Repair 7

If the headlights on your Pontiac Grand Am are malfunctioning, they should be fixed immediately. Malfunctioning headlights reduce road visibility and make it difficult for other drivers to see your vehicle on the road in darkened conditions. Troubleshooting the headlights on your Grand Am is a simple process that involves checking the wiring, checking the bulb, and checking the fuse of your headlights.

Instructions

1

Open the hood of the Grand Am. Remove the keys from the ignition.

2

Lift up on the two retaining clips securing the headlamp assembly.

3

Pull the headlamp assembly out of the mounting bracket. This will reveal the electrical connector. Lightly tug on the electrical connector. If it comes out, plug it into the rear of the headlamp assembly. Make sure it is secure by lightly tugging it again. If the headlights are still malfunctioning, there may be an issue with the bulb. Disconnect the electrical connector and completely remove the headlamp assembly out of the vehicle.

4

Rotate the bulb assembly retainer counterclockwise and pull it out.

5

Unclip the bulb assembly from the wiring harness. Remove the old bulb and place the new bulb into the assembly.

6

Reattach the wiring harness to the bulb assembly. Place the bulb assembly back into the headlamp assembly and rotate it clockwise to lock it into place. Reattach the electrical connector.

7

Place the headlamp assembly back into the mount bracket. Press down on the two retaining clips to lock the headlamp assembly into place. Repeat on the other side headlamp if necessary. If the headlights are still not turning on, then there may be an issue with the headlamp fuses.

8

Open the underhood fuse block on the drivers side of the vehicle. Simply lift the cover on the fuse block to access the fuses. Underneath the cover is a fuse puller tool and several replacement fuses.

9

Locate the fuses numbered "50" and "51." "50" is the right-hand headlamp fuse and "51" is the left-hand headlamp fuse. Check to see if the fuses are broken. A fuse is broken if the metal inside the fuse is no longer in one piece. If either fuse is broken, use the provided fuse puller tool to remove the fuse. Replace it with an identical 15 amp fuse.

10

Place the cover back onto the fuse block. Close the hood.

Ford uses halogen light bulbs housed within a headlamp assembly for forward illumination on the 2003 F-150 model vehicles. The bulb plugs into the headlamp assembly and is held in place by a headlamp bulb retainer, which serves to seal and isolate the headlamp assembly from the atmosphere. Over time, the filaments within the bulb can break due to vibration. Replace the bulb without the benefit of tools.

Instructions

Removal

1

Turn the ignition and headlamp switches to the Off position. Raise the hood.

2

Locate the two headlamp housing retainer tabs inside the engine compartment just behind and above the headlamp housing assembly. Pull the tabs slightly toward the rear of the vehicle and pull up on them to release the headlamp housing assembly.

3

Separate the headlamp housing from the front of the vehicle to expose the headlamp electrical connector on the back. Squeeze the locking tabs on the side of the electrical connector and unplug the connector from the headlamp bulb. Remove the headlamp assembly from the vehicle.

4

Rotate the headlamp bulb retainer counterclockwise to unsnap it from the headlamp housing. Remove the headlamp bulb retainer. Grasp the headlamp bulb and pull it out of the headlamp housing.

Installation

5

Insert the new headlamp bulb into the headlamp housing with the flat side of the bulb connector facing up.

6

Install the headlamp bulb retainer into the back of the headlamp housing and rotate it clockwise until it snaps into place. Plug the headlamp electrical connector into the headlamp bulb and push it on until the connector snaps in position.

7

Guide the headlamp housing into position. Ensure that the headlamp assembly is aligned properly with the alignment pins on the back of the housing, inserted in the holes in the body and engaged with the reinforcement ribs around the edge of the headlamp housing recess. Push down on the headlamp housing retainer tabs until they snap into position.

Vehicle headlights are not only a safety feature that improves vision in the dark and rain and allows other vehicles to see you at night, they are also required by law. You must replace headlights as soon as they begin to dim and immediately if they burn out completely. Since vehicle headlights come in a wide variety of sizes and styles, you must examine the vehicle to determine which one will fit.

Instructions

1

Open the hood of the vehicle and lean inside to look at the back of one of the headlights. Locate the wire that attaches to the back of the light, which is the power supply. Pull the wire straight out from the back of the light. In some cases, the wire will have a small tab that you squeeze before removing it.

2

Grasp the rubber cover on the back of the light, called the dust cover, and pull it straight out from the light to remove it.

3

Locate the metal clip that covers the back of the headlight and holds it in place. Press down on the top of the clip to lower it away from the light.

4

Grasp the bottom of the bulb, which will be clearly visible in the center of the headlight and pull it out away from the light.

5

Look at the metal base of the light bulb for printed words, which will identify the bulb type and wattage. The most common types of headlight bulbs are sizes H1, H4 or H7.