I just replaced my headlight. Thanks for your video. Mechanic was going to charge me 115 to change it. It look me about an hour but hey saved myself some money 😊
I have owned a 2010 Legacy for 10 years and have changed those damn bulbs probably a dozen times. I’ve had best luck going in thru the wheel well. I peel back the plastic wheel well housing back and crank the wheel to one side. First challenge is getting the dust cap loose with my fingertips. Lefty loosely , so push with your finger tips. Remove it.Then loosen the spring clip that holds the bulb. It’s on a swivel so it won’t fall out and can’t be removed. Pull back and down and toward you.Then, before removing, try to remember with your fingers how the bulb sets with relation to the tab that sits at about 4 o’clock. Try to remember that. Unclip the electrical plug and remove the bulb out the wheel well. Replace the bulb by holding it as best you can by the metal flange or prongs and avoid touching the glass. Seat the bulb so that the metal prong and the detent in the housing mate up. Easier said than done. Patience is the word. Don’t drop it. Re-hook the clip over the bulb in a down and over fashion so the clip catches. Patience, again is required. Replug the electrical plug together using your thumb and two fingers. Put a little chapstick, vaseline, or other lubricant on the o ring of the dust cap. Make sure the cap is flush to the lamp housing and push the tab away from you in a righty tighty direction. Replace the plastic fender cover inside the the fender and replace any clips. They get damaged after awhile. I left most of mine off except where necessary to keep the plastic in place. Have a beer. You just earned it.
My main issue with the wheel well is I can't fit a screwdriver to get the wheel arch molding off without taking the wheel off (the top middle screw turning the wheels doesn't help) and then I can't see the hole while reaching. Whatever works though!
Thanks a million for this post. You don't mention the right hand side is also horrible, but not as bad as the left. You only have to remove the air box on the right side and it isn't so bad. Removing the battery makes it much easier and I think I actually got it done faster even with taking it out. I also had my son help me orient things with his tiny hands. 1cm is all the extra space you would need between the frame support and the rear cap and this would be no problem. Subbie gets most things right but not this job.
I took this a step further, removed the battery and cut a 3x3 square just behind the white cap. Did this cut out on both sides. Now bulb change is simple simple.
Thank you for this post. Although the camera work is not close up, I was able to figure it out. I did the passenger side by going through the wheel well and the driver side like this (did not remove the battery). I thought I was going to have to go through the wheel well on the driver side but I thought I would just try this and see how far I got. I was able to get the gray cover off and remove it fairly easily like the video at 1:25. Note: what made this much easier to go back on - I marked the gray cover with a marker to show where the 4 tabs are. Then I marked the actual housing where 1 tab was (about two o'clock on the headlight housing) so I could line up the cover with the housing easily in the very limited space. After the cover was off, it is easy to get the plug and wire holder off; you can see inside the space well at this point. I had to use both hands to reach way into the tiny slot with one hand and keep my other hand near the battery to get the bulb out. I did not need needle nose pliers. To get the new bulb in was painful - this was the hardest part - to get the new bulb into the housing and lined up with the tab location. I almost had to use 1 hand to keep the plug and wire harness out of the way, while the other hand gently navigated the bulb into the housing. I fed the bulb into the housing with a pair of needle nose pliers right next to the small slot by the battery. Unfortunately, I did drop the bulb one time. After shouting a few expletives, I found that the bulb was easy to retrieve - right below the bulb housing is a shelf that catches most items (whew!). My bulb needed the tab at about seven o'clock to line up with the housing. After the bulb was in position (again, the hardest and longest part), putting the wire harness on and re-plugging was easy. Getting the gray cover back on was not easy until I drew the line showing where the tab was on the cover and another line on the housing where the tabs should be. I used a long screwdriver to ensure the bottom was seated before turning clockwise to tighten. My goodness, I hope I never have to do this again. I assure you I will be looking at how to replace headlights BEFORE buying our next car! This headlight replacement is ridiculous! Good luck !!!
Yeah, marking the locked and unlocked position makes a huge difference! A little wipe of the seal with wd-40 doesn't hurt either to help it not stick going in and turning. Lot of new cars seem to use LED or laser so maybe it will be less painful going forward. I don't recommend retrofit LEDs though as they often ruin the beam pattern making it harder for you to see and blinding others. Especially not hibeam as the DRLs will run a LED at full brightness.
While the design is awful, i have done it several times. On the driver side it is easier to take the battery out and use the wheel well opening and the side opening by the battery to access the bulb. Passenger side same deal, except remove the air intake. In my experiences actually removing the dust cover (gray cover) is the hardest part of the procedure as it is usually pretty tight due to the rubber gasket. Good luck!
I've used this method before and it worked. I did take out the battery and drilled a small hole in one of the paddles to attach a string tether so I didn't loose the cover behind the wheel well. Getting the new bulb back in made me wish I had really small hands... but I did it without dropping the bulb. I don't recall reaching in through the top, but that was a few years ago. I'm watching this video and writing this now because that same f#&!*ng bulb has now burnt out again! Side note: I wear clean nitrile gloves when handling the new bulb. Still easier than ripping apart the wheel well.
I've tried using gloves and not using gloves... I came to the conclusion that the loss of dexterity from the gloves (which always seem a bit big on my fingers) made it worth accidentally touching the bulb and having to take it out and clean (seems isopropyl alcohol does good enough removing any skin oil so they don't hot-spot if you touch it by mistake). It certainly is a major pain though!
Folks, if you're dealing with the driver side do it as shown in this video but TAKE OUT the battery - makes the job much easier. For passenger side, no choice but to go through the wheel well which requires partial removal of the wheel well vinyls.
