- Phillips and flat screwdrivers
1. Removal of the center grill is difficult. The plastic
retaining clips at each side (behind the lowbeam lamps) are
totally blind so you have to know in advance which hidden
plastic tab to push on with a 10" long and narrow screwdriver.
Cast a shop light on the back of the headlamp assembly and
look down the access hole for these two locking tabs. You
will not see the tabs, but you will see a set of holes cut
out of successive body panels. You screwdriver passes through
these. Try to center it in these holes laterally, and bias
the screwdriver toward the front of the holes. If you feel
it hit something slightly springy, then the tip is on the
retaining tab. You have to push quite hard to get the tab
to release the side wing part of the center grill. Even with
the tab release, it took a lot of prying pressure to get those
wings loose with a screwdriver.
Be careful not to scratch the paint. See Bentley manual for
pictures.
2. You do not need to take the headlamp assembly out
to change either the low or high beam. Spray some WD40, heat
with a hair dryer for 4-5 min and carefully pry the light
out off the ball screws. The sleeves that hold the lens/reflector
assembly to the ball-stripped screws break easily. Get replacements
from the dealer before tackling the job.
3. When you put the lens/reflector assembly back into the
ball-stripped screws, put the sleeves on the ball tips first,
and then put the light onto the sleeves. This will help prevent
inadvertent cracking of the sleeves.
4. You can take off the whole headlamp assembly: you remove
the 3 rear screws from the front then remove the screw holding
the turn signal to the fender.
Tip from Jim Butler: I found that I didn't have to
completely remove the grill assembly to change my right high
beam. I release the clips on the right, and in the center.
I was then able to able to pull the grill out enough to get
at the remaining screws for the plastic grill and pull the
headlamp assembly out.
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