottom have of the blub seems like its stuck on something. Does anyone know what im talking about? How do i get past this problem?

Kansei

04-02-2006, 02:51 PM

Kansei

04-02-2006, 02:59 PM

My diagram FTW!

http://www.msprotege.com/members/kanseizm/zverg_p5light.jpg

Edit: the blue stuff is the bulb (dark blue) and the adapter (lighter blue).

The red clip (not actually red on the car) is what is holding the bulb in. As you can see, it squeezes the top of the bulb and the bottom of the bulb up against the headlight housing, and then on the bottom loops around to be hooked on a little metal piece (the black thing).

There is a little curved part on the clip (red) that you can feel with your finger. Press it in towards the headlight (if you are standing in front of the car, pull it toward you) and then push it down (toward the ground) slightly to get it off of the little hook thing. It will then hinge away, allowing you to get the bulb out. Remember to take the black adapter piece (light blue in the diagram) off of the bulb before you throw the old on out, because you'll need the adapter on the new bulb.

The diagram may or may not be a mirror image of what is actually there.

There really isn't a need to remove things to get at the bulbs. It's really tight near the washer fluid reservoir but once you get the black rubber cap out of the way and unplug the electrical connecter you just have to feel in there to unhook the clip and then the bulb is out. Be very careful on that side when putting the bulb back in, it is really easy to come in contact with something and contaminate the bulb.

Worbit

04-02-2006, 03:25 PM

*ARGH* Im over it. so over it.....now that ive got one bulb out of the car i find out that the guy who sold them to me gave me the type of blub and it doesnt fit (bang)

when i tried to put the stock bulb back in, i couldnt get the wiring back into place :( i undid a screw that makes it a pain in the ass to get everything back together when you have huge hands like me. Take a look at that im talking about........

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v177/mer|in/argh2.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v177/mer|in/augh3.jpg

im about ready to head off to the dealership and pay an ass ton of money to get my light put back in. Then i will NEVER touch them again.......

Kansei

04-02-2006, 03:32 PM

I guess my rendition of the clip and overall setup from memory wasn't bad after all. hooray!

If the dealership charged you an ass ton of money to put a bulb in, I would never touch that dealership again.

neeldub53

05-23-2006, 03:43 PM

Kansei

05-24-2006, 12:17 AM

hi

i want to replace my current halogen lights on my Mazda 3 1.6 TS (Manual)
with Xenon HID lights..

What would i need to do to replace them?

My dealer says that i cant put Xenon bulbs as my car doesn't have automatic headlight levelling and that HID bulbs require this feature..

can anyone advise more please...

I really wanna get the cool blue lights... as long as much modification is not required...

I am in the UK...

cheers

As I recall, in the UK all Xenon HID lights must have auto leveling, so you are out of luck there. You could get the factory headlights with the xenon lights but I really, really don't want to know how much they charge for that.

good luck

neeldub53

05-24-2006, 06:14 PM

ohh darn it...

i was really looking forward to cool blue lights...

never mind..

oh i saw this on ebay:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=8068145706&rd=1&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWN%3AIT&rd=1

its supposed to 'Simualte' turbro pop off sound.

has anyone actually tried this, or is it a spoof, becuase i stupidly bought this...

duh!

neeldub53

06-02-2006, 02:14 PM

has anyone been able to remove their PARKING LIGHT BULB on the Mazda 3 TS?

I am trying to change mine, but just cant figure out how to remove the socket. There is hardly any space around the socket to get a good vanatage point?

How do I remove the SOCKET??????

HELLPPPPPPPPPP

Ki||ian

08-31-2006, 03:55 PM

Ok.... I am a compleate idiot. I started changing the bulbs when it was cloudy out and then it started to rain and I got moisture in my assembly. Not only was I pissed about how fing hard it is to change the bulb but now I am pissed because they are foging up.

What is the best way to remove the moisture form the assembly? Should I just remove the weather cover on a hot dry day and let it air out or do I have to take the whole damn thing apart as if I was going to black the assembly out?

