Headlight replacement tips? (2004 US-spec WRX)

Welcome to the wonderful world of things getting more complicated. :( Seems they want to make all of us take things into the shop.

Try as I might, I still cannot get the fog lights out of my '95 Outback. I believe that even the manual recommends taking it to the dealer for fog light replacement, but I've been hesitant to do so due to cost and the fact that I seldom use the fogs anyway. Still they're there and it would be nice to have them for those foggy nights.

-Matt

I replaced both hi & lo beams recently with Sylvania Silver Stars...nice improvement.

Start on the passenger side, and pull the intake duct off first. You can see better on that side, and you'll know what you're doing by feel when you go to the driver side---and not have to mess with the battery at all.

I can't recall if hi & lo were identical, but you're getting a wire bail-type retainer to flip out of the way. Shine a good flashlight in there and you'll be able to see which end of the bail hinged, and what needs to happen on the other end to get it released.

Can't help you with your removal of bulbs... but I did replace mine on my '03 Baja and ended up melting the wiring due to the hi-power bulbs I used. I might give the Sylvania Silverstars a try. However, I am surprised your car uses 9004 bulbs instead of the more powerful 9007 that came on mine. My fog lights are just about impossible to replace - good thing I don't rely on them. Good luck to you.

95 Outback has the same fogs as my 95 LS. You need to remove the fog light assembly from where they bolt into the front bumper and disconnect the wiring harness. Then I had to use a pair of Channel Locks (or other water-pump pliers) to grip the back of the light assy to twist and undo. Once you do it you'll see how it needs to be done. There was no way thnose things were going to come out with bare hands and elbow grease.

As Chilton's always says, installation is the reverse of removal.

I was wrong about the 9006 (HB4). I returned them, although I haven't gotten a replacement yet. The owner's manual says H1 - whatever that is. The Sylvania applications guide says 9007 for all 2001-3 Impreza models. Whatever it is, I'll get the XtraVisions. A two pack of them in 9007 (if that's the right one) goes for $21.99 at a local parts store.

And yes - I did remove the intake duct. It was easier than removing the battery. I still can't figure out what needs to be done to pull the connector. I don't want to force it.

I wanted to Silvania bulbs in my '05 WRX but didn't know what "H1" was either. Is it confirmed to be the 9007?

So it IS a twist connector. Now I'm not some super strong-man, but I'm able to grip and twist with the best of them. And for the life of me, I could not get those things undone.

-Matt

I haven't managed to get the fu*&^ng connector off, but the clip was easy. It is in fact, an H1 bulb. I took a picture:

I'm holding an LED light, and that's a Ziploc bag that I was planning on putting the old bulb in.

Here's the replacement part:

I think this is new for the 2004 model, where they changed the headlight assembly. On further review, I don't believe there's any better replacement part for this bulb, and I'm going to leave well enough alone. There does appear to be a Sylvania SilverStar H1 bulb, but I'm not going that route. The original is by Phillips, and is made in Germany.

OK guys. Managed to get it off. Turns out it needs a stiff pull to remove the connector. However - the reason why I needed to get it off was because I managed to damage the filiment wire somehow (rought handling?) when I put the bulb back in. I checked the lights, and noticed the right one wasn't working. Now I need to get the the parts store before it closes. Now I know what to look for. :-(

As am I but these suckers had me beat. Once undone I put a little Marvel's on them and the do twist easier but still are very tight. Good thing since these lights pick up all the road crap in the winter.

BTW, since I got them off I replaced the bulbs with "all weather" type which have a yellowish tint to them and the work great in lousy weather.

Final report.

I damaged, then (by neccessity) replaced the bulb, which is actually designated "H1". The parts store had the regular Sylvania H1 (made in Germany) for $9, and the SilverStar equivalent version for $20. I eventually found them next to all the fog lamp replacement bulbs. The packaging for the Syvania H1 indicates that it's for fog lamps.

It's rated at 55W at 12V (same as a 9006/HB4). The glass bulb is considerably smaller than in a 9003/9004/9006/9007. The base is nearly all metal, and seems to be the electrical ground. There's an insulated center (positive) electrode sticking out of the base, and that attaches to the connector. The base is in the shape of a circle with a straight edge. There are also two "bumps" on the bulb side of the base.

1) The glass bulb slips through a slit in the headlight assembly. 2) The bumps align with a two holes outside of the slit. 3) The base's cut circle shape also aligns in the assembly. The fitting is circular, but with a protrusion that lines up the the straight dge.

It looks like all the alignment features are there to keep the bulb stable. Be careful inserting/aligning the bulb. I secured the retaining clip when the bulb was slightly misaligned. I had some difficulty undoing to clip as a result.

In the end, I wish I'd left it alone. However - now I figure I can replace one in less than 10 minutes. The left one might take a bit longer since it can only be reached with the battery removed.