September 20, 2013
Many people prefer doing their own vehicle maintenance; it saves time and money spent at a repair shop. One of the simplest maintenance procedures on a 2003 Toyota Camry is changing a headlight bulb. You should check all of the exterior lights periodically to see if any bulbs need replacing. You can replace a bad headlight bulb, without any tools, in about five minutes – although, if you have very large hands you may need to move the battery when replacing a headlamp bulb on the driver’s side.
- Let the bulb cool for about 20 minutes if it has just burned out. It’s much easier to change a bulb without burned fingers.
- Reach behind the headlight housing and twist the bulb counterclockwise one quarter turn unlocking it from the housing. Pull it out of the housing. Unplug the wire connector from the bulb by squeezing the clip and pulling.
- Wipe the wire connector to remove any dirt or oil. Remove the replacement bulb from the package without touching the glass part of the bulb with your skin. The natural oils from your skin will create a hot spot on the bub causing it to burn out prematurely.
- Line up the tabs on the bulb with the slots in the headlight housing. Guide it into the housing holding the plastic part of the bulb and twist it one quarter turn clockwise locking it in place. Plug the wire connector into the bulb.
