How To Change Headlights in a Honda Civic

When your headlight isn’t working properly, you’re putting yourself at risk on the road. Prepare for any weather and light condition by promptly replacing a damaged headlight bulb. Use a VIN lookup free online to find the exact lightbulb you need for your Honda Civic and use this helpful guide to quickly restore full illumination to your favorite Civic.

Turn Your Headlights Off

To avoid the risk of electric shock, be sure your headlights are turned off for the entire installation process. Wait until you’ve completed the process and closed the hood before testing your new headlight lightbulbs.

Replacing a headlight is a relatively straightforward process, so you shouldn’t need any unique tools or equipment. Be sure you have the correct lightbulb design and safety gloves while working in your Civic’s engine compartment. Because you’re working on your headlights, you’ll need plenty of additional lighting to see your work. Depending on the year of your Honda Civic, you may want a bungee cord to hold up your power steering reservoir as you access your headlights.

Access Both Headlights

Depending on the year of your Civic, there may be slightly different steps necessary to access and remove your headlights. Most Civic models use a dual composite or combination composite headlight. The driver’s and passenger’s side headlights both have a few steps to gain access to the headlight bulbs for removal.

For the driver’s side headlight, remove the power steering reservoir from its bracket by pulling straight up. It shouldn’t leak any fluid, but it’s a good idea to put it in a secure position and use a bungee cord to ensure it won’t fall.

The passenger’s side headlight is hidden behind the air dam, so pull it straight up as well to remove it from the air filter box. Be cautious to pull straight up to avoid damaging any components as you work around your air filter box and air dam.

Next, you should be able to reach behind either headlight assemblies to reach the retaining ring. Put on work gloves before accessing this ring and hand-loosening it. As you turn the ring counterclockwise, its tabs should line up with the headlight assembly grooves, allowing you to easily pull it out.

Remove the Old Bulb and Install a New Lightbulb

Remove the wire harness from the old bulb and discard it safely. Be cautious to keep the wire harness from falling or otherwise being damaged. As you remove the new lightbulb from its case, be cautious to not touch it with your base skin. The natural oils on your skin can damage a lightbulb and reduce its lifetime.

Connect the new bulb and carefully line up the ring tabs and grooves to insert it into your headlight assembly. Hand tighten it for a secure fit. After replacing the power steering reservoir and air dam, close your hood and fire up your headlights to check your work.

Shop for High-Quality Lightbulbs Today

Enjoy a long-lasting, high-performance headlight replacement project today by investing in premium headlights. Now that you know how to change a headlight on your Honda Civic, order new bulbs online or at your favorite auto parts store for great deals on premier headlights.