How do you change the headlight on a 1998 Isuzu Trooper?

Answer 1

Answer

1) Open the hood. You replace the lamp from the inside. DON'T start unscrewing the headlight from the outside. There is not a lot of room to work with so it helps to have small hands. Make sure you have plenty of light as well. You will also need a small flat bladed screwdriver

2) There is a white plastic locking ring that holds the bulb assembly inside the headlight. Reach in and unscrew it. The assembly should now come out of the headlight.

3) This is the hard part. Look for a white plastic tab on the assembly. Theroretically you should be able to press down on the part of the tab closest to the base (where the wires come out) but you will need some extra help with from the screwdriver. Press down on the tab hard with your thumb and insert the screwdriver into the exposed slot closest to the base. Pry out the old bulb with the screwdriver by pressing up on the black tab that is part of the bulb base. Be careful not to lose the locking ring. The bulb is the only thing holding it in.

Note by fisherpaulh: This also works for 2002 Trooper. I didn't "press up on the black tab", but I pressed down on the black tab by inserting the screw driver from the bulb side and pried the white assembly up and away from the bulb base. Once they separated, the bulb fell right out.

4) Put the new bulb into the locking ring.

5) Plug the bulb and ring into the assembly WITHOUT TOUCHING THE BULB!!

6) Insert back into the headlight and screw the locking ring back in place.