The passenger side can be kinda sorta done similar by taking part of the intake off but it's a LOT harder. I am also right handed so the passenger side one I hate any which way because I can't get at it with my dominant hand... I also try to avoid the fender liner because my car has the wheel arch molding...which has to come off and to fit tools in to all the screws I always end up removing the wheel. PITA
Also yeah, even loosening and slide the battery a bit over helps a ton. I just went thru this ahead of state inspection this weekend so I couldn't unhook the battery...but even an extra half inch space makes a huge difference. Had to swap it in the auto zone parking lot.
I agree with prior posts that removing the battery makes it easier. I was sitting on top of my Subaru 2014 Outback radiator with my left foot where the battery normally sits to put on the driver's side low beam dust cover. I did not mark the dust cover. It's symmetrical; as long as you get all four nubs in their grooves and turn, I think it's all the same.
Yep, but then you get the game of reprogramming the window auto up down and a few other things. Not hard just annoying. Also I have a bigger group 34 battery which is a very tight fit vs the itty bitty OEM one (but bigger capacity)
THANK YOU!!! I DID IT!! I did take out the battery though...it just made it a little easier for me and I didn't need needle nose pliers. Thanks for posting!
I have a 2011 Outback, and not only did they create the hardest low beams to change, but a poor design causes heat buildup or some other reason it blows bulbs. The last set didn’t blow but not now after 13 years the projector part is dirty, degraded, or something because we can barely see with the low beams on. We have to turn fog lights on just to barely see. I’ve seen a guy take them out and clean them, but if I have to take the whole front end off to do it, may as well put new headlight assemblies in. I’m hoping the after market parts fit. I also tried Sylvania LED replacements , with the projector lens dirty/cloudy, not ant better. The dealer wanted $1,100 to replace both, I got the two headlight assemblies, the tool kit for the snaps, and 200 snaps, all under $200.00 Now I just need to pull the front bumper cover off and have a day or two in case I doesn’t go smoothly, lol. I guarantee someone that’s used to this repair could do it in 2-3 hours. I’d pay a few hundred dollars to have it done, but not $800 labor, even with inflation, that’s legal robbery.
Yeah, the lenses on mine fogged after probably 6-ish years (outdoor parking) and I had to change them. It sucked but made a HUGE difference in being able to see. I think mine took most of a day because I am not comfortable prying on stuff if I don't know how it works but there's a bunch of TH-cam videos out there that are helpful. I recall a lot of the push-pins were dirty and didn't want to come out easily and also had some difficulty where I was scared of pulling too hard on parts. But I was successful eventually. Remember to install the new bulbs in the low-beam housings before installing the housings on the car...just replace both even if they are still working because it sucks so much to do once they're in the car. Also be careful replacing the halogen bulbs, if you touch the glass of them it can create hot-spots from skin oil on the glass and cause them to fail prematurely. If you accidentally touch the glass, stop and clean the bulb glass off with a lotion-free tissue or paper-towel and isopropyl alcohol or acetone to ensure there are no oils or residue on the glass.
Just did this on the passenger side. Absolutely ridiculous, but I got it done without going underneath because I have small arms and hands, and had to detach the bulb, put the other in, and put the clamp back on all with one hand. Couldn't imagine a bigger dude doing this.
Great method and thumbs UP for your attempt & documenting the same. I was thinking if it's possible to change the bulb this way. Looking at your video, I am going to attempt opening the fender and have done that several times with my Accord.
If you don't have wheel Arch moldings the fender option may not be as painful as it was for me, I had to remove the wheel Arch moldings to get the fender liner pulled out... But I could not get my screwdriver in well enough to remove the screws that hold the molding on without first removing the wheel. That turned into a 90 minute process for 1 bulb and I started thinking there has to be some other way I can come up with.
I would also recommend replacing the side parking/marker lights (behind the amber edge of the headlight housing) if you bother to go in there because those are even more difficult to get to by other means. They're cheap to get so as long as you're climbing around just swap them out.
@@matthewmiller6068 Thanks for the tip. I plan to change the fog light and low beam at the same time to LED bulbs. Agreed about changing the other bulbs. It does make sense to change them as majority of the effort is to remove the moulding.
Not sure - does your driver's side blow more often? Seems like my driver's low-beam and fog bulbs blow about twice as often as the passenger side bulbs.
I just had the driver's low beam go out again after just 1.5 years. Last time, it was cold and the inner fender cracked when I pulled it back. (Repaired that with black silicone!) It was a bitch to replace the bulb, made worse by the fact that an accident repair had left zero clearance to the dust cap and it wouldn't come out. I had to get the punch on the metal to make room. It was 29F and snowing today and there was no way I was going to wrestle underneath the wheel well! This time, I removed the battery and used the angle grinder to remove about 3/8th of the front lip of the battery tray pressing, just back to the edge of the overlapping piece and hey presto!... Easy access from the engine bay with no scraped hands and arms. A touch up with the Subaru paint after warming the steel and all is good. Next time will be so easy.
Yeah it sucks lol...if you can figure out the right tools to remove the air cleaner box (not easy) it can be done but its harder. Also I am right handed which makes passenger side suck worse.
I don't remember the numbers but the DRL uses the hibeam bulb at lower voltage (inner lights near grill) much easier to access and I think just twist a partial turn and lift out without extra clips or covers Only the low-beams are a nightmare to reach. Fog lights are easy thru the bottom laying on the ground (couple pins and pull plastic down) And the drls are not to be confused with a dim accent/parking light goes somewhere next to the hibeam bulb too (but is easy to get to)
Also beware using LEDs in the hibeam/DRL will result in blinding everyone because the LEDs are efficient enough to be full brightness with the DRLs on (so basically always hibeams) so please stick with halogens in the hibeam position (I see this blinding me so often these days in my area) Its hard to test the DRLs yourself as it has to be out of park with the parking brake released so I suggest an assistant to help hold their foot on the brake pedal and put it in gear (low beams must be off too) if you want to see how thr DRLs look
I put in LEDs, the Driver side was a lot harder than the passenger side, but they both are a pain. I went through the wheel well both times since I couldnt use this method very well. If you have eyes on your fingers it will be a lot easier....if you don't then you will probably fumble around for 20 minutes and start swearing. I did finally get it though.
