How to change a bulb

[Shorty Cox]

If you’re OLD like me, you can remember when you raised the hood on your vehicle you could look down and see the ground below the vehicle and the motor did not obstruct much of the view. In today’s world when you raise the hood, you can not see the motor much less the ground below the vehicle.
Every time I go to do what should be a simple procedure I’m amazed at how complicated “they” have made it.
Yesterday I needed to replace the passenger “daytime running light” on my 2012 Suburban. I thought, “no problem”, purchase a replacement bulb, remove two lens screws, remove lens, reach in and twist the blub ¼ turn, pull it out, stick the new bulb in the socket, twist it ¼ turn, replace the lens and DONE!

NO, not in today’s world. Once I got the rear wheels and gas cap off (in today’s world “they” are not even putting gas caps on vehicles) so I could reach the backside of the front light assembly, it was easy!!!! Just twist the assembly pull it out, remove the bulb from the socket, put new bulb in, then reassemble the whole vehicle in reverse order. Keep in mind, there is only room for you to get ONE hand to the backside of the front light assemble to change out the bulb. SIMPLE!
It reminds me of Goober Pyle trying to repair Gilly Walker’s car. In order to solve the issue, Goober had to totally disassemble the car and re-assemble it in the Mayberry Courthouse.
I can just see the GM engineer placing the bulb on the assembly line and instructing the workers, “Build a vehicle around it.”

Shorty

[Steeveedee]

Lots of crazy like that. One of my friends has a Volvo. It failed the SMOG inspection because of a vacuum leak. The vacuum hose that was leaking is above the fuel tank, which has to be dropped to get to the hose. Instead, he carefully drilled a hole in the trunk floor where the hose is located. He changed out the hose and put in a snap-in plug so that he has easy access for next time.

[truckster]

On my friend's car I was surprised I had to remove the entire front fascia to replace a headlight bulb. That's insane!

[Boog]

The only reason to design anything like they do these days is to make you take it to a dealer for ALL repairs. Plain and simple. There is no other logical reason for it.

[flashed]

Several years ago a lady at my work need a bulb replaced on her Toyota so I took it to our Maintenance Shop and figured it would be a breeze . We damn near had to take the whole nose off for that . I dont volunteer for that no more , I will stick with older stuff.

[61_FL_Apache]

I prefer the old stuff too. My daughters BF's Camaro SS had some misfire issues so he asked me to help him with it. After you get this huge plastic cover off the engine, its pretty easy to work on. It ended up being a broken valve spring, but a valve spring is a valve spring.

[Boog]

A while back my daughter was attempting to replace a headlamp on her friend's Jap car and it was late and dark THEN she brought it to me for help. The nose needed to come off on that one too but I wasn't going to do it. I tell you what, I left DNA all over the front of that car. Cut me to pieces, lost my cool, cussed ALL designers. I apologized the next day though. To my daughter that is.

[yuccales]

Originally Posted by Shorty Cox

Yesterday I needed to replace the passenger “daytime running light” on my 2012 Suburban.

I know what you speak of. Changed mine on our 2014 Tahoe. Without a doubt, the dumbest thing I've ever seen. BUT, in GM's defense, the alternator r&r on the 5.3 is one of the easiest I've ever done.

[FleetsidePaul]

Originally Posted by boog

the only reason to design anything like they do these days is to make you take it to a dealer for all repairs. Plain and simple. There is no other logical reason for it.

bingo!!!!!