Ki||ian

08-31-2006, 04:01 PM

Ahhhh screw it. I will just black out the housings this weekend!

Confusion

09-16-2006, 11:24 PM

Its legal to have clear corner lights right ?

CTt3P5

09-16-2006, 11:49 PM

Clear corner lenses...yes, but make sure your bulbs are amber. Unless you want to be pulled over. To help keep the 'clear' look get some clear led's that light amber. Like this...I apologize for the Saturn pics but I don't have have clear corners on my P5 :)

bbrich57

09-17-2006, 05:48 AM

Its legal to have clear corner lights right ?

You don't say where you are located, but in most cases it isn't. They must light up in an amber color even if they appear clear when not lit.
A lot of states have their laws listed on their DOT websites. Try that!
I've done searches on the Texas site several times when I wasn't sure what their take would be. I love pissing off the local po-po because I am juuusssttt inside the law and they can't touch me. The blue RockBlockers are such an example, as is the front plate delete (displayed in the windshield.) I get the best double takes from some of them now.
(enguard)
(rlaugh)

Confusion

09-17-2006, 10:28 AM

Kansei

09-17-2006, 10:34 AM

^^ I can almost guarantee they aren't legal, but if you put amber lights in them you should be ok. Depends on how your state handles inspection. You may have to swap back to your other corner lights before an inspectoin date.

CTt3P5

09-17-2006, 10:47 AM

^^^You should be ok with those. They are just like the corners I put on my Vue and I went through inspection with no problems last year. The key is to get the amber bulbs. I bought mine at Autozone for around $10.

bbrich57

09-17-2006, 11:18 AM

Yah I live in PA , i just recently bought these.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/99-00-01-MAZDA-PROTEGE-4D-SEDAN-SIGNAL-CORNER-LIGHTS_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ33708QQhashZitem 150032753213QQihZ005QQitemZ150032753213QQrdZ1

But im not sure if they light up amber.

I'll have to check the dot rules for Pennsylvania.

They look good, and depending on your car color should look good on it too, IMHO. But as RedHot and Kansei both say get amber bulbs, or white LEDs that light up amber. These housings don't seem to come w/any, as is typical.
I also noticed that these say '99-2000 4dr Protege. I don't know as much about Protos as 3's but is that what you have?
Can someone verify that if Confusion has a Pro5 that these will fit for him?
As for a PENNDOT link, here ya' go!
http://www.dot.state.pa.us/

edit: I didn't do ALL the research for you, but this may be closer to what you need:
http://www.dmv.state.pa.us/vehicle_code/index.shtml

Confusion

09-17-2006, 11:31 AM

I have a 2000 Mazda Protege lx .

Tan.

I looked at the site you gave me and it was descriptive but it kept saying to refer to other places. Im due for inspection in like a month in a half. If i dont install them by then , il just bring them with me and ask them.

bbrich57

09-17-2006, 02:35 PM

IMO w/a tan car you could go either way and it wouldn't look funny.
Man! You're not kidding about the PENNDOT site. Can you say, "Lawyer?"
Geez. I thought the Texas laws were vague, but they're easy to search and read compared to Pa's... my home state BTW.
I could find nothing specific, but when I was younger I worked @ a local garage/inspection station and the owner always said, "if it wasn't on the car originally, it's not legal." I always thought he was a little over-the-top on that one, but perhaps not!!?
That said, put in amber bulbs and no one in their right mind will hastle you over them.
I dropped a car I owned 2 full inches and put in European H4 headlights (only legal for motorcycle use) w55/100W hi-beams (not legal at all) and never got pulled over for those. 'Course I was VERY careful no to blind anybody w/my hi-beams too. My former boss would not inspect that car, but I found someone who would... as long as I replaced the bulbs w/the stock 55/60's.

edit: Whoops! Hold the presses. Check this out:
http://www.pacode.com/secure/data/067/chapter175/s175.80.html

Confusion

09-17-2006, 10:51 PM

Sounds good to me, if i have any problems il just put back on the normal ones.

i figure i put out only 50 bucks for em , not too bad.