Why did you put LEDs in reflector housings. I know they look like projectors but they are actually reflectors. Different. Hid bulbs have a better beam pattern etc in reflectors. Look at the components. You'll see what I mean about the difference between the two. Either way, these headlight housings on these cars are insane. They put fog bulbs in the low beams and low beams in the fogs and screwed the voltage. That's one of the reasons they changed them after this generation and started giving full refunds for bulb purchases. If I had saved my receipts I would have gotten hundreds back from Subaru. Amazing cars. Shit bulbs on this generation.
I am attempting this job on my fiancée’s Outback today and I’m on my first walk away right now. I tried to get an early start, but it’s heating up fast and laying in the driveway trying to get that dust cap off while the car mangles your arm and the sun is cooking you is enough to make a nun curse. Decided to come in and see if others had had similar frustrations and...yep. In the first video that I watched about how to do this, the guy went up through the wheel well and had it done in like 7 minutes. Pfffft. I’ll keep trying throughout the day in order to try to save a trip to an auto shop.
@@quickcanary I think part of it depends if you have wheel Arch moldings. I have to take the wheel off to fit a screwdriver in at the right angle to take the screws out to take the wheel Arch molding off to get the fender liner out so I can fumble around up inside to replace the bulb. That ended up taking about 90 minutes...
Took my 2014 outback to the dealer for an oil change whilst under warranty and found my dash cam unplugged. I didn't do it and enquired to the dealer. They were speechless. Worker passed new over to service manager immediately. No answers from him. I made it known that I was sceptical to whether they changed my oil at all. I now change my own oil and will replace the lightbulb myself.
Interesting. Never had anywhere unplug my dash cam that I know of (or they plugged it back in), usually you can look at the oil and its visibly darker before change...but I don't blame you.
Very helpful. although my arms and hands aren't that small and I still moved the battery and the inside fender skirt . . . and still had to contort and finagle to get it back in. Watched the video a couple of years ago . . . and had to review it today again! lol
No one was concerned the car was running? I mean I don't think you need to remove the battery for bulb replacement but a running vehicle isn't really something you want especially for something like this, belts and fans... Belts and fans..
Its not running? You can turn the headlights on without the engine or key. Cycle the switch to off or auto then back to on. You also don't want to unhook the battery with it running - that can damage the electrical system because it stabilizes the voltage.
I thought it was running too, but near the end he eluded to the fact that the engine was hot because he drove to the parts store. I took that to mean the car was now off.
Great job, I’ve not seen this method before. Good tip to mark the cover before removing. Would this method work to change the side marker you think? I have a 2011 legacy. Thanks
John Atimori it does sort of. The marker light is about 4-6 inch ahead of where I reached in to grab the headlight cover and I had to build a figure-8 shape pvc pipe reach rod to get leverage to twist it but yes, it is possible to do this way if you have someone with small hands.
I'd say do it this way if you really don't want to/can't lift the car up and take the wheel off. It worked, but it really sucked (and hurt) twisting around and reaching in there, with the sheet metal pressed against your wrist/arm the whole time. You're essentially placing the new bulb in with taps and nudges with the very tips of your fingers, at ineffective angles. It probably took about the same amount of time for me as doing it the normal way. Probably considerably easier with the battery removed, which I did not do.
It may depend on model too. Mine came with wheel arch molding which has to be removed to get the fender liner pulled back but to get at the screws you have to remove the wheel which is hell to put back on (worst car I have ever had to align the lugs) then a million push pins at least 2 of which always break off requiring a trip to the parts store to replace. Took us a bit over an hour per bulb that way not including the trip to and from the store for new plastic clips. Personally I find the pain of the metal pushing my arm less aggravating than the alternative but that's why there are multiple ideas. A 3rd option I see some recommend removing the front bumper.
Yeah it definately requires small hands...and honestly if you mean the little bitty amber light (not turn signal but the marker as you say) that one is probably the hardest to reach even with small hands and a diy reach tool made from pvc pipe it was painful. That is the one light I have wished I got LED the first time - and this is coming from someone who dislikes LEDs due to ice/snow covering them in winter.
Make sure they are the correct type and properly seated/oriented...I've never had to do any kind of adjustment as long as the bulbs drop into the slot correct orientation. I'd suggest having a shop do it for you, if its done incorrectly (or the wrong type of bulb, such as a LED in a housing designed for halogen) even by a couple degrees error you will end up blinding all the other drivers while you can't see anything. This thread may help you... www.subaruoutback.org/forums/104-gen-4-2010-2014/386289-headlights-uneven.html
The connector on the back of the low beam headlight bulbs is just a push-on with 2 "spade" type blades and friction holding it. It doesn't have any clips holding it on, just friction. It's also a bit annoying because as you're trying to pull the connector off of the bulb the bulb is moving around because it's held in by a wire spring clip so it feels like something is loose but it's just the bulb moving around in the spring clip. If it's really really stuck it might be necessary to go in through the wheel well like the owner's manual says for replacing those lamps so you can get a better grip, or potentially take the bulb out and then pry the plug off the removed bulb up in the fender.
@@matthewmiller6068 I’m gonna try to throw some rubber gloves on and do it from the wheel well but I got my right side done in less then an hour but this side is taking me all day lol
Do you have the arch molding? That's what kills me...gotta take off the wheel to get at all the screws with a screwdriver to remove the molding then you can take out the liner...
