Topic: What did you do to your car today?

[Noto]

Nothing with my cars, but I happened to walk by the window as my neighbour across the street was backing into his driveway and his driver's side headlight was out.  I texted to let him know and he asked if I could help change it since he knows I'm a weekend DIY-wannabe.

...2010 Chevy Malibu.  WTF were Chevy designers thinking?  Have to remove the front bumper cover just to change a headlight?!?!

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=19xdh0fEbqw

[Blueprint]

Finally went to get the Accent this morning. It was left in a business park in the West Island on December 14th for a weekly press loan that became a month long. When we had the PPI done in 2019, the dealership said the battery was due. It always seemed fined to me, but just in case I brought booster cables. The car was still there, new snow tires still on it, so all good at first glance. Most snow had melted off the car. Got in, turned the key with the door open for a better listen and it wirred to life like it was parked yesterday. Good little cockroach she is.

[tortoise]

Nothing with my cars, but I happened to walk by the window as my neighbour across the street was backing into his driveway and his driver's side headlight was out.  I texted to let him know and he asked if I could help change it since he knows I'm a weekend DIY-wannabe.

...2010 Chevy Malibu.  WTF were Chevy designers thinking?  Have to remove the front bumper cover just to change a headlight?!?!

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=19xdh0fEbqw

The Mk7 Golf has a similar video suggesting you need to remove the bumper skin before changing the headlamp.  The reality is that you don't need to at all. 

I was thinking this would be the same.  But nope, bumper has to come off.  I'd have no problem helping out the summer when it's warm, but in the winter?  No way I'd be messing with someone elses car.

And yes, that's nothing short of completely absurd.

[Noto]

I'd have no problem helping out the summer when it's warm, but in the winter?  No way I'd be messing with someone elses car.

And yes, that's nothing short of completely absurd.

^this.  I'm not sure I'm comfortable yanking on plastic tabs for the bumper cover, either, especially on someone else's car, in the middle of winter while the plastic is likely a touch more brittle.

He can get the dealership to do it.  Shame cuz the bulb is $12 at CT and I can only imagine what the stealership will charge.

[Arthur Dent]

I helped a friend change the bulbs on a Cadillac DTS (I think). It was like that. I think we managed to just loosen the bumper and do through the plastic inner wheel cover.

We did the front and rear brakes on the same car in less time than two headlights. 

[Firm]

I helped a friend change the bulbs on a Cadillac DTS (I think). It was like that. I think we managed to just loosen the bumper and do through the plastic inner wheel cover.

We did the front and rear brakes on the same car in less time than two headlights. 

  Yep. Probably a DTS, the headlights are a known PITA. I haven't had to do mine yet, service manual says to remove the front bumper cover, but like you said, most people can get away with loosening it. Even the plastic fender liner (and the lower splash panel that connects to it) is a pain though. 

[Great_Big_Abyss]

The Lexus ES is like that.  It's a half a day job just to change a headlight.

[Noto]

The Lexus ES is like that.  It's a half a day job just to change a headlight.

... But are those halogens, or longer-lasting options like HID or LEDs?  My neighbour's is for a simple halogen...

[Blueprint]

The Lexus ES is like that.  It's a half a day job just to change a headlight.

... But are those halogens, or longer-lasting options like HID or LEDs?  My neighbour's is for a simple halogen...

Do you need to swap the entire headlamp assembly or just a bulb?

[Noto]

Just the bulb in the Malibu -but you have to loosen(essentially disconnect) the headlight unit itself to access the rear to change the bulb.

[Fobroader]

The Lexus ES is like that.  It's a half a day job just to change a headlight.

... But are those halogens, or longer-lasting options like HID or LEDs?  My neighbour's is for a simple halogen...

Thats freaking idiotic, either leave room or make headlight removal an easily accessible bolt or two.

[HeliDriver]

The bumper cover is also supposed to come off to change the headlight bulbs on the GTI. I figured I could do it without removing the bumper (saw a DIY) but man was it ever a PITA and did I ever scrape up all my knuckles. In hindsight, would have been easier and probably faster just to remove the bumper.

