How do you replace the headlight bulb located on a 2000 Pontiac Grand Am?

Answer 1

if you break the plastic rivets, use a soda tab for a washer to keep them in place SOME HAVE A PLASTIC RING IN THE CENTER OF BACK OF THE LIGHT THAT UNSCREWS ABOUT A 1/4 TURN & PULL OUT THE CENTER & SHOULD B A SMALL LIGHT BULB(HALOGEN) & DON'T TOUCH THE NEW BULB GLASS OR IT WILL BURN OUT FAST-IF U DO TOUCH IT-CLEAN IT WITH RUBBING ALCHOL. The best and easiest way is to visit autobodytips.net and download a how to video !!!!!!! Go to User Manual at http://www.mygmlink.com/pdf/go2content/manual/US/en/pontiac/2000grandam.pdf Go to section 6 (service and appereance care) and after clic on Bulb Replacement. After clic on Halogen Bulb and read page no. 251 to 254. You'l find picture and explanation.... Open the hood. There are two speed clips directly on the top of the headlight assemblies. Pulls DIRECTLY up on these clips or they will tend to bend. and the assembly should pull out from the front of the car. wala I have a 2001 Grang Am SE and there are no such clips. How can I remove the assembly to replace the bulbs if there are no clips to "pull up" on. Please help. I have a 2002 Grand am and I have the same problem, the owners manual is not correct. ok there are clips but they are under a p--lastic cover that goes althe way across front of hood, Remove those little platic clips. Then you will see these L shaped clips next to these screws that look like little stars that align headlights. what you need to do is use pliers and push back the pulls up on these clips. then the headlight shouls pe able to be pulled out. The plastic clips are rivets that need to be destroyed in order to remove the plastic cover. You cannot buy replacements - GM apparently does not make them any more. The local (Ann Arbor, Michigan) GM store (Jim Bradley) had to put in a different set of rivets that did not quite fit when I had them replace the headlamp after giving up with the manual. The two "quick release" clamps underneath are bolted on securely. These bolts need to be loosened before you can raise them - otherwise, you will (as noted above) just bend the metal when you try to raise them. I've replaced headlamps in a Chrysler and a Ford, but am very frustrated with GM. 1-14-06 My back is sore and GM ears are burning, but I got the job done. This 2001 Grand Am has a black plastic cover over those head light assembly clips. I used pliers to wiggle and remove the plasic rivets that keep the plastic cover in place. Some were maimed a bit, but still worked when I replaced them. The "clips" are near the star shaped screw heads that adjust the headlight beam. They are flat on the top and can be removed by using pliers opened wide; be sure to bend them away as you pull up since there is a metal lip that holds them in place. One clip comes completely out; the other pops up and stays in place. Now the head light assembly slides easily out. Once the bulbs are replaced, the assembly slides back into place. You may have to tinker a bit to get the white plastic blocks (through which those star shaped screws pass) to align with the black plastic slots. Be sure to reward yourself with a cold one or a fine cigar. You have earned it! Holy Cow! Forget the beer - I'm going straight to cocktails!! Thank you to you fine folks for the "speed clip tip" ( speed clip my @$$ )!! As one of those women who like to at least attempt her own basic maintenance, that tip alone was invaluable. I won't tell you how long I studied those stupid things before seriously considering the more expensive route...but I will tell you that once I had the secret, I replaced both lights, had the plastic cover installed and my nails clean in under 30 minutes. As a little aside regarding the fasteners and the retainer rings...just go buy new ones! They're cheap - and you can get them at the dealership. Fasteners are .75 each and the retainer rings are about $12 each. I bought mine before I started,(just in case) and I'm glad I did. Arizona sun is hard on plastic. Couple of the clips broke and the retainer rings have little tabs inside that fall off as soon as they're touched. KEEP the 4 fasteners at the very front - they're bigger than the others and of course nobody at the dealership offered that tidbit. They screw in from the back. You may have to remove the light assy from the car. Open the hood. The headlamp retainer "speed clips" are under the black plastic shield. To remove the shield, remove the little plastic "rivets". These "rivets" have a center pin and an outer housing. Using a flat screwdriver, gently pry up on the center pin. When it is about 1/4 inch up, pull the pin straight up and out with a pliers. Then, using a flat screwdriver, gently pry up on the outer housing of the rivet. It should come up easily. Put the pin back into the rivet housing about 1/4 of an inch and set it aside. There are two different sizes of these rivets, the larger, fatter ones go in the front center of the plastic shield. Once you have all of the plastic rivets removed, take out the plastic shield and set it aside. You can TRY taking out only half of the rivets, but the shield will keep flopping back into place--take all of the rivets out and remove the shield. Look at the headlamp assembly. It has two metal strips that hold it in place, located behind the star-shaped screws. These are the "speed clips". The one toward the middle of the car can be removed completely; the one toward the outside of the car pops up, but not out. To pop them up, gently pry the very top backward with a flat blade screwdriver and at the same time, pull up on the top rim with a pliers (or pry up on the rim with another flat blade screwdriver). You must pry them backward because they have a dimple that holds them in place. When the clips are unlocked, the headlamp assembly can be removed by rocking it and rotating the front of the headlamp upward. Do not adjust the star-shaped screws. Good luck with the black plastic ring that holds the headlamp bulb in place; I broke mine. Twist the black plastic ring counter clockwise one quarter turn or so. You can now remove the bulb from the headlamp assembly. Before you do, put on some eye protection goggles. Take the bulb out of the headlamp assembly. Unplug the bulb from the wiring. Discard of the old bulb carefully--halogen bulbs are under pressure and can shatter. Now take the new bulb out of its packaging without touching the glass. Plug it into the wiring. CAREFULLY seat the bulb into the headlamp assembly without touching the bulb's glass. Make sure that it is completely seated. Now carefully replace the black plastic retaining ring and rotate it one quarter turn clockwise to lock the bulb into the headlamp assembly (I broke mine so do this carefully). Re-install the headlamp assembly into the car; start with the headlamp facing up and rotate it down and level as you insert it. Then slide the "speed clips" back into place. They should "click" into place. Make sure that the headlamp is locked into place by the speed clips on both sides. Test the high beams and low beams. Replace the plastic shield using the dirt patterns to guide where it should go over and where it should go under. To replace the plastic rivets (remember the bigger ones are in the center of the car), make sure the pin is only inserted a little way, push the outer housing into the hole, when the outer housing is fully inserted into the hole, push down on the pin until it is seated. Close the hood. Now write a letter to GM about making this process take 30 minutes instead of the 4 minutes it takes on my other car.