If I have to keep changing these stupid bulbs, I’m considering taking my multi-tool, cutting a hole of some sort in the plastic wheel well, then come up with a way to add a flange to the part I cut out, then screw that back on with some short gutter screws or? We love our Subaru, but the guy that designed this should have his but kicked, lol you can’t tell me they couldn’t engineer a light assembly with both lights accessible under the hood. THANKS A BUNCH, (FOR NOTHING), SUBARU!
I think someone in the SubaruOutback.org forums did a mod cutting a hole in the fender liner and installing a port-hole to access the bulb that way but I don't have a link
Unbolting the light assembly requires removing the front bumper, which requires removing the wheel Arch molding, wheel well liner, and bottom splash guards among other things. Some people do go that route though.
I literally just remove the bumper and take out the assembly. Subaru dropped the ball with this one. Not only is it infuriating to change the light but they go out every 3-4 months.
It works but you have to pop the intake off (2 plastic pins) to get in easier...and me being right handed working the cover off is harder with my left hand.
The other one was not out when I made the video but it can be done similarly. Have to remove a bit of the intake before the air filter if I recall and its a mirror of the driver side. For some reason mine burns out on the driver side way more often than passenger side does.
12 minutes?! I don't work on cars a lot but it probably takes me that long to get 1 wheel and the plastic molding off so I can begin fighting the push pin clips in the fender liner.
No way, highway robbery! Even a 15 min oil change is nearly $100 at the dealer...was told its an hour of labor plus parts I can only imagine how much they would charge. Plus then you have to take off work to boot.
NO NO NO!!! I tired and it wasn't worth it. TAKE THE WHEEL OFF and have a beer while the other version of you is still struggling with pliers and dropping the bulb and ending up taking the wheel off anyway! NOT WORTH IT ! YOU WILL WANT TO SELL YOUR CAR. - rant over
YMMV - I've done mine this way more than once and it's much easier, this video is in real time. A tip to avoid dropping the bulb, you can get needle nose vice-grips instead of needle nose pliers which is handy. Certainly this is hands down the worst design I have seen to replace the bulb on any car I've helped work on. Doing it "by the book" took me an hour and a half to change one bulb even with a 2nd person helping. Pain in the butt taking off the wheel, taking off the wheel arch moldings, trying to pry out all the stupid plastic rivets, breaking a bunch of plastic rivets (since they don't pull out with dirt behind them), getting the thing apart, trying to access the bulb housing, struggling to find the hole to get the new bulb in (because you can't have your head in to see while you're reaching in), struggling to get the wires to go on, then struggling to get it all back together. And 90 minutes is not counting the time it took us driving around in a different car to locate replacement plastic rivets to hold the wheel well back together or scratching our heads trying to remember which screws held what part of the wheel arch molding on or why holes didn't line up anymore to put the new plastic rivets in. Oh, and don't forget to put the wheel molding on before the wheel or you'll have to take it off AGAIN so you can fit a screwdriver in to get the molding back on. I gather there is a 3rd method floating around on the net involving disassembly of the bumper instead of the wheel...I can't speak to that one since I haven't tried it.
Unfortunately my passenger side one hasn't burnt out when I had time to make a video but its very similar behind the air filter box and intake. I don't know why but the driver side on my car seems to burn out much more frequently than the passenger side.
@@timjederberg9322 yeah, the marker ones are the worst I have had to do so far. I need to replace a driver's front turn signal went out last weekend and I am expecting that to be painful.
I did it!!! My wife said I couldn’t but I did it. Took me about 40 minutes. Thanks for the video!
I just replaced my headlight. Thanks for your video. Mechanic was going to charge me 115 to change it. It look me about an hour but hey saved myself some money 😊
Bro how’d you get the connector off
I have owned a 2010 Legacy for 10 years and have changed those damn bulbs probably a dozen times. I’ve had best luck going in thru the wheel well. I peel back the plastic wheel well housing back and crank the wheel to one side. First challenge is getting the dust cap loose with my fingertips. Lefty loosely , so push with your finger tips. Remove it.Then loosen the spring clip that holds the bulb. It’s on a swivel so it won’t fall out and can’t be removed. Pull back and down and toward you.Then, before removing, try to remember with your fingers how the bulb sets with relation to the tab that sits at about 4 o’clock. Try to remember that. Unclip the electrical plug and remove the bulb out the wheel well. Replace the bulb by holding it as best you can by the metal flange or prongs and avoid touching the glass. Seat the bulb so that the metal prong and the detent in the housing mate up. Easier said than done. Patience is the word. Don’t drop it. Re-hook the clip over the bulb in a down and over fashion so the clip catches. Patience, again is required. Replug the electrical plug together using your thumb and two fingers. Put a little chapstick, vaseline, or other lubricant on the o ring of the dust cap. Make sure the cap is flush to the lamp housing and push the tab away from you in a righty tighty direction. Replace the plastic fender cover inside the the fender and replace any clips. They get damaged after awhile. I left most of mine off except where necessary to keep the plastic in place. Have a beer. You just earned it.
My main issue with the wheel well is I can't fit a screwdriver to get the wheel arch molding off without taking the wheel off (the top middle screw turning the wheels doesn't help) and then I can't see the hole while reaching. Whatever works though!
Thanks a million for this post. You don't mention the right hand side is also horrible, but not as bad as the left. You only have to remove the air box on the right side and it isn't so bad. Removing the battery makes it much easier and I think I actually got it done faster even with taking it out. I also had my son help me orient things with his tiny hands. 1cm is all the extra space you would need between the frame support and the rear cap and this would be no problem. Subbie gets most things right but not this job.
