How do you change the head light bulb on 2001 windstar?

Answer 1

The following applies to 1999 - 2003 Windstars. Chances are these steps also apply to the Freestar and Mercury Monterey.

The entire headlamp housing assembly sits inside of a mounting bracket - this means it is very easy to fully release, and remove the headlamp to make bulb replacement much less *painful*!

There are 2 headlight retainer clips to find - they are:

1. black, upside-down L-shaped metal clips about 1/2 inch wide
2. located just behind the top edge of the headlamp glass, inside the engine compartment.

Release by pulling the top towards you while pulling the clips upward. The headlamp assembly will now pull forward providing great access to the electrical connector and bulb retainer ring.

Once you've pulled the entire headlight assembly outwards toward yourself, there is a small clip molded into the plug that has to clear the corresponding tab on the bulb assembly itself. You can pull it up SLIGHTLY while you pull the connector straight back (away from you) to remove the cable. Do not break the plastic clip - you only need to raise it about 1/16th inch to clear the tab.

With the cable unplugged, look at the back of the bulb assembly. You will see a small ring with three raised "ears". Rotate this counterclockwise about 120 degrees, and the 3 small square tabs under the ring can slip through the ring itself. Remove the ring.

The bulb assembly is now exposed. Pull it straight back (away from you) to remove it. It has a rubber ring on the new bulb to seal the entire assembly from water. Do NOT remove the large rubber ring that goes around the retainer ring that you removed in the previous step.

With the old bulb assembly removed, open the package for the new bulb. CAUTION: Do NOT touch the bulb itself. Fingertip oil, even very slight, can cause the bulb to fail very quickly. Holding the new bulb by the base, you will see 3 small detents (two of them rather close together, and the other on the opposite side of the base). Line these up with the corresponding marks on the headlight bezel assembly, and then push the bulb assembly gently into place. Once inserted, take the ring from the step above, slide it over the back of the bulb assembly and ensuring that the 3 square black tabs go through the square holes in the ring. Then, twist the ring clockwise about 120 degrees, using the "ears", until the ring is fully engaged. Check that you the square tabs are on the outside of the ring (it's easy to miss one, so that only two of the tabs are engaged - this can result in the bulb being loose).

Once locked in place with the ring, reattach the cable (the "D" shape of the plug matches the back of the bulb assembly), and press it into place until the small plastic clip goes up and over the tab on the bulb base, locking the cable in place.

Push the headlight bezel assembly back into place, push the "L" shaped metal tabs back into place (straight down, until they click), and test the light.

NOTE: This procedure is detailed & illustrated in the Owner's Manual that came with the car, approximately page 246.