computersoc Posted December 6, 2016 Share Posted December 6, 2016 My passenger side low beam headlight died tonight. Stopped at Walmart and bought one SYLVANIA H7 XtraVision Halogen Headlight Bulb. Is this bulb ok to use? I only bought one. I watched a Youtube video and it seems I have to remove my tire? Is there any other easy way? What will the dealer charge with an OEM bulb? Not sure what I should do. I'd like to do this myself but can't if I have to remove a tire. Do I use bulb grease? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amidroc Posted December 6, 2016 Share Posted December 6, 2016 My passenger side low beam headlight died tonight. Stopped at Walmart and bought one SYLVANIA H7 XtraVision Halogen Headlight Bulb. Is this bulb ok to use? I only bought one. I watched a Youtube video and it seems I have to remove my tire? Is there any other easy way? What will the dealer charge with an OEM bulb? Not sure what I should do. I'd like to do this myself but can't if I have to remove a tire. Do I use bulb grease? I received a letter from SOA that they extended the warranty on 2010-2012 Legacy & Outbacks. You may be able to take it to the dealer and have them replace it for free. I cant find my letter...I did find this blog. http://www.smart-service.com/blog/2016/08/free-subaru-headlight-replacement Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NVAKeith Posted December 6, 2016 Share Posted December 6, 2016 http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php/2010-legacy-outback-headlight-install-instructions-accomplishing-impossible-256187.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellesedil Posted December 6, 2016 Share Posted December 6, 2016 In the event that you are not eligible for a dealer-replaced bulb, here's some additional info. Buying just 1 bulb runs the risk that your lowbeams will now be two different colors and/or brightness. I bought my bulb replacements in pairs. While you can go through the wheel well (the user's manual explains how to do this), a lot of us much prefer to just remove the front bumper. This allows you to remove the headlight housing entirely so you have complete access to it, instead of trying to contort yourself and access something you have minimal visibility to. It also doesn't take very long, especially if you've done it before. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
computersoc Posted December 6, 2016 Author Share Posted December 6, 2016 I'll call tomorrow and see if I'm covered. I notice it says 2012MY manufacturered through August 2011 if I'm reading that right. Mine was built in November 2011. I don't think I got that letter but I got something about a wiper motor I think recently. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amidroc Posted December 6, 2016 Share Posted December 6, 2016 From my own experience I didn't remove the tires. I just turned the wheel in to allow easier access to the fender liner. It was still a PITA to get the bulb replaced. You have to peel the liner back to get access to the screw cap on the back of the headlamp. I made sure I used gloves when handling my replacements lamp. I replaced my OEM with these Osram Rallye 64217 65w Ultra High Output H7 Special-Service Bulb I turned the tires the other way to get clearance for the other side. Good luck with the dealer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
computersoc Posted December 6, 2016 Author Share Posted December 6, 2016 Will higher wattage than stock make a difference or hurt anything? Where did you get yours? Edit: called the dealer and the VIN doesn't show for the extended bulb warranty on my vehicle. They claim a bulb is $20 and labor is around $20. Seems low? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Golferdude1087 Posted December 6, 2016 Share Posted December 6, 2016 No, it seems to be a defective issue on the legacy. It happened to me twice and I got annoyed and went for HIDs. Then a month after I got the HID's i got the recall lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DugsSin Posted December 6, 2016 Share Posted December 6, 2016 For $20.00/bulb labor get a written estimate and let them change BOTH bulbs. Taking the tire off would be the easy part of changing the bulbs yourself, it is one royal pain to do these bulbs through the wheel well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rutchard Posted December 6, 2016 Share Posted December 6, 2016 For $20.00/bulb labor get a written estimate and let them change BOTH bulbs. This. ^^ That's a steal for labor at a dealership. Considering the going rate for dealership labor is around $100/hr and it's going to take more than 20min per bulb unless they've got some tech with skinny arms/small hands that's been doing 5th gen bulb changes for a while lol Or save the cash and do them both yourself. It isn't terribly difficult, but it is somewhat time-consuming. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
computersoc Posted December 6, 2016 Author Share Posted December 6, 2016 This dealership confuses me. They have some things which are cheap, like this, or $12 oil changes if you bring your own oil ($20 if not), and $50 brake fluid flushes. Then you get the $80 for air filter, $60 for cabin air filter, $50 tire rotation, so they get people eventually who pay those prices. I'm still trying to figure out if the brake fluid flush will bleed it from all bleeders, or if they half ass it somehow. The same dealership name here, but Ford, wants $130 for my pickup truck which I can crawl under and get to the bleeders myself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GTEASER Posted December 6, 2016 Share Posted December 6, 2016 If you have smallish hands (large size gloves max), you can get to the bulbs easily thru the fender liner by taking out 2 pop-its (lower front corner of wheel well and at the bumper/fender seam) and turning the wheel full lock inboard. It takes some feeling around because you can't see while you are doing it, but its definitely doable in a short time frame. The hardest thing is getting the bulb clocked properly to sit flush and seated. The cap only takes about 1/8 turn to get off and on. I did both my low beam bulbs last week in about 30 minutes. I used Sylvania SilverStar Ultras and I am very happy with them. More light output than stock and slightly whiter light. GTEASER's 2012 Legacy GT - Sold GTEASER's 2009 XTeaser - Sold GTEASER's 1992 Legacy SS - Sold Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