I took this a step further, removed the battery and cut a 3x3 square just behind the white cap. Did this cut out on both sides. Now bulb change is simple simple.
Thank you for this post. Although the camera work is not close up, I was able to figure it out. I did the passenger side by going through the wheel well and the driver side like this (did not remove the battery). I thought I was going to have to go through the wheel well on the driver side but I thought I would just try this and see how far I got. I was able to get the gray cover off and remove it fairly easily like the video at 1:25. Note: what made this much easier to go back on - I marked the gray cover with a marker to show where the 4 tabs are. Then I marked the actual housing where 1 tab was (about two o'clock on the headlight housing) so I could line up the cover with the housing easily in the very limited space. After the cover was off, it is easy to get the plug and wire holder off; you can see inside the space well at this point. I had to use both hands to reach way into the tiny slot with one hand and keep my other hand near the battery to get the bulb out. I did not need needle nose pliers. To get the new bulb in was painful - this was the hardest part - to get the new bulb into the housing and lined up with the tab location. I almost had to use 1 hand to keep the plug and wire harness out of the way, while the other hand gently navigated the bulb into the housing. I fed the bulb into the housing with a pair of needle nose pliers right next to the small slot by the battery. Unfortunately, I did drop the bulb one time. After shouting a few expletives, I found that the bulb was easy to retrieve - right below the bulb housing is a shelf that catches most items (whew!). My bulb needed the tab at about seven o'clock to line up with the housing. After the bulb was in position (again, the hardest and longest part), putting the wire harness on and re-plugging was easy. Getting the gray cover back on was not easy until I drew the line showing where the tab was on the cover and another line on the housing where the tabs should be. I used a long screwdriver to ensure the bottom was seated before turning clockwise to tighten. My goodness, I hope I never have to do this again. I assure you I will be looking at how to replace headlights BEFORE buying our next car! This headlight replacement is ridiculous! Good luck !!!
Yeah, marking the locked and unlocked position makes a huge difference! A little wipe of the seal with wd-40 doesn't hurt either to help it not stick going in and turning.
Lot of new cars seem to use LED or laser so maybe it will be less painful going forward. I don't recommend retrofit LEDs though as they often ruin the beam pattern making it harder for you to see and blinding others. Especially not hibeam as the DRLs will run a LED at full brightness.
While the design is awful, i have done it several times. On the driver side it is easier to take the battery out and use the wheel well opening and the side opening by the battery to access the bulb. Passenger side same deal, except remove the air intake. In my experiences actually removing the dust cover (gray cover) is the hardest part of the procedure as it is usually pretty tight due to the rubber gasket. Good luck!
the one who design this subaru headlight , I am sure he is laughing at us when we are trying to replace headlight LOL
Thank you so much my friend, this is the only way I could get that damn bulb replaced. Nice work.
I've used this method before and it worked. I did take out the battery and drilled a small hole in one of the paddles to attach a string tether so I didn't loose the cover behind the wheel well. Getting the new bulb back in made me wish I had really small hands... but I did it without dropping the bulb. I don't recall reaching in through the top, but that was a few years ago. I'm watching this video and writing this now because that same f#&!*ng bulb has now burnt out again! Side note: I wear clean nitrile gloves when handling the new bulb. Still easier than ripping apart the wheel well.
I've tried using gloves and not using gloves... I came to the conclusion that the loss of dexterity from the gloves (which always seem a bit big on my fingers) made it worth accidentally touching the bulb and having to take it out and clean (seems isopropyl alcohol does good enough removing any skin oil so they don't hot-spot if you touch it by mistake). It certainly is a major pain though!
Folks, if you're dealing with the driver side do it as shown in this video but TAKE OUT the battery - makes the job much easier. For passenger side, no choice but to go through the wheel well which requires partial removal of the wheel well vinyls.
James Martin thank you for the tip. It’s not hard to pull the battery out.
The passenger side can be kinda sorta done similar by taking part of the intake off but it's a LOT harder. I am also right handed so the passenger side one I hate any which way because I can't get at it with my dominant hand...
I also try to avoid the fender liner because my car has the wheel arch molding...which has to come off and to fit tools in to all the screws I always end up removing the wheel. PITA
Also yeah, even loosening and slide the battery a bit over helps a ton. I just went thru this ahead of state inspection this weekend so I couldn't unhook the battery...but even an extra half inch space makes a huge difference. Had to swap it in the auto zone parking lot.
Thanks for the video and guidance. I took out the battery and recommend that for others. Oh, I have a 2013 and your video still helped!
My parents actually have a 2013 and 2014, they seem very much the same and take most of the same parts. Glad it helped!
I agree with prior posts that removing the battery makes it easier. I was sitting on top of my Subaru 2014 Outback radiator with my left foot where the battery normally sits to put on the driver's side low beam dust cover. I did not mark the dust cover. It's symmetrical; as long as you get all four nubs in their grooves and turn, I think it's all the same.
Yep, but then you get the game of reprogramming the window auto up down and a few other things. Not hard just annoying. Also I have a bigger group 34 battery which is a very tight fit vs the itty bitty OEM one (but bigger capacity)
Thank you for the video!! Terrible design for sure and this helped me a lot!
A bit of silicone lube on the cover gasket makes it easy to install the cover.
don't let Subaru know you can reach the bulb they will throw some barbed wire in to keep people out.
THANK YOU!!! I DID IT!! I did take out the battery though...it just made it a little easier for me and I didn't need needle nose pliers. Thanks for posting!