Same thing with the parking light bulbs on the Yukon, but I was happy after one oil change to see that they had changed the bulb as well, and only charged me the 2 bucks for the bulb. They said they have a tech with really small hands who’s done it a hundred times and can get in there without pulling the bumper.

[Blueprint]

Sealed beams - never thought we'd miss them until you have to pull the engine to change a bulb.

[Fobroader]

Sealed beams - never thought we'd miss them until you have to pull the engine to change a bulb.

I used to cuss at my Bronco II because the screwdriver was a little hard to squeeze between the bezels and light to undo the screws holding the whole light in.....that would be a bloody dream these days.

[ArticSteve]

Sealed beams - never thought we'd miss them until you have to pull the engine to change a bulb.

^^^

No kidding.  The good ole days;  light out, trip to crappy that had an entire isle of them and a few Phillip screws  later, + $15.  and presto. On with LIFE.

Currently  ....      You see the LED set up on a 2021 F150    Just taking a guess the entire assembly is $1500 CAD and it only comes as one unit.

Trump, Insurrection, Vehicle LEDS ..... stick a fork in us .... where done. 

[Seafoam]

 That Malibu ,time to trade it in after the bulb on the other side goes out.

Looked at the owners manual on line. Under bulbs no mention of owner service for headlights. Just the tail lights. Have to take it to the dealer.

[Fobroader]

Sealed beams - never thought we'd miss them until you have to pull the engine to change a bulb.

^^^

No kidding.  The good ole days;  light out, trip to crappy that had an entire isle of them and a few Phillip screws  [emoji14] later, + $15.  and presto. On with LIFE.

Currently  ....      You see the LED set up on a 2021 F150    Just taking a guess the entire assembly is $1500 CAD and it only comes as one unit.

Trump, Insurrection, Vehicle LEDS ..... stick a fork in us .... where done.

The headlights on the GX are about $4k....EACH!!!

Sent from my SM-G960W using Tapatalk

[rrocket]

Sealed beams - never thought we'd miss them until you have to pull the engine to change a bulb.

^^^

No kidding.  The good ole days;  light out, trip to crappy that had an entire isle of them and a few Phillip screws  [emoji14] later, + $15.  and presto. On with LIFE.

Currently  ....      You see the LED set up on a 2021 F150    Just taking a guess the entire assembly is $1500 CAD and it only comes as one unit.

Trump, Insurrection, Vehicle LEDS ..... stick a fork in us .... where done.

The headlights on the GX are about $4k....EACH!!!

Sent from my SM-G960W using Tapatalk

High roller!

[Scaerio]

While the bulbs in my old 850 were easy to replace, the lenses were a fortune - I had to get one replaced to pass inspection (had a tiny hole in it) - they were glass and cost $450 a piece. 

[Great_Big_Abyss]

So I haven't 'done' anything but research, but I figured I'd check to see what my truck is worth.  NOT because I want to get rid of it, but rather because sometimes I like to know what I'm sitting on.  I did a Canada-Wide search on AutoTrader (Canada-wide because Manitoba only has 4-5 2018+ Tundra's for sale, so the numbers are skewed - they're mostly sitting above MSRP) for 2018-2019 Tundras, and sorted by price low-high.  Most SR5+ trims with 70 - 100k kms are sitting at low to mid $40k.  TRD Off-Road (my truck) and Limiteds are sitting at $44-$48k.  But all those trucks have ~70k kms, which I would say is average for the year).  My truck currently has 26 000kms, and is in pretty much perfect condition, so I think it's safe to say it's worth at the high end of what the TRD Off-Roads are going for, which would be ~$48k. 

Given MSRP for the truck was $54k, but I paid $42k + fees & tax, even had I paid full MSRP, the truck has only lost 11% of its value from MSRP.  What I actually paid (including freight, fees & taxes) was right around $50k, so I've only lost about 4% of what I paid to depreciation.  Obviously trade-in value would be lower than that. 

That being said I've more than made up for that lack of depreciation in gas money ($5760 spent on fuel over the life of the truck) LOL. 

Maybe somebody like REV who has access to used vehicle values can double check my numbers.  AutoTrader could be completely off, or I might be inadvertantly biasing the numbers.