CTt3P5

09-27-2006, 12:27 PM

Well $#@* me!! I reviewed the how-to on this and went out on my lunch break to replace my bulbs with some Silverstar's. Well, the DS light has no clip so the bulb is in but not secure. So I proceed to the PS and the damn clip came off in my hand. (pissed)

Just spoke to Jason (Baggie) at http://onlinemazdaparts.com/ and he confirmed my worst fear, can't buy the clip separately. Next stop is the local junkyard/u-pull it to see if they have any Proto's rusting out. I would like to say that Jason knows his shit and I will gladly do business with him in the future. Before calling him I called my local dealer and the kid I spoke to in parts was telling me I wanted the socket that the bulb plugs into!!!! I told him 3 times it was a clip and everytime he came back with the socket theory! Yikes!!!

**edit**Paper clips FTW. Fabricated a paper clip into a clip to hold the DS socket in place. Works pretty well. I will have to check it out next week to make sure it is holding though. Tried to get the PS clip back on, but no luck as of yet. Would be nice to have some room to work with.

Demoniam

11-06-2006, 08:47 PM

Anyone have a pic of what the headlight adaptor pieces look like.

The PO of my 2002 p5 must've replaced the lights and threw out the adaptors!

Also, my headlight housing says H7, and the bulb that was installed says H4. Is this what the adaptor is for?

Do I need to go out and get a set of H4s and the adaptors?

=====

Here you can see thatthe bulb is way to large to be a direct fit.
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b372/DEMONiAM/Mazda%20P5/lights.jpg

and here's the bulb as it was "installed" in my car....not able to be locked in or anything..
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b372/DEMONiAM/Mazda%20P5/lights3.jpg

Kansei

11-06-2006, 08:56 PM

Yeah that's how it works.. since the sedan came with H4s, to work with H7 bulbs they included an adapter.

Demoniam

11-06-2006, 09:28 PM

so I could use either????

Anyone have a part # for the h4 adapters?

bbrich57

11-07-2006, 04:48 AM

so I could use either????
Anyone have a part # for the h4 adapters?
As you say, it looks like those H4's are way too big. I don't know for sure, but if I were you, I'd get a pair of H7's and a couple of adapters and call it a day.
Someone said earlier that these are around $10-12 from Mazda.
I don't have a picture but the ones on my 3 are just the sane shape as the back of the bulb (again, H7) but deeper so that the clip will put pressure there to hold the bulb in. W/o it, they would just flop around loose.

Kansei

11-07-2006, 05:50 AM

As you say, it looks like those H4's are way too big. I don't know for sure, but if I were you, I'd get a pair of H7's and a couple of adapters and call it a day.
Someone said earlier that these are around $10-12 from Mazda.
I don't have a picture but the ones on my 3 are just the sane shape as the back of the bulb (again, H7) but deeper so that the clip will put pressure there to hold the bulb in. W/o it, they would just flop around loose.

Yeah just get the H7s and the adapters from Mazda. The H4 bulb will plug into the socket on the P5, but won't ever fit right in the headlight or provide a proper beam pattern as the reflectors are designed around the filament position of an H7.

bbrich57

11-07-2006, 05:58 AM

That is a very good point Kansei makes... one I hadn't thought of when I posted before. I don't know about you, but I want as much output from my headlights as I can get!
Go back to the H7's.

Worbit

04-06-2007, 01:17 AM

subbin' just incase

kc3635

05-26-2007, 05:21 PM

Just finished changing mine out. It was a fun 20 minutes or so.
Advice: If you're unscrewing something during this process, you're probably going to lose something.. just leave it at that.

stx195

01-07-2008, 05:14 PM

My passenger side low beam bulb went out late last week ... so I just changed both to Sylvania Silverstars... 15 minutes to read the thread... 25 minutes to change 'em both out... Thanks!