I have a 2011 Outback, and not only did they create the hardest low beams to change, but a poor design causes heat buildup or some other reason it blows bulbs. The last set didn’t blow but not now after 13 years the projector part is dirty, degraded, or something because we can barely see with the low beams on. We have to turn fog lights on just to barely see. I’ve seen a guy take them out and clean them, but if I have to take the whole front end off to do it, may as well put new headlight assemblies in. I’m hoping the after market parts fit. I also tried Sylvania LED replacements , with the projector lens dirty/cloudy, not ant better. The dealer wanted $1,100 to replace both, I got the two headlight assemblies, the tool kit for the snaps, and 200 snaps, all under $200.00 Now I just need to pull the front bumper cover off and have a day or two in case I doesn’t go smoothly, lol. I guarantee someone that’s used to this repair could do it in 2-3 hours. I’d pay a few hundred dollars to have it done, but not $800 labor, even with inflation, that’s legal robbery.
Yeah, the lenses on mine fogged after probably 6-ish years (outdoor parking) and I had to change them. It sucked but made a HUGE difference in being able to see. I think mine took most of a day because I am not comfortable prying on stuff if I don't know how it works but there's a bunch of TH-cam videos out there that are helpful. I recall a lot of the push-pins were dirty and didn't want to come out easily and also had some difficulty where I was scared of pulling too hard on parts. But I was successful eventually. Remember to install the new bulbs in the low-beam housings before installing the housings on the car...just replace both even if they are still working because it sucks so much to do once they're in the car.
Also be careful replacing the halogen bulbs, if you touch the glass of them it can create hot-spots from skin oil on the glass and cause them to fail prematurely. If you accidentally touch the glass, stop and clean the bulb glass off with a lotion-free tissue or paper-towel and isopropyl alcohol or acetone to ensure there are no oils or residue on the glass.
Just did this on the passenger side. Absolutely ridiculous, but I got it done without going underneath because I have small arms and hands, and had to detach the bulb, put the other in, and put the clamp back on all with one hand. Couldn't imagine a bigger dude doing this.
Better lighting is needed. But thank you for sharing
Great method and thumbs UP for your attempt & documenting the same.
I was thinking if it's possible to change the bulb this way. Looking at your video, I am going to attempt opening the fender and have done that several times with my Accord.
If you don't have wheel Arch moldings the fender option may not be as painful as it was for me, I had to remove the wheel Arch moldings to get the fender liner pulled out... But I could not get my screwdriver in well enough to remove the screws that hold the molding on without first removing the wheel. That turned into a 90 minute process for 1 bulb and I started thinking there has to be some other way I can come up with.
I would also recommend replacing the side parking/marker lights (behind the amber edge of the headlight housing) if you bother to go in there because those are even more difficult to get to by other means. They're cheap to get so as long as you're climbing around just swap them out.
@@matthewmiller6068 Thanks for the tip. I plan to change the fog light and low beam at the same time to LED bulbs.
Agreed about changing the other bulbs. It does make sense to change them as majority of the effort is to remove the moulding.
I'm wondering if the cover being on causes heat build up and kills the bulb before it's time. I have to change mine winter of 2022, cheers.
Not sure - does your driver's side blow more often? Seems like my driver's low-beam and fog bulbs blow about twice as often as the passenger side bulbs.
@@matthewmiller6068 We usually have to replace both every year
I just had the driver's low beam go out again after just 1.5 years. Last time, it was cold and the inner fender cracked when I pulled it back. (Repaired that with black silicone!) It was a bitch to replace the bulb, made worse by the fact that an accident repair had left zero clearance to the dust cap and it wouldn't come out. I had to get the punch on the metal to make room. It was 29F and snowing today and there was no way I was going to wrestle underneath the wheel well!
This time, I removed the battery and used the angle grinder to remove about 3/8th of the front lip of the battery tray pressing, just back to the edge of the overlapping piece and hey presto!... Easy access from the engine bay with no scraped hands and arms. A touch up with the Subaru paint after warming the steel and all is good. Next time will be so easy.
Try the one of the passengers side
Have fun
Yeah it sucks lol...if you can figure out the right tools to remove the air cleaner box (not easy) it can be done but its harder. Also I am right handed which makes passenger side suck worse.
@@matthewmiller6068 yeah, i was not thrilled when i learned how Subaru screwed us with this
@@matthewmiller6068 i know the drivers side is piece of cake and then you descend quickly into the 7th level of hell
Is the daytime running light the same H7 bulb? I had both go out.
I don't remember the numbers but the DRL uses the hibeam bulb at lower voltage (inner lights near grill) much easier to access and I think just twist a partial turn and lift out without extra clips or covers
Only the low-beams are a nightmare to reach. Fog lights are easy thru the bottom laying on the ground (couple pins and pull plastic down)
And the drls are not to be confused with a dim accent/parking light goes somewhere next to the hibeam bulb too (but is easy to get to)
Also beware using LEDs in the hibeam/DRL will result in blinding everyone because the LEDs are efficient enough to be full brightness with the DRLs on (so basically always hibeams) so please stick with halogens in the hibeam position (I see this blinding me so often these days in my area)
Its hard to test the DRLs yourself as it has to be out of park with the parking brake released so I suggest an assistant to help hold their foot on the brake pedal and put it in gear (low beams must be off too) if you want to see how thr DRLs look
I put in LEDs, the Driver side was a lot harder than the passenger side, but they both are a pain. I went through the wheel well both times since I couldnt use this method very well. If you have eyes on your fingers it will be a lot easier....if you don't then you will probably fumble around for 20 minutes and start swearing. I did finally get it though.
Have you found LEDs that actually have the right beam pattern to pass inspection and not blind oncoming drivers?
Why did you put LEDs in reflector housings. I know they look like projectors but they are actually reflectors. Different. Hid bulbs have a better beam pattern etc in reflectors. Look at the components. You'll see what I mean about the difference between the two. Either way, these headlight housings on these cars are insane. They put fog bulbs in the low beams and low beams in the fogs and screwed the voltage. That's one of the reasons they changed them after this generation and started giving full refunds for bulb purchases. If I had saved my receipts I would have gotten hundreds back from Subaru. Amazing cars. Shit bulbs on this generation.
