How do I remove the front indicator/sidelight (parking light unit) so that I can replace a blown bulb?

If I take out the screw on the top of the indicator/sidelight unit, it comes slightly loose, but there's no obvious way to remove it to replace either of the bulbs. If I also remove the 3 bolts securing the headlamp unit, both plastic units move together, I can just see the connectors for the indicator and sidelight (parking light) bulbs, but can't work out how to remove the unit?

Surely this can't be a main dealer job?

Hi Kevin,

If you find out, please let me know as I have the same problem, and I have taken exactly the same steps as you... :)

As you say surely it’s not a main dealer job for a bulb replacement?

Have you managed to find out yet - I have same problem!!!

Remove top screw and just pull it gently!

Removing the headlamps bolts - not necessary.

This post has been edited by Edin: Nov 5 2006, 10:42 AM

Hello,

I faced the same problem a few weeks ago, when I wanted to replace a blown parking light bulb on the front/right of a 2005 model Terracan.

After removing the screw on the top, the indicator/sidelight unit would come slightly loose. I tried to pull it, gently at first, more forcefully later, but it still wouldn't come free. So I also removed the top three bolts of the main-headlight unit. Now the whole assembly was slightly loose, but it still would not come free.

I guessed that the underside of the main-headlight unit might still be attached to the car body. So I crawled under the car with my trusty MagLite lamp, and after a bit of squinting I saw the culprit: A fourth bolt on the bottom of the main headlight unit!

As that bolt is hard to reach from under the car, but in close proximity of the wheel housing, I decided to get to it in an unorthodox way:

I removed some of the bolts holding the plastic fender to the wheel housing, until I could lift the fender and squeeze my arm through it. After some fumbling with a wrench the bolt was loose, and I could remove the whole headlight assembly, and finally replace that troublesome 30-cent bulb!


Well, that's also when I saw that the indicator/sidelight unit is not only held to the main-headlight unit by the top screw, but also by a conical metal rod that clips (!) into a plastic receptacle on the main unit.

Yes, by removing the top screw and pulling *very* hard, you might succeed in unclipping the sidelight from the main unit - but I doubt you will do so without damaging it! The problem is that, after only two years, that metal rod is so corroded that it just won't unclip without risking to break its brittle-looking plastic receptacle...


Hope this helps.



Ah yes, I was forgetting the credits:

Thank you, Hyundai, for sticking to the current car-maker trend of making changing bulbs such a royal pain in the **** for us valued customers!

But to be fair, blown bulbs (4 to date) are the only gripe I've had with the Terracan for the past two years. I'm happy with that car in every other respect!