Replace Low Beam (H11) Head Light Bulbs

[kaiseiken]

Wasn't able to find a HOWTO, this takes about 30 minutes if you know what you're doing, not quite as easy as some other vehicles but definitely don't need to take it to the dealership. Not sure if there are multiple types of headlamp assemblies but I have a 2012 USDM I-MiEV.

Tools Required

• philips head screwdriver
  flat head screwdriver
  10mm socket and wrench.
  optional: pop rivet removal tool

Instructions

• Each headlamp assembly is held in by three 10mm/philips head bolts. Remove the small plastic cover at the base of the windshield to expose the top bolt. This bolt only needs to be loosened, however it might be easier to just remove it completely. Your philips head screwdriver will need to have a normal/small shaft, a bit driver might be too big.
  
  The second bolt is under the hood on the top radiator support.
  
  The last one is the trickiest, you need to remove the the plastic pop rivet in the wheel well where the fender meets the front bumper, then pop the front bumper clips out by pulling up and away from the car.
  
  Remove the one wiring harness connector and wiggle the entire headlamp assembly forward and up. The top of the assembly has a small clip that might make it a little difficult to remove. You may also need to remove the plastic pop rivets on the top of the bumper and peel the bumper back slightly to remove the headlamp assembly.
  
  Unscrew the cap for the projector to access the low beam bulb. Might be a good idea to replace the high beams while you're in there. Also, definitely test the lights before putting everything back together.
  
  Installation is reverse of removal, I broke several of the pop rivets in the process but I was able to find a variety pack of generic ones for cheap online.

I used Diode Dynamics SL1 LED bulbs, which work very well with the I-MiEV projector housing and there is a sharp cutoff so as not to blind other drivers. This is not a promotion for this particular brand, but I found it was difficult to find specific information about what aftermarket solutions work well with the I-MiEV. I also don't want to have to replace these again any time soon, so hopefully they will last a little longer than the halogens.

 

[JoeS]

kaiseiken, thank you very much for posting these details. I'm sure many of us will eventually have to go through this ourselves.

 

[acensor]

Yes... Much thanks for posting details.
It’s just a matter of time till I have to do this and good to have a heads up and I have to hear it out the way you did.

 

[jennrod12]

Thanks so much, I just discovered today that one of my low-beam bulbs is out!

Should I replace both at the same time? Is the Diode Dynamics SL1 LED bulb a drop-in replacement? I drive with the low-beans on all the time, since our car doesn't have daytime running lights.

 

[JoeS]

Hi Jenn, nice to hear from you again. Did a tiny bit of searching, and the Low Beam bulb is identified as H11 whereas the High Beam bulb is 9005.

Since you always drive with your low beams on, it actually might be worthwhile to put in LED bulbs from a longevity standpoint, although they seem a bit pricy. The H11 halogen bulb is 55W which means it draws around 4A. The Diode Dynamics H11 SL1 LED bulb draws about 1.6A, but touts itself as being superior in many respects.

https://www.diodedynamics.com/low-beam-led-headlight-for-2012-2018-mitsubishi-i.html

Scanning through Amazon I see that there are many less-expensive LED alternatives. At 1/2-hour minimum replacement time I'd be inclined to just stick in another halogen bulb to match the original and be done with it as saving a total of about 30W over the course of an hour is 0.030kWh compared to our nominal battery capacity of 16kWh is rather insignificant.

Do let us know what you end up doing and how difficult the installation turned out to be.

 

[jennrod12]

Hi Joe,

Thanks for the great advice! I'll be heading to the auto parts store tomorrow.

I looked on Amazon and found several different versions of H11 Halogen bulbs, each claiming to have better visibility than the next. However, they have different expected lifetimes (in hours), which isn't disclosed in the listings unless a reviewer posts a picture of the back of the package.

I'll let everyone know what I come up with.

Jenn

 

[Don]

The dual fog/running light housings used on the SE models are available on eBay for about $15 per pair - The exact same fixture fits many other cars and as long as the eBay listing says they'll fit a 2012 Mitsu iMiEV SE, then they will mount to your front bumper cover with 4 screws. You will also need to buy a pigtail with the plug to fit the housings, but they're cheap on eBay too

My Ford Transit Connect van came with fog lights but no DRL's, so I ordered a pair of the dual housings and they fit in place of my OEM Ford housings perfectly. I stuck with the halogen bulbs for the fog lights, but I installed LED's for the DRL's as several others here on the forum have done

A worthwhile mod for any handy person with an ES model that doesn't have fog or DRL lights

Don

 

[jennrod12]

Well, I'm flummoxed. I loosened the top bolt, removed the second bolt, then released the clear plastic clip under the fender, but I'm not sure what to do from there. What/where are the front bumper clips and where is the third bolt?

Thanks for any further advice!

Jenn

 

[jennrod12]

I just found some videos on you tube that I think will help answer my questions.

Jenn

 

[jennrod12]

I'm still stuck on "remove the wiring harness connector" - is there a trick to it? I can't separate the two halves. Someone posted the same question on the you tube video as well.

Jenn

 

[coulomb]

is there a trick to it?

