How do you change a low beam headlight bulb on a 2003 Honda Accord?

Answer 1

METHOD #1 - As described in the Owner's Manual

Go in from the front wheel wells. If changing the DRIVER SIDE bulbs, cut the wheel to the RIGHT. PASSENGER SIDE, cut the wheel to the LEFT. From there pop off the the plastic anchors holding on the plastic liner with a flat head screw driver. Be careful though. They break pretty easily. After that pull the plastic liner away. The liner is fairly flexible, so feel free to pull it back a bit. And that's it. Make sure you got the right bulbs and change away.

------------------------------------

METHOD #2 - Lots Easier

This method avoids having to go through wheel wells (just performed on my 2004 Accord passenger side. Should be same to 2003, and if on driver side remove battery to get access)

- Get a right-angle ratcheting (or angle) screwdriver so you can loosen the three screws securing the bulb in place. Search Amazon for "Lisle 64250" and you'll see what I bought, it's around $15. The angle screw driver is real cheap and works just about as well as the ratchet because all you have to do is loosen the screw about 1/8 turn of so. Then you can do the rest of the removal by hand.

- With the help of the ratcheting (or angle) screwdriver to just do an initial loosening of the screw, carefully unscrew (by hand) and remove the screw closest to you, and the screw at the top of the "screw pyramid"... the screw closest to the hood. For the third (the one on the other side of the bulb from you) just loosen it a couple of turns. No need to remove it as that would be the hardest to put back in place later. Just loosen enough so the bulb can be turned and removed from the housing. Be careful not to drop screws into the well as they will be hard to find.

- You'll need two hands in there because of short power wire length, but unplug the old bulb from the power harness. Do this by squeezing the harness near the wire end... this will lift the plastic tab that holds the bulb in the harness and allow you to unplug it. You can also lift the plastic lock tab with a small screwdriver instead of squeezing the harness.

- Put new bulb in the housing. Once it is in, with the same hand you should be able to hold the bulb in place while you tighten the screw you left in there. That should hold the bulb in place fairly well to get the other two screws in place. As others suggested I didn't touch the bulb but also didn't run into a point where I felt I had to. I handled it from the plastic end, open end for the harness plug should be pointed toward the ground.

- Once the holding screws are in, plug in the power harness to the new bulb. It should click right into place. You're done.

The whole process took just a few minutes... you'll want to do it with plenty of light available. When I first looked this over it was at night in my garage and it looked harder than it was. In the daylight with no weird shadows it was a no-brainer, and going in through the wheel well wasn't necessary at all (unless maybe if you fumble-finger one of the screws and have to find it. Telescoping magnet would hopefully help in recovering).

-------------------

METHOD #2A - Even easier than METHOD #2

This method above (from the top side in the engine compartment) is much easier because the so-called "fairly flexible" wheel well liner is not really that flexible and it poses a constant nuisance springing back into place while you are trying to perform the replacement through the wheel well. I gave up on that method even though it is recommended in the Owner's Manual.

If you are doing this on the driver's side low beam bulb, disconnect and remove the battery and its hold down clamp and shield completely so you can see where the bulb holder is. Replace these when done with the bulb assembly replacement.

I have found after two low beam bulb replacements, one on each side of my 2003 Honda Accord, that you only have to completely remove ONE screw, the one nearest to the center of the engine compartment and easiest to reach. You only have to LOOSEN the SECOND screw at the top a bit -- just enough to allow you to rotate and remove the plastic connector into which the bulb assembly plugs. Don't even mess with the THIRD screw, which is impossible to reach anyway.

Also note that the particular type of screws used here are very easy to remove after you get them loosened just a little bit. They can be unscrewed by hand using your fingers only after the first 1/8 turn or so with an angle or ratcheting screwdriver. I was amazed that they had not rusted or corroded at all in the 7+ years I have owned this car. I think that they are aluminum alloy screws which screw into a plastic holder. DO NOT DROP THE SCREW.

Do this in an environment with plenty of light as mentioned above. Most of this can be done by feel, but you need enough light to see where to feel.