Headlights - not just an optional extra!!

With the first fundraising event for 2019 rapidly approaching, Damian suddenly remembered that he had driven home from the 2018 esCarpade with headlights that weren't playing as nicely as they could, and since then, had decided that low beam was completely out of the question!

In case the fundraising event (the 2019 Corvettes on the Coast National Concourse) ran into the evening, Damian thought that investigating the headlights was probably a good option... you know, in case it was dark on the way home!

But first... a quick jumpstart from the D-max!

Hmmmm… this plug looks a little munted… Damian's pretty sure they aren't meant to be a melted mess like this!  The bulb attached to this was somewhat worse for wear, so whether the bulb had shorted causing the melting or whether the plug had melted overheating the bulb, either way it was all bad!

Of course, with no way to get to the plug successfully without removing the headlights, it was time to embark on that journey, with a little help from Google...  People said removing the front bumper would help - that wasn't an option here, so Damian figured he'd just give it a crack and see how it went...

Came out pretty easily, actually!  The general process was to remove the indicator (held in by a single screw then slid out), then undo the bolts to the headlight and faff about with it until it came out forwards, with a bit of sideways, downward, upward twisting action to get past the bumper!

Damian decided that rather than putting the slightly yellowed original headlights back in, he would take the opportunity to swap to the shiny new headlights that came as spares when he bought the car...  One problem - they are a different shape, and because the bonnet hugs the edge of the headlight glass, the new ones couldn't be used!!  (Damian suspects they are from an EF Falcon rather than an EF Fairmont)…

Option 2... replacing the plug in the back of the headlight...  Easy peasy when it's sitting on the floor!

Next stop, the passenger headlight... even though its plug wasn't as bad, Damian figured why replace one when you can replace both at the same time!

And back together again ready to test...

Voila!!  Even the light bar was working again (now that the headlight plug wasn't shorting out, which Damian suspects was why the light bar would switch on with high beam then stay on - good thing it's wired in correctly with an isolator button to switch it off regardless)!

First job out of the way, and with the starting line (and finishing line) so far away this year, headlights are definitely going to be required at some point!

Stay tuned for all the pics from the first fundraising event for 2019 - Corvettes on the Coast National Concourse, Saturday 20 April 2019 at the Southport Broadwater Parklands... drop by and say g'day!