I had to walk away three or four times while doing this it was so difficult and annoying.
I am attempting this job on my fiancée’s Outback today and I’m on my first walk away right now. I tried to get an early start, but it’s heating up fast and laying in the driveway trying to get that dust cap off while the car mangles your arm and the sun is cooking you is enough to make a nun curse. Decided to come in and see if others had had similar frustrations and...yep. In the first video that I watched about how to do this, the guy went up through the wheel well and had it done in like 7 minutes. Pfffft. I’ll keep trying throughout the day in order to try to save a trip to an auto shop.
@@quickcanary I think part of it depends if you have wheel Arch moldings. I have to take the wheel off to fit a screwdriver in at the right angle to take the screws out to take the wheel Arch molding off to get the fender liner out so I can fumble around up inside to replace the bulb. That ended up taking about 90 minutes...
Can you unscrew the headlight assembly and move it forward some?
Not without dismantling the whole from bumper. Some people go that way though.
Took my 2014 outback to the dealer for an oil change whilst under warranty and found my dash cam unplugged. I didn't do it and enquired to the dealer. They were speechless. Worker passed new over to service manager immediately. No answers from him. I made it known that I was sceptical to whether they changed my oil at all. I now change my own oil and will replace the lightbulb myself.
Interesting. Never had anywhere unplug my dash cam that I know of (or they plugged it back in), usually you can look at the oil and its visibly darker before change...but I don't blame you.
Very helpful. although my arms and hands aren't that small and I still moved the battery and the inside fender skirt . . . and still had to contort and finagle to get it back in. Watched the video a couple of years ago . . . and had to review it today again! lol
I cut a hole in the fender easy access yes.
No one was concerned the car was running? I mean I don't think you need to remove the battery for bulb replacement but a running vehicle isn't really something you want especially for something like this, belts and fans... Belts and fans..
Its not running? You can turn the headlights on without the engine or key. Cycle the switch to off or auto then back to on.
You also don't want to unhook the battery with it running - that can damage the electrical system because it stabilizes the voltage.
I thought it was running too, but near the end he eluded to the fact that the engine was hot because he drove to the parts store. I took that to mean the car was now off.
Great job, I’ve not seen this method before. Good tip to mark the cover before removing. Would this method work to change the side marker you think? I have a 2011 legacy. Thanks
John Atimori it does sort of. The marker light is about 4-6 inch ahead of where I reached in to grab the headlight cover and I had to build a figure-8 shape pvc pipe reach rod to get leverage to twist it but yes, it is possible to do this way if you have someone with small hands.
John Atimori I assume turn signals would be the same but I have not tried those yet, somehow my factory turn signal bulbs are still working fine
Matthew Miller , thanks, I’ll try changing my burnt side marker once the weather warms up a little here, I’ll let you know how it goes.
I'd say do it this way if you really don't want to/can't lift the car up and take the wheel off. It worked, but it really sucked (and hurt) twisting around and reaching in there, with the sheet metal pressed against your wrist/arm the whole time. You're essentially placing the new bulb in with taps and nudges with the very tips of your fingers, at ineffective angles. It probably took about the same amount of time for me as doing it the normal way. Probably considerably easier with the battery removed, which I did not do.
It may depend on model too. Mine came with wheel arch molding which has to be removed to get the fender liner pulled back but to get at the screws you have to remove the wheel which is hell to put back on (worst car I have ever had to align the lugs) then a million push pins at least 2 of which always break off requiring a trip to the parts store to replace. Took us a bit over an hour per bulb that way not including the trip to and from the store for new plastic clips.
Personally I find the pain of the metal pushing my arm less aggravating than the alternative but that's why there are multiple ideas.
A 3rd option I see some recommend removing the front bumper.
@@matthewmiller6068 that's a good point... I haven't done it that way so perhaps I will be doing it this way in the long term. Thanks for the video!
Was not aware of this way. Very cool! 🙏
I need to change my side marker lights out. I’m looking for any easier way to do it but I’m pretty sure my hands won’t fit through that space.
Yeah it definately requires small hands...and honestly if you mean the little bitty amber light (not turn signal but the marker as you say) that one is probably the hardest to reach even with small hands and a diy reach tool made from pvc pipe it was painful. That is the one light I have wished I got LED the first time - and this is coming from someone who dislikes LEDs due to ice/snow covering them in winter.
Is this Sheldon? Good job brother !
Having the battery in the way really discouraged me.
So, what do you do if you have forearms?
Ask friends? I have been lucky enough to not have that issue and I am able to help my parents...sorry
I agree 100% and big hands
How do I raise the low beams ? They point ten feet ahead. Can't find any way to turn them up some !
Make sure they are the correct type and properly seated/oriented...I've never had to do any kind of adjustment as long as the bulbs drop into the slot correct orientation. I'd suggest having a shop do it for you, if its done incorrectly (or the wrong type of bulb, such as a LED in a housing designed for halogen) even by a couple degrees error you will end up blinding all the other drivers while you can't see anything.
This thread may help you...
www.subaruoutback.org/forums/104-gen-4-2010-2014/386289-headlights-uneven.html
I’m stuck trying to get the connector off
The connector on the back of the low beam headlight bulbs is just a push-on with 2 "spade" type blades and friction holding it. It doesn't have any clips holding it on, just friction. It's also a bit annoying because as you're trying to pull the connector off of the bulb the bulb is moving around because it's held in by a wire spring clip so it feels like something is loose but it's just the bulb moving around in the spring clip.
