How do you change the headlight bulb on a Toyota matrix?

Answer 1

This is pretty easy. There are two "bulbs" actually - one for your head light and one for your brights. Make sure you buy the right lamp #2006 for low beams and #2005 for high beam. This is important because they look identical but one has one slot and the other has two so they are not interchangeable. Pop the hood and you'll see where a wiring harness plugs into the back of your headlight. One harness goes to the smaller bright lens and one goes to the larger low beam lens. Both are the same in terms of replacement. Unplug the wiring harness from the plug on the back of the headlight. This is male/female plastic plug with a small clip that holds it together. Just pull up slightly on the clip while pulling the plug apart and it will unplug. Now grab the part of the plug that is still attached to the back of the headlight. It's an "L" shaped plastic piece that has the male end of the plug and a round disc attached to it with three tabs. These tabs hold this piece into the back of the headlight. Just grab the "L" shaped piece and rotate it about a 1/4 turn. This will free the tabs from the housing and it will pop right out. The lamp (or bulb as people call it) is attached. The new lamp that you buy comes with the lamp and the "L" shaped piece and the tabbed disc. So just take it out of the package, put the lamp end into the back of the headlight, line up the tabs so they go in the slots and then turn a 1/4 turn. It will snap into place. Then plug the wiring harness into the bottom of the "L" and you are done!