[secondgenlxturbo]

Ok this is going to make me sound like an idiot but how do I change the headlight bulbs on my 1990 Ford Taurus with the 3.8 liter engine? I can undo/loosen the the bulb from the headlight but there is not enough room to get the bulbs out of the headlight. Do I have to take out the headlight to replace the bulbs? If so could someone give me a quick how to. It's cold outside and I don't have a garage to work in so I don't feel like spending a lot of time trying to figure it out.

 

[93taurusSX]

Really? Usually you just have to a little bit of maneuvering to get the socket and bulb out of the headlight. There's enough slack in the wires and room behind the headlight for you to move around in. Usually, after you get the bulb and socket out, you'll have to move it behind the metal bar that the whole headlight/header assembly bolts onto so you can change it (there's not enough room for my hand to get in between the metal bar and the headlight). This is for the Gen2 at least. I've had to do this about 7 times now, experimenting with different bulbs and what not, so I pretty much got it down to 5 minutes to remove both bulbs

 

[secondgenlxturbo]

What type of headlight bulb do you recommend that puts out the most light for driving in the dark. I think I am somewhat nightblind so I want to upgrade my headlight bulbs so I can see better?

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

Hi secondgenlxturbo, you don't need to remove the light assembly. You gotta twist the knobs around, which for somebody as clumsy as me usually me scraping my knuckles, especially when it is cold out. I put some silverstars in a couple of weeks ago and they were a vast improvement. Make sure you dont touch the glass part of the lamp when installing them.

Good Luck

Spiff

 

[shoz123]

QUOTE

......to upgrade my headlight bulbs so I can see better?[/b]

Get the Sylvania SilverStars and a 100w headlight harness. It will double your light output for under ~$60.00

 

[secondgenlxturbo]

I have Silverstars in my parents car right now and I am not impressed. They don't hold a candle to the Nokya Arctic White bulbs I had in the car before one burnt out. Those bulbs were as close as the same light output my friends Audi A4 which has HID lights.

 

[shoz123]

What kind of car was your parents? Did it have the 100w headlight harness? Were the beams aimed for best output? Are the other bulbs you describe legal wattage? The color of the light does not necessarily equate to better vision.

 

[secondgenlxturbo]

A 1997 Dodge Caravan, no I didn't install the 100 watt headlight harness. Where can you get 100 watt headlight harness I have never heard of them before? I don't remember the wattage of the bulbs, yes the headlights are aimed for best output. I know the color of light doesn't equate to better vision but I know I was able to see a lot better with the Nokya Arctic White bulbs.

 

[secondgenlxturbo]

Originally posted by 93taurusSX@Dec 23 2003, 04:19 PM
Really? Usually you just have to a little bit of maneuvering to get the socket and bulb out of the headlight. There's enough slack in the wires and room behind the headlight for you to move around in. Usually, after you get the bulb and socket out, you'll have to move it behind the metal bar that the whole headlight/header assembly bolts onto so you can change it (there's not enough room for my hand to get in between the metal bar and the headlight). This is for the Gen2 at least. I've had to do this about 7 times now, experimenting with different bulbs and what not, so I pretty much got it down to 5 minutes to remove both bulbs

Yeah there is a difference between the first gen and second gen Taurus. I looked under the hood of my grandma's 1992 Taurus and there is a lot more room for you to be able to get to the headlight bulbs compared to my 1990 Taurus.

 

[93taurusSX]

Originally posted by secondgenlxturbo@Dec 25 2003, 04:17 AM
I have Silverstars in my parents car right now and I am not impressed. They don't hold a candle to the Nokya Arctic White bulbs I had in the car before one burnt out. Those bulbs were as close as the same light output my friends Audi A4 which has HID lights.

Those Nokya artic White bulbs are 80w/100w bulbs that will melt your sockets. How do I know? I had those kind of bulbs running in the car for about 6 months and the plastic in the driver's side socket was basically scorched black and melted. Yet another reason for me to install a headlight harness

.

Any bulb, even the stock ones, will see a benefit from getting a heavy duty wire harness. You can run the 80w/100w bulbs on those safely as well. Go to SUVlighting.com or ebay and search for 9007 harness and you should see some reasults. They run from $25-40 IIRC.

Also, define bright, you seem to be equating "brightness" with the "whiteness" of color of the light. These two are not directly related to each other. The 80w/100w white bulbs that I ran were whiter than the Tru-Blue's that I run right now, but pale in comparison in terms of how much better I can see at night with the Tru-blues (these are 2nd to the Silverstars in Sylvania's lineup - the Silverstars will definitely produce more light output).

 

[tmonster]

Eurodesigns I beleive on ebay sells some decent looking bulbs and the claim that they dont melt sockets...anI figured I'd give them a try....hell if it melts the sockets big deal...I'll have to update them anyways

Dont look bad for $13


http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAP...&category=36476

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAP...&category=36476

 

[secondgenlxturbo]

Originally posted by 93taurusSX@Dec 25 2003, 06:20 PM
Also, define bright, you seem to be equating "brightness" with the "whiteness" of color of the light. These two are not directly related to each other. The 80w/100w white bulbs that I ran were whiter than the Tru-Blue's that I run right now, but pale in comparison in terms of how much better I can see at night with the Tru-blues (these are 2nd to the Silverstars in Sylvania's lineup - the Silverstars will definitely produce more light output).

Ok I just know that I was able to see better in the dark with the Nokya bulbs then the Silverstars. I don't care what color my headlights are or the whiteness just as long as I can see better in the dark thats all I care about. I never had problems with the Nokya bulbs melting the sockets.

 

[RampageIII]

I have a '98 se and the access to the sockets really looks impossible to me. Perhaps someone could direct me to an illustration of how to manage it without tearing half the engine out?

 

[silvapain]

You have to pull the headlight housings out to get to the bulbs.

 

[RampageIII]

Thanks, I don't feel so bad now. All I need to do is find my manual! ggrrrrr

 

[qwertz9586]

http://www.taurusclub.com/wiki/index.php/1...adlight_Removal

 

[RampageIII]

You are the bomb! I would have blown the loosening one! Thanks a mil!

 

[fdogg96]

......to upgrade my headlight bulbs so I can see better? [/b]

Get the Sylvania SilverStars and a 100w headlight harness. It will double your light output for under ~$60.00
[/b]

Are the wire harness from SUVlights.com 100w? It doesn't say. Just mentions it's heavy duty.

http://www.suvlights.com/product_info.php?products_id=112

 

[shoz123]

100w is around 7 amps. About any relay can handle that. It's the wire size that is important. 14 ga would be sufficient.

 

[USAF115]

Go with 5000K rated, HID (high intensity discharge) Xenon lights. The 5000K rating is not that "annoying" deep blue color you see on the road; 5000K is ultra white. I put them in my Taurus in December, and will never go back to halogen. Visibility is much better with 5000k xenon HID bulbs, I highly recommend them, plus, you can get them for less than $25