There is usually a tongue that needs to be depressed, possibly with a small tool like a small flat-blade screwdriver. They're nearly always really fiddly, so some wiggling and force is required even when the elusive tongue is found. A second flat-blade screwdriver may also be useful to force the halves apart.

 

[jennrod12]

I'm done!

The instructions make sense, once you've done it once ;-). It took me about 3 hours to remove the first headlight assembly, 30-45 minutes to remove the second. About an hour to put the two of them back in. I used halogen bulbs again, but higher visibility ones, we'll see how long they last.

The hardest parts were finding the pop rivet in the wheel well (a you tube video helped, search for "Removing the headlight on a Mitsubishi i"), and, the hardest, figuring out how to disconnect the wiring. There is a grey plastic part in the shape of a T that needs to be held down on the part of the connector closer to the bumper, on the side away from the fender. I used needle nose pliers to squeeze it and then the back end of the connector slid right out.

Once I had the assembly out, I took out the high beam by mistake, and wondered why the new bulb didn't fit. Whoops!

Casualties: I broke the clip thingy at the top of the assembly, next to the first bolt, on both assemblies. I couldn't for the life of me figure out how to get the assembly out without breaking it. I think it's only useful for holding the headlight in place until you get the bolts in, it didn't cause me any trouble when I put things back together. Also, where the 3rd bolt screws in, there is a metal piece attached to the plastic assembly that has the threading on it. On my driver's side headlight, that metal piece fell off. Apparently the plastic nub that was holding it on was shorn off. I don't think it was from anything I did. Fortunately I was able to find the piece! That took me a little extra time on re-assembly, I finally just taped it in place, then screwed in the bolt which worked to hold it together.

Not really something I want to do again soon, although if it is soon, I'll still remember how to do it! At least I got to use the telescoping nut driver my husband gave me (perfect for that 3rd bolt!), along with both flashlights he gave me for Christmas - one was magnetic and stuck to the inside of the hood to shine down where I needed it, that was cool.

Jenn

 

[JoeS]

Jenn, thank you for the details. Hope these new ones last you another seven years. :roll:

 

[kaiseiken]

Sorry that I didn't see that this thread was active, but I'm glad that you were eventually able to figure it out. I apologize for not giving more details about the wiring harness connector.

After a few months, I'm glad I did go with LED bulbs, but if you were happy with the amount of light you had before with the OEM bulbs, I don't think there's a good reason to make the switch because they are a lot more expensive. Also as Joe mentioned, the energy savings is negligible.

 

[jray3]

After 110k miles I finally had a low beam burn out. Replaced both of them with Sylvania Zevo H11 LED "fog lamps" at $99 for the pair.
https://www.sylvania-automotive.com/products/headlights-and-fog-lights/zevo/h11_zevo_fog.jsp
Easy plug and play swap, as there's loads of room inside the housing once you get it out. Good YouTube video showing how to unclip the bumper fascia for access to the outer headlamp mounting bolt. Only 14 Watts versus 55 apiece for halogen, so that's a continuous daytime load reduction of 82 Watts, or about one mile of added range per driving hour... :roll:

I like the smooth light distribution and 6000k color on this black car, and swapped out the parking lamps at the same time with color-matched LED. One was already burnt out, and the other failed while I was removing the assembly. Just a little extra jostling while hot pushed it over the edge!

 

[kiev]

... Only 14 Watts versus 55 apiece for halogen, so that's a continuous daytime load reduction of 82 Watts, or about one mile of added range per driving hour... :roll:

LOL, who ever drives their car for more than an hour at one time..?

 

[jray3]

... Only 14 Watts versus 55 apiece for halogen, so that's a continuous daytime load reduction of 82 Watts, or about one mile of added range per driving hour... :roll:

LOL, who ever drives their car for more than an hour at one time..?

DOH- basic math error on my part. 82 watt/hrs saved per hr at, say a best case 160 Wh/mile would be 0.5 mile gained per hour of driving!
It's about 0.5% improvement in overall vehicle range...

 

[Galatusman]

Most of all, I like the low beam bulbs from ClearLight. In many ways, their models suited me. High performance in such parameters as power and illumination exposed this product in the best light. But LED lights began to be made qualitatively, and they shine properly, so sometimes I doubt.
Therefore, as a trial, I decided to install several Vont LED strip with different colors to evaluate the quality of modern products and my feelings about using them. Of course, LED strips for home and low beam bulbs are slightly different things, but I need to study the technology from all sides.

 

[jennrod12]

Well, the answer to how long my Phillips halogen replacement bulbs last is about 3 years for the passenger side. Driver’s side still going strong. I drove around with one headlight for a few months before finally getting around to doing another replacement. (Avoided driving after dark, mostly.) This time I only replaced the one side since I used a matching bulb. A little over an hour for the full job.

 

[PV1]

(That was a tricky one, but took care of a spam post)

The headlights on both of my cars all still work, but a decade of parking outside has taken its toll on the assemblies themselves. They have glazed over. Replacement assemblies cost about $1,000 for the pair.

Jenn, glad to still see you driving your i-MiEV.