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How do I undo a ford headlight connector
MikeR - 2/10/11 at 01:25 PM

As per the title - i'm stuck trying to change my headlights on an 08 smax. I can't undo the electrical connector - any hints / advice before I break it?


MikeR - 2/10/11 at 01:54 PM

It looks like the connector has some sort of pin / tab inside it. Repeated attempts at pushing it are doing nothing and I'm nervous about breaking the whole thing & being stuck with no headlights. Why do they make these buggers so difficult? (answer that after giving me the killer hint that makes this a dead simple task)


chesney321 - 2/10/11 at 02:35 PM

instead of you trying to fit the bulb take it to halfords and let them do it.costs about a fiver for them to do but then if they break it they pay to fix.a mate of mine did this on his car as to put a bulb in was a long job so might as well pay a fiver for someone else to fit and if anything goes wrong then its up to them to fix


MikeR - 2/10/11 at 02:40 PM

Ok, after a couple of hours of frustration and a slightly broken clip i've done it and its easy.

For reference (for me and anyone else)......

The bit that stays in the headlight has a little lip which you have to get the bit that you remove over. Its restrained by a plastic clip. The way to do this is to use the tab ford nicely provide that lifts the clip. Looking down upon the headlight connector (ie standing over it) place a screwdriver or strong finger in the hole at the end with the wires. You're putting the screwdriver / finger on the top of the bracket (so not parallel to the wires but 90 degrees to them). If you push this clip towards the rear of the car it acts as a lever and lifts up the plastic that is holding against the little lip. The plug will now pull out really easily.

Fords diagram does not show this! grrrrrrrrr