Weird Front and Tail light problem!

[warrior86]

Hi everyone, I am brand new to this forum, reason being never had a problem with my mom's protege 5 2003. It is 6.5 yrs old and just past 30,000 miles.

Anyway, she was driving it one morning home from the gym (still dark), and the front passanger side AND the BACK passanger side bulbs burned out.

What is the coincendance of that happening!? I thought i would check the fuses for all the lamps and everything seems to be fine.

I hear removing the front headlight passanger side is a PITA! the back isnt very much fun either but i have at least done that one before (Brake light at the time).

So I am simply first goin to try to swap the working back light bulb with the non working one and see if that does the trick. If it does, then i guess ill do the front one too.

but ifffff it doesnt...... any Idea what the issue might be (since, again, they both burned out at the same time! ?

thanks for any input.

 

[dxaveP5]

it could be just a coincidence.
because p5's are known for being bulb eaters.....but if its gota do with electrical wires and whatnot. im sure theres a tech who can figure it out or sumthin...
hopefully its just a coincidence thats all

 

[MazdaSpeeder]

I would be surprised if it's anything other than a coincidence...I believe they're on different fuses and everything.

 

[warrior86]

well, i decided to just take the pasanger back light out instead of both back lights just to swap the light. So i took the housing out and unlocked the bulb i needed and the bulb fell right out. It was pretty much loose. but it fell INTO the housing so it was a little bit to get it out but I got it. So all the back lights are now operational again

My problem is still with the front light. I see it is connected via some kind of connector and I think to disengage it, there is just one clip (correct me if i am wrong), on the left side (if you are facing the car). It seems pretty loose but i am afraid i might break it if i yank too hard.

is there any good procedure to get this freaking connector off i can remove the rubber over it and then take the bulb out??? any tricks?

Please let me know!! thanks.

 

[warrior86]

opps sorry for double post

 

[ShortBusDriver]

You are talking about the front passenger low beam right? Yes it is a big PITA. First just pull off the white connector socket thing. It might take some jiggling and you will have to yank pretty hard but just jiggle it as you are pulling straight backwards and it will come off. Then remove the rubber cover, and under you will see the bulb attached with a small metal clip that looks like a bent up twisted paper clip. Just unhook it and the bulb will come out attached to a black plastic socket thing.

 

[warrior86]

awesome thanks for the advice. after 3 members of my family tried to even just pull that white connector out, it still didnt work. we just took it to the autoparts store.. got the new bulb, and asked one of the guys who worked there to help. took him forever too, he used knives all sorts of things lol.. but finally got it out. tipped the dude $5 lol.

so everything is working now! thanks everyone for the advice

 

[Eisbrecher]

tsk tsk you gave up.. and took it to a mechie... work on it yourself man!