MonkeyBone

02-08-2008, 11:37 AM

tried to change the low beams today...not even able to get the plastic rubber thing out...the relay blocks the way and im not able to pull that out...thats freaking stupid...there is NO way im able to pull it outthere is no clips or anything...bringin it to a shop where i im supposed to go for my alignement....stupid lights...

I removed the side marker lights...always one thats burned so no more side markers and same things for the license plate lights..both are out they are so a pain in the ass to get to...

And the front lights...DAMN cannot even remove the "white relay thing with the 2 wires connected to it...so fucking pissed off

dani

03-12-2008, 08:40 AM

i read pages 1 and 6...
i have a 3 and i was wondering which model this diy was referring to.

mnkyboy

03-17-2008, 01:57 AM

Is it just me or is the Protege 5 head lights the most expensive part maintenance on the car? It seems like I change the bulbs out every 9 mths. Ive had the car for over 6 years, and up until last month I had to change the alternator. Other than that, the bulbs are the next biggest expense for parts. Ive tried expensive Silverstars and I now use the Cool Blue @ $15 a pop. Last time I bought them I saw Sylvania came out with an even more expensive bulb after the Silverstars, forget the name.

dye3

12-18-2008, 11:20 PM

step 1. unplug the wiring harness.

step 2. pop off the rubber boot on the back of the haedlight.

step 3. push clip over and down,swing it out of the way.

step 4. grab the middle clip on the bulb and pull out( may have to twist it to get it past the wires).

step 5. replace with new bulbs, lining up the three little things sticking out on the sides of the bulbs. replace clip into plastic holder....put boots back on and hook up wire harness.

done.

Having completed this little task after reading several replies from a number of you, I wanted to make a few clarifications to the above instructions that would have made the job easier for me:

Step 1: to unplug the wiring you will need to squeeze the wings on the plug while pulling the plug off.

Step 2: You may have to work a bit with the rubber boot to get it off. Mine went back on much easier than it came off.

Step 3: This is the worst part of all. EVERYONE seems to have trouble with this. Proceed with caution since the parts holding the wire clip in place are plastic they can be broken. The lamp on the driver's side of the car is held in place with a clip. There is a small loop in this clip on the upper side of the lamp on the side of the driver's-side fender. Standing in front of the car I first pushed the clip forward (towards me) then upward (towards the hood) to unhook it. From there the clip swings out towards the passenger side.

Step 4: grab the middle of the black lamp holder and work it out. It doesn't screw into place but the wire clamp and harness make for tight quarters.

Step 5: Remove the old bulb from the black holder (the piece you held onto to remove the bulb from the reflector.) Pay attention to the location of the flat section of the metal base of the old bulb. Place the new bulb into the black base in the same position as the old bulb.

Step 6: Put the new bulb back into the reflector. Note that the flat metal section is UP (towards the hood of the car). You may have to twiddle with it for a bit until the lamp slips into place. Doesn't require any force. (wiggle)

Step 7: Replace the wire clip, making sure that it is secure and not just hung up on something. Wiggle it to be sure. Put the rubber boot back on, make sure its snug all the way around. Plug it back into the harness.

Your Done! :D

mnkyboy

12-18-2008, 11:45 PM

@dye,

Just to clarify your remarks.

Step 1: Not sure why you had to "squeeze the wings", mine just pull off.

Step 3: You state "The lamp on the driver's side of the car is held in place with a clip." The passenger side is the same way.

Step 5: Im not sure why you think you have to "Pay attention to the location of the flat section of the metal base of the old bulb." The black adapter is symmetrical. It doesnt matter which way the new bulb goes in.

ericw

01-13-2009, 10:06 PM

Had to bring this one back to life.

Some Knuckle head before me has the clip so messed up it is almost impossible to put it in right. those clips are a pain anyway. I bought the high beams and replaced and was so happy for the change from the 2001 Protege es bulbs then noticed my darn headlight still did not work so lucky for me I was still in the parking lot at auto parts store and got the correct set... oh well, I have done dumber things. I then had to come here to figure the upside method of installation then I though and found the crappy clips!