If it's really really stuck it might be necessary to go in through the wheel well like the owner's manual says for replacing those lamps so you can get a better grip, or potentially take the bulb out and then pry the plug off the removed bulb up in the fender.
@@matthewmiller6068 I’m gonna try to throw some rubber gloves on and do it from the wheel well but I got my right side done in less then an hour but this side is taking me all day lol
@@matthewmiller6068 and right it’s annoying the life outta me I’m bout to give up and go to a mechanic 😭
i just go through the wheel well/removing the lining .... very annoying ... good callout on the alternative
Do you have the arch molding? That's what kills me...gotta take off the wheel to get at all the screws with a screwdriver to remove the molding then you can take out the liner...
If I have to keep changing these stupid bulbs, I’m considering taking my multi-tool, cutting a hole of some sort in the plastic wheel well, then come up with a way to add a flange to the part I cut out, then screw that back on with some short gutter screws or? We love our Subaru, but the guy that designed this should have his but kicked, lol you can’t tell me they couldn’t engineer a light assembly with both lights accessible under the hood. THANKS A BUNCH, (FOR NOTHING), SUBARU!
I think someone in the SubaruOutback.org forums did a mod cutting a hole in the fender liner and installing a port-hole to access the bulb that way but I don't have a link
That is called a “Chutiya” design by engineers 🤓
True, but it's also a way for service to extract $$ for replacing the bulb.
Why not just unbolt the entire light assembly, change bulb, then reattach
Unbolting the light assembly requires removing the front bumper, which requires removing the wheel Arch molding, wheel well liner, and bottom splash guards among other things. Some people do go that route though.
I actually investigated going that route before I knew how hard it was to get to the bolts holding the bottom of the housing on.
I literally just remove the bumper and take out the assembly. Subaru dropped the ball with this one. Not only is it infuriating to change the light but they go out every 3-4 months.
Near impossible. Gotta have some small hands to do this. Gotta hate subaru for the poor design !
I used a reciprocating saw to cut away some metal by the front of the battery compartment. Stupid design needs stupid cure.
LOL I used a hole saw and some gasket to make the edges safe... F'Subaru...
WHY DO THOSE BASTDS MAKE IT SO DIFFICULT TO REPLACE THE BULBS ? TAKE ME BACK TO MY OLD CHEVY, DODGE & FORDS. YOU COULD CHANGE OUT LIGHTS BLINDFOLDED !
Yeah.....now try it on the OTHER side......
It works but you have to pop the intake off (2 plastic pins) to get in easier...and me being right handed working the cover off is harder with my left hand.
What about the other headlight that's the actual hard one to get access too. 👍 Should be called useless information video
The other one was not out when I made the video but it can be done similarly. Have to remove a bit of the intake before the air filter if I recall and its a mirror of the driver side.
For some reason mine burns out on the driver side way more often than passenger side does.
This a 2hr labor for stealership
Mine said 1 but that is still nuts. By the book it took me 90 minutes thru the wheel well...
😂, Jack under car two tyres off, done in 12 minutes, wtf...😢
12 minutes?! I don't work on cars a lot but it probably takes me that long to get 1 wheel and the plastic molding off so I can begin fighting the push pin clips in the fender liner.
take it to the dealer!
No way, highway robbery! Even a 15 min oil change is nearly $100 at the dealer...was told its an hour of labor plus parts I can only imagine how much they would charge. Plus then you have to take off work to boot.
Taking it to the dealer, called today cost $60.00 @@matthewmiller6068
DEALERS ALL WILL BURN IN HELL !
i called them, i heard they said fk in the phone, i said i would change both side.
Took mine to the dealer today... $91 for 1 bulb, $130 for both sides -__- Definitely going to take the time and figure this out myself next time
What a joke. Enough to never buy another Suburu
NO NO NO!!! I tired and it wasn't worth it. TAKE THE WHEEL OFF and have a beer while the other version of you is still struggling with pliers and dropping the bulb and ending up taking the wheel off anyway! NOT WORTH IT ! YOU WILL WANT TO SELL YOUR CAR. - rant over
YMMV - I've done mine this way more than once and it's much easier, this video is in real time. A tip to avoid dropping the bulb, you can get needle nose vice-grips instead of needle nose pliers which is handy. Certainly this is hands down the worst design I have seen to replace the bulb on any car I've helped work on.
Doing it "by the book" took me an hour and a half to change one bulb even with a 2nd person helping. Pain in the butt taking off the wheel, taking off the wheel arch moldings, trying to pry out all the stupid plastic rivets, breaking a bunch of plastic rivets (since they don't pull out with dirt behind them), getting the thing apart, trying to access the bulb housing, struggling to find the hole to get the new bulb in (because you can't have your head in to see while you're reaching in), struggling to get the wires to go on, then struggling to get it all back together. And 90 minutes is not counting the time it took us driving around in a different car to locate replacement plastic rivets to hold the wheel well back together or scratching our heads trying to remember which screws held what part of the wheel arch molding on or why holes didn't line up anymore to put the new plastic rivets in. Oh, and don't forget to put the wheel molding on before the wheel or you'll have to take it off AGAIN so you can fit a screwdriver in to get the molding back on.
I gather there is a 3rd method floating around on the net involving disassembly of the bumper instead of the wheel...I can't speak to that one since I haven't tried it.
No help at all! Passenger side, totaaly different.
Unfortunately my passenger side one hasn't burnt out when I had time to make a video but its very similar behind the air filter box and intake. I don't know why but the driver side on my car seems to burn out much more frequently than the passenger side.
@@matthewmiller6068 I just did both sides and it took hours. The little maker lights are killers. But thanks for your video!
@@timjederberg9322 yeah, the marker ones are the worst I have had to do so far. I need to replace a driver's front turn signal went out last weekend and I am expecting that to be painful.
Tricky job for sure 🥹