Guy's this is how i fixed the bouncing problem with my 2002 headlights. I don't know that all the years (2002-2005) had the the same plastic clips but other years including the 2005 have owners with bouncing headlights so it's a good bet that they do. With the design of the clips it is almost certain that everyone will have this problem eventually or have it and can't tell.
First thing you have to do is remove the headlights and to do that requires you to remove the front bumper cover. I am not going into that here as i am sure there are a bunch of posts on removing the bumper cover.
Next you have to take apart the headlight assembly. This will be in another how to on (Painted Headlights) that i will post as soon as i am able to and i will link it here.
OK, now we assume that the headlights are disassembled and here is what you are looking at. The bulbs including the HID are not in the housing.
There are two problems with the clips. They have to much play front to back and to much play side to side. The front to rear play is the one that is causing the bouncing. The side to side would not be as noticeable while driving but it would still probably be happening.
Here are some pic's of the clips of which there are three. I have marked the space between the clip and the bracket with a red arrow to show how much play there is. The clip is smaller then the hole in the bracket of the light assembly. You will notice a little white dust, that is where the movement has started to wear away the plastic.
The light assembly only connects with the three headlight adjusters to the rear and sits on a piece of spring steel toward the front.
There are three adjusters and they are marked in red. There is also a water/dust boot marked in blue.
On the inside of the housing make a mark where the adjusters are now so you can get the headlight close to the correct position when you put the bulb assembly back in. That way they won't be too far out of adjustment. You can also do this by marking the adjuster threads.
Now you have to remove the bulb assembly from the housing.
The adjuster on the bottom right that looks like a screw and the one on the top right are no problem. The one on the left apparently takes a special tool but i was able to take off the white plastic cover and then it was OK.
You need to unscrew the adjusters a little at a time moving from one to the next until they are almost out. Don't try to unscrew one all the way or the light assembly will just jam against the side or you will strip the plastic clip. Once you have them all out of the clips you can pull the dust cover (marked in blue) just a little away from the back and once it unseals you can push it through the hole. It stays on the bulb assembly. Now it is apart.
I used a piece of dense (semi-hard) rubber and cut a square hole the size of the bottom of the clip with the tip of a razor knife. Then i pushed the clip into the hole and trimmed it to the same size as the top of the clip. The rubber is .050" or a little less than two credit cards thickness (.066") if you don't have a micrometer. If you use a softer rubber it will need to be thicker. You can try different thicknesses but it needs to be rubber to stop the side to side sliding. You just don't want the clip to be able to lock in easily, it needs to be hard to get in because that means that it is really tight. The rubber that i used is adhesive backed and that will help even more. I suggest you add a little adhesive to the side of the rubber facing the assembly but it probably wouldn't be required if it is really tight.
Once you have all three made you are ready to push them back in to the square holes on the bulb assembly. Mine were the absolute maximum thickness. Any thicker and i don't believe the clips would have locked in.
You are ready to reinstall the bulb assembly in to the housing. Push the rain/dust cap back through the hole. The same as removal, take it slow with each adjuster and make sure it goes in even all the way to the marks you made before.
There should now be no movement up and down or side to side of the bulb assembly (tight).
Here is a pic of the installed clip with the rubber spacer.
Your done, well with one side. Now you have to do the other :biggrin: .
Good luck, i hope this helps someone out.
First thing you have to do is remove the headlights and to do that requires you to remove the front bumper cover. I am not going into that here as i am sure there are a bunch of posts on removing the bumper cover.
Next you have to take apart the headlight assembly. This will be in another how to on (Painted Headlights) that i will post as soon as i am able to and i will link it here.
OK, now we assume that the headlights are disassembled and here is what you are looking at. The bulbs including the HID are not in the housing.
There are two problems with the clips. They have to much play front to back and to much play side to side. The front to rear play is the one that is causing the bouncing. The side to side would not be as noticeable while driving but it would still probably be happening.
Here are some pic's of the clips of which there are three. I have marked the space between the clip and the bracket with a red arrow to show how much play there is. The clip is smaller then the hole in the bracket of the light assembly. You will notice a little white dust, that is where the movement has started to wear away the plastic.
The light assembly only connects with the three headlight adjusters to the rear and sits on a piece of spring steel toward the front.
There are three adjusters and they are marked in red. There is also a water/dust boot marked in blue.
On the inside of the housing make a mark where the adjusters are now so you can get the headlight close to the correct position when you put the bulb assembly back in. That way they won't be too far out of adjustment. You can also do this by marking the adjuster threads.
Now you have to remove the bulb assembly from the housing.
The adjuster on the bottom right that looks like a screw and the one on the top right are no problem. The one on the left apparently takes a special tool but i was able to take off the white plastic cover and then it was OK.
You need to unscrew the adjusters a little at a time moving from one to the next until they are almost out. Don't try to unscrew one all the way or the light assembly will just jam against the side or you will strip the plastic clip. Once you have them all out of the clips you can pull the dust cover (marked in blue) just a little away from the back and once it unseals you can push it through the hole. It stays on the bulb assembly. Now it is apart.
I used a piece of dense (semi-hard) rubber and cut a square hole the size of the bottom of the clip with the tip of a razor knife. Then i pushed the clip into the hole and trimmed it to the same size as the top of the clip. The rubber is .050" or a little less than two credit cards thickness (.066") if you don't have a micrometer. If you use a softer rubber it will need to be thicker. You can try different thicknesses but it needs to be rubber to stop the side to side sliding. You just don't want the clip to be able to lock in easily, it needs to be hard to get in because that means that it is really tight. The rubber that i used is adhesive backed and that will help even more. I suggest you add a little adhesive to the side of the rubber facing the assembly but it probably wouldn't be required if it is really tight.
Once you have all three made you are ready to push them back in to the square holes on the bulb assembly. Mine were the absolute maximum thickness. Any thicker and i don't believe the clips would have locked in.
You are ready to reinstall the bulb assembly in to the housing. Push the rain/dust cap back through the hole. The same as removal, take it slow with each adjuster and make sure it goes in even all the way to the marks you made before.
There should now be no movement up and down or side to side of the bulb assembly (tight).
Here is a pic of the installed clip with the rubber spacer.
Your done, well with one side. Now you have to do the other :biggrin: .
Good luck, i hope this helps someone out.
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