computersoc Posted December 7, 2016 Author Share Posted December 7, 2016 How do I get those pop-its out without damaging them? I'll probably try it next time. I ended up bringing it to the dealer and paying the $20 labor per bulb. It's been snowing and is supposed to storm in a couple days, so I just wanted to get it done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DugsSin Posted December 7, 2016 Share Posted December 7, 2016 They do make a tool for them but I'm sure most of us just use whatever is handy. Be gentle they break easily. Clean & Lube them lightly with whatever you have handy before reinstalling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellesedil Posted December 7, 2016 Share Posted December 7, 2016 They do make a tool for them but I'm sure most of us just use whatever is handy. Be gentle they break easily. Clean & Lube them lightly with whatever you have handy before reinstalling. You can also get spare popits relatively easily at the dealership for a reasonable price, or you can horde a ton of them for a really cheap price. http://www.clipsandfasteners.com/default.asp It's always handy to have some spares anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xjLGTxj Posted December 16, 2016 Share Posted December 16, 2016 Can you switch to a Xenon bulb like the pic or are the headlight housing or wire harness different? Did it have to be a factory option? Any pros or cons doing this? Noob Questions here. http://images.onyxlights.com/src/ebay-208-1.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GTEASER Posted December 16, 2016 Share Posted December 16, 2016 Yes, noob question. LOL! To go with HID headlights you need ballasts and igniters, and a heavy duty relay, but you can find bulbs with H7 bases to put in our projector headlight housings. https://www.theretrofitsource.com/hid-systems/universal-kits/h7-morimoto-elite.html GTEASER's 2012 Legacy GT - Sold GTEASER's 2009 XTeaser - Sold GTEASER's 1992 Legacy SS - Sold Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xjLGTxj Posted December 16, 2016 Share Posted December 16, 2016 Yes, noob question. LOL! To go with HID headlights you need ballasts and igniters, and a heavy duty relay, but you can find bulbs with H7 bases to put in our projector headlight housings. https://www.theretrofitsource.com/hid-systems/universal-kits/h7-morimoto-elite.html Is it worth the money or is spending $50 on Osram 65w H7's going to give me almost as nice of light output? Does going to HID mess with the headlight pattern, or is it solely controlled by the housing? My low beam driver side went out last night and I need to order bulbs. Didn't want the OEM free ones from the dealer because I thought I would upgrade... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ehsnils Posted December 16, 2016 Share Posted December 16, 2016 Is it worth the money or is spending $50 on Osram 65w H7's going to give me almost as nice of light output? Does going to HID mess with the headlight pattern, or is it solely controlled by the housing? My low beam driver side went out last night and I need to order bulbs. Didn't want the OEM free ones from the dealer because I thought I would upgrade... You should definitely look around more to find cheaper sources for those bulbs. My experience is that a major factor for light output is insufficient voltage to the bulbs due to loss in wiring. Check the voltage over the bulb first compared to the voltage over the battery. At one car I had a 2 to 3 volt loss to the bulb and that's causing a major loss in light output. Adding a relay setup made a major difference. Throwing in higher powered bulbs if that's the problem won't make much difference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xjLGTxj Posted December 16, 2016 Share Posted December 16, 2016 You should definitely look around more to find cheaper sources for those bulbs. My experience is that a major factor for light output is insufficient voltage to the bulbs due to loss in wiring. Check the voltage over the bulb first compared to the voltage over the battery. At one car I had a 2 to 3 volt loss to the bulb and that's causing a major loss in light output. Adding a relay setup made a major difference. Throwing in higher powered bulbs if that's the problem won't make much difference. Headlight voltage is not an issue with this car, my 97 Jeep Cherokee, now that is a different story. I really just want a bulb slightly brighter than stock and don't want to sacrifice bulb life. What is everyone running? I've always been a fan of Hella and Osram. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ehsnils Posted December 16, 2016 Share Posted December 16, 2016 On the previous I had OEM HID, now I have OEM LED. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RWebb Posted December 16, 2016 Share Posted December 16, 2016 how the **** is there a 2 page thread on replacing a headlight? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fedaykin Posted December 19, 2016 Share Posted December 19, 2016 The beam formed by a HID bulb is quite different to halogen, your halogen headlights aren't designed to cope with a discharge bulb. HID PnP into halogen projector isn't ideal, unless you don't like looking past a car length in front of you at night. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
computersoc Posted December 19, 2016 Author Share Posted December 19, 2016 What do the 2016/2017s use? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrD123 Posted December 19, 2016 Share Posted December 19, 2016 how the **** is there a 2 page thread on replacing a headlight? noob settings on posts per page? What do the 2016/2017s use? Halogen in everything except the 3.6R limited, which has HID Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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