Acura - change headlight bulb 2001 3.2 TL

Nick, To see how headlight bulb is changed, check the attached links,instruction and guides, Good luck
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Replacement How to replace install fix change hid head light ballast...
Headlight Change 1999 2003 Acura TL 1999 Acura TL 3 2L V6
Acura TL Headlight Replacement WITHOUT removing the bumper

Your best bet is just go to your nearest junk yard and get both headlight assemblies you can't just buy the warmer piece you have to purchase the whole thing

TL take a D2S type HID bulb available online. If the ballast unit is bad you can find them on ebay a lot cheaper. It's located on the bottom of the headlight. I've even seen full headlight units with the bulb and ballast unit included for a couple hundred on ebay. That would be the easier way to go if you aren't handy with car work. To replace the bulb you need to pull the whole headlight out because Acura uses a security type bolt to secure the back cup onto the headlight. Once the headlight is off the car it's easy to remove the security bolt though with needle nose plyers

You shouldn't have to remove the bumper. Feel behind the light on the engine side and you should find a collar assembly with wires running into it. If you twist that collar off and then pull back toward the rear of the vehicle, pull the collar back not the wires, the light bulb should come out of the light assembly. From there it is just a matter of unplugging the old bulb and putting the new one back in them putting everything back. The whole job should take about 15 minutes.

yes the front bumper needs to come off see instructions below

1. Remove the front bumper and front bumper upper beam.
2. Disconnect the connectors.
3. Remove the four mounting bolts, then remove the headlight assembly.
4. Install the headlight in the reverse order of removal.
5. After replacement, adjust the headlights to local requirements

http://www.acuraworld.com/forums/f47/2001-tl-headlamp-replacement-procedure-92343/

You will have to remove the front bumper to get to the bolts that hold the head light on
I would not recommend you try this unless you have some experience with this type of work

Please watch the video Acura TL Headlight Replacement WITHOUT removing the bumper

Look for the end of the wire retainer clip. Unhook it and lift it up. Remember not to touch the bulb. But if you do, just clean it with a bit of alcohol.

btw - Here's a bit of info from a previous post of mine...
The low beams consist of three parts. The bulb, inverter/ballast and the ignitor. The bulbs usually start to loose their color long before they burn out. The inverters/ballasts either go out after a while or take a while to start up.

Before you spend money on a new bulb, try swapping it with the one on the other side. You'll need a security torx screwdriver to get the covers off of the back of the lights. Don't touch the glass bulbs. If you do, just clean them with a bit of alcohol.

If the problem stays on that side, try swapping the ignitors. They're mounted inside the black covers.

If the problem is still on that side you've got a bad inverter. They're mounted on the bottom of the headlight assembly. You'll need to remove the front bumper and remove the headlight assembly to get to it. (I recommend you take pictures as you remove things so can put them back together correctly.)

Are you talking about the retaining spring that holds the bulb in?

If so just pull the metal spring toward you and away from bulb. It may need a little jiggly but it will come out.

Do not test the headlight until you have the unit reassembled.

Dont touch the bulb glass with your bare hand either. It can cause the bulb to blow when you turn the light on.