# Changing a headlamp on a 2005 Honda Accord - Problem! Please help **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** accord, lights, honda\ **Created:** [April 25, 2011, 1:21pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/changing-a-headlamp-on-a-2005-honda-accord-problem-please-help/64045 "2011-04-25T13:21:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ranger608](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ec9cab/32.png) [@ranger608](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ranger608)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2011, 1:21pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/changing-a-headlamp-on-a-2005-honda-accord-problem-please-help/64045/1 "2011-04-25T13:21:36Z")
Has anyone ever had problems changing drivers side headlight on a 2005 Honda Accord? I tried and could not do it. I can normally change a headlight bulb inside of 10 min for both. After a half hour of trying I gave up. I even, to my amzement consulted the owners manual and the internet. I was doing everything right. So what’s the deal. My girl friend just paid $27.00 at the Honda dealer to have it changed. (not including the buld- I had them) I had her ask what was the secret. All they would say is that one is hard to change and dont feel bad. So what’s the deal! Please help restore my frail male ego. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![shadowfax](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/shadowfax/32/13026_2.png) [@shadowfax](https://community.cartalk.com/u/shadowfax)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2011, 1:47pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/changing-a-headlamp-on-a-2005-honda-accord-problem-please-help/64045/2 "2011-04-25T13:47:46Z")
Well. . .What prevented you from doing it? ---
**Author:** ![chaissos](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/chaissos/32/2347_2.png) [@chaissos](https://community.cartalk.com/u/chaissos)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2011, 2:24pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/changing-a-headlamp-on-a-2005-honda-accord-problem-please-help/64045/3 "2011-04-25T14:24:49Z")
**“All they would say is that one is hard to change and dont feel bad.”** That’s what he’s asking us. Quote: The 2005 Honda Accord EX–the third model in the seventh-generation (2003 to 2007) of the Accord lineup–has a drastically different headlight setup than its predecessors (1997 to 2002 models). The previous models had sufficient clearance in the engine compartment to access the headlights, but in the 2005 Accord, the inner fender cover must be removed when replacing the low-beam or the high-beam bulbs. Endquote. Best I can do. ---
**Author:** ![shadowfax](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/shadowfax/32/13026_2.png) [@shadowfax](https://community.cartalk.com/u/shadowfax)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2011, 3:40pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/changing-a-headlamp-on-a-2005-honda-accord-problem-please-help/64045/4 "2011-04-25T15:40:33Z")
Yeah, I know he’s asking us what the secret is. But he said he tried to change it. Something stopped him. If he’d tell us what got in the way, we could probably tell him how to work around it. ---
**Author:** ![MikeInNH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@MikeInNH](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeInNH)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2011, 3:50pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/changing-a-headlamp-on-a-2005-honda-accord-problem-please-help/64045/5 "2011-04-25T15:50:41Z")
My wifes 96 Accord…One side wasn’t bad…but the side where the battery is…I had to remove the battery to get my arm in there…Only had to replace the lights once in the 10 years we owned it. ---
**Author:** ![ranger608](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ec9cab/32.png) [@ranger608](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ranger608)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2011, 5:02pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/changing-a-headlamp-on-a-2005-honda-accord-problem-please-help/64045/6 "2011-04-25T17:02:06Z")
Hi all, I tried to get it out by going in though the inner fender just as stated above. (I even broke the fasteners which sucked.) When I got to the bulb I could not for the life of me get the thing to turn. I could get the passenger side out with out any trouble. Just a 1/4 turn to the right. No problem. But I could NOT for the life of me get that side to come out. I didn’t want to break anything so decided to have her just take it in. Thoughts please. Also I did think of taking out the battery for the bulb but did what the owners manual said. ---
**Author:** ![cigroller](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c68b51/32.png) [@cigroller](https://community.cartalk.com/u/cigroller)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2011, 5:07pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/changing-a-headlamp-on-a-2005-honda-accord-problem-please-help/64045/7 "2011-04-25T17:07:02Z")
It was probably in there for 7 years. I think its just called stuck. Couple that with terrible access and then having a hard time telling how much force you’re actually putting on it & you end up where you were. ---
**Author:** ![chaissos](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/chaissos/32/2347_2.png) [@chaissos](https://community.cartalk.com/u/chaissos)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2011, 5:38pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/changing-a-headlamp-on-a-2005-honda-accord-problem-please-help/64045/8 "2011-04-25T17:38:38Z")
No, he said the dealer just changed it. He’s trying to get his lost manhood back. 🙂 Check [http://www.ehow.com/how\_6125411\_replace-2005-honda-accord-ex.html](http://www.ehow.com/how_6125411_replace-2005-honda-accord-ex.html) ---
**Author:** ![cigroller](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c68b51/32.png) [@cigroller](https://community.cartalk.com/u/cigroller)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2011, 5:41pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/changing-a-headlamp-on-a-2005-honda-accord-problem-please-help/64045/9 "2011-04-25T17:41:34Z")
Right, I know. He was hesitant to “unstick” it or couldn’t. He took it somewhere else to get it “unstuck.” I did that with an axle nut once. Whole different thing, of course. ---
**Author:** ![bscar](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bscar/32/34_2.png) [@bscar](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bscar)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2011, 12:42am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/changing-a-headlamp-on-a-2005-honda-accord-problem-please-help/64045/10 "2011-04-26T00:42:31Z")
Well, I don’t feel bad now, that’s pretty much the same way my car’s manual says to remove the headlights ---
**Author:** ![ranger608](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ec9cab/32.png) [@ranger608](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ranger608)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2011, 1:12pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/changing-a-headlamp-on-a-2005-honda-accord-problem-please-help/64045/11 "2011-04-26T13:12:41Z")
Yes I was hesitant to “unstuck” it. But I figured that if I broke more than the part I would be paying for more than the light bulb cost. Replacing what ever else broke. I figured if the dealer broke something then they would be paying for that. ---
**Author:** ![grampy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a9adbd/32.png) [@grampy](https://community.cartalk.com/u/grampy)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2011, 6:18pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/changing-a-headlamp-on-a-2005-honda-accord-problem-please-help/64045/12 "2011-04-26T18:18:45Z")
My 2007 is the same pain to change. Bad design by Honda ---
**Author:** ![ranger608](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ec9cab/32.png) [@ranger608](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ranger608)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2011, 10:16pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/changing-a-headlamp-on-a-2005-honda-accord-problem-please-help/64045/13 "2011-04-26T22:16:17Z")
BTW - that was the link I used when I tried to look up how to change it online. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![cigroller](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c68b51/32.png) [@cigroller](https://community.cartalk.com/u/cigroller)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2011, 10:18pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/changing-a-headlamp-on-a-2005-honda-accord-problem-please-help/64045/14 "2011-04-26T22:18:49Z")
“I figured that if I broke more than the part I would be paying for more than the light bulb cost. Replacing what ever else broke. I figured if the dealer broke something then they would be paying for that.” That sounds to me like a perfectly reasonable thing to think. Next time you could always take to someone besides the dealer.