Ford Taurus - How do you change a headlight?

To change the bulb, disconnect the plug, turn the knurled collar to loosen, pull the bulb out of the fixture & collar. Installation is the reverse. It takes about a minute if you have the new bulb and the hood's up.

And don't touch the glass of the bulb with anything, especially your hands or fingers...

Rob

Yes, this is because if you put dirt or grease on the glass -- it prevents the heat from escaping from the glass envelope. Because the heat has nowhere to go, the filiment inside overheats and breaks prematurely and soon enough you will need a new light bulb.

Your best bet is to wear surgical gloves. Like the kind doctors and nurses wear in the sterile hospital type environment.

wrote

Awwww. And you were doing so well up to there.

The filament uses the heat and the "halogen" gas to continually rebuild itself, with the evaporated tungsten being redeposited back onto itself.

Skin oil or other similar contaminants create "hot spots" on the glass that can make it stretch or warp at those spots, enough to weaken and crack the glass, letting the halogen gas out, and normal air in, which will allow the filament to burn out like any bulb.

"Sharon K.Cooke" wrote

Unless it's a 96 or later. Then (according to Autozone's repair guides), you get to remove the headlight assembly first. 3 bolts, accessible with the hood open.

Yes, that's right. The tungstin filament needs heat inside the quartz envelope in order to keep the tungtin on the filament so it won't burn out as fast. This is why halogen bulbs last longer than the old fashin incadescent bulbs.

Honestly the old fashion type bulbs should be fazed out by now since they are so inefficient and they don't last near as long. It's like insisting to sleep on "straw" mattresses and to use kerosine lamps instead of electric ones in year 2005.

And if you do get dirt, grease, fingerprints on the bulb, you can clean it with some alcohol, like isopropyl, ethanol or methanol. Clean/dry the bulb with a soft lint-free cloth and be careful putting the "assembly" back together. The surgical/latex gloves are a great idea!!!