How do you change the driver's side headlight and sidelight assemblies in a 1991 Chevy Cavalier?

Answer 1

To do this without ruining your fender paint you need a wooden paint stirring stick, a thin flat-blade screwdriver, and a 1/2" or 13mm. socket or wrench. First open and prop the hood. Then remove the black, plastic cover that is over and behind the headlights. This reaches from fender to fender and is held down with 5 or 6 push clips that must be pryed up + out with the srewdriver. Don't loose them when they finally pop out. The cover also must be flexed to slip it out from under the fenders. set it aside with the clips. Now you need to use a light to look down the rectangular hole located slightly center from the edge of the parking/turn light, closest to the headlight. There is a hook of plastic that holds the sidelight in that you need to pry over from the center of the car. Also the wooden paint-stirring stick must be inserted between the fender and the rear edge of the sidelight, to lever the sidelight forward, at the same time that the first hook is released. It ain't pretty but that's Chevy. After the light socket is removed from the sidelight, set the plastic light aside. To change that bulb, push in and rotate the bulb counter-clockwise, then pull out. Install new bulb, push in turn clockwise. If it can be pulled back out without turning, do so, rotate it 1/2 turn and put it in so it will not come out without turning it. Time to take off the head- light. Take up your socket or wrench and remove the two SILVER colored bolts that hold the headlight to the radiator support. Lift the headlight up, then forward. Notice the ring on the back of the assembly that you are holding. It surounds the wires. This is a good time to ask somebody to hold the headlight while you turn the ring counter-clockwise, then wiggle out the socket while pulling. If you don't have a helper, lock that light into your opposite arm to avoid dropping it. Once the socket is out, then you must pry back the two hooks, holding the bulb into the socket, while pulling the bulb. Replace with new bulb, being sure to keep the plastic ring back over the wires. Clean the bulb of all finger oil {with some rubbing alcohol}, and insert the socket back into the headlight. AT THIS TIME, turn your lights on momentarily to make sure that your bulbs are good, or else you could be doing this procedure a second time. Push the plastic ring lightly forward as you turn it clockwise, locking the socket into the light. Place the headight assembly into first the little rectangular cup, {on the radiator support where it came out of} that will hold the bottom of it still. Push the light back then, positioning it's two holes over the theaded, sunken, nuts, that the silver bolts go back into, NOW. Position the sidelight in line with all three of it's positioning slots and push it back in. Replace the cover over the area being careful to insert first the ends under the fenders, then the push-pins to hold it down. Have fun and be careful of that paint!