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I realize this is a long post but I tried to be detailed and included pics of everthing. The image limit (which I can't seem to locate!?!) is making me do this in multiple posts. In any case, I hope it's helpful.
First off let me thank S2K0, SilverStreak, MKH, JerryPeterson, and others for their posts and suggestions. This would have been much harder without them.
Disclaimer: I claim no responsibility for mistakes or injuries made by anyone using this post. This represents the actions I performed and are submitted as suggestions only.
Required items:
4-6 hours (if this is your first time performing this mod)
Phillips head screwdriver
Socket wrench
Socket wrench extension
10mm socket
8mm socket
Oven
Damp towel
Prying tool(s) like a flathead screwdriver(s) or small scraper(s)
(2) 7440 bulbs*
(2) 168 bulbs**
Adhesive Sealant (like silicon)
* I could not find amber 7440 bulbs locally and the bulbs I ordered from LightLens.com turned out to be dual brightness bulbs that were slightly different than 7440 bulbs. So, I used MKH's method and colored the stock bulbs with an orange Sharpie! There are several online retailers (some listed below) that sell replacement bulbs and I found similar bulbs at PepBoys (they would probably fit the 7440 socket but they were not the exact same bulb).
** I could not find amber 168 bulbs locally. However, 194 bulbs are the same design, are available in amber, and are supposedly brighter. I found these at several auto parts retailers and they work just fine.
Clean soft gloves (ones that wont scratch or mark the clear plastic)
Service manual (Helm)
Assistant
Alcohol
The Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch and, of course, the Book of Armaments
Note: I've indicated names of certain components from the Helm manual in quotes. To see the pictures in full size just click on them.
Step 1: Remove front bumper.
(The order of removing the bolts is extremely important and should be followed exactly! Just kidding - just make sure you get all the bolts off before attempting to detach bits.)
There are 5 screws and 13 bolts to remove in order to detach the front bumper...
Use a phillips head screwdriver to remove the five black bolts holding the "front bumper upper stiffener". Pic 1 - numbered 1 through 5.
Use the 10mm socket to remove the two bolts fastened to the fender. Pic 2 - numbered 6 and 7 (not shown but in same location as 6 on opposite side).
Use the 10mm socket to remove the nine bolts holding the bumper onto the "front under cover" and "inner fender". Pic 3 - numbered 8 through 16.
Use the 8mm socket to remove the two screws on the inside of the wheel well. Pic 4 - numbered 17 and 18 (not shown but in same location as 17 on opposite side).
Pull the bumper off by disengaging it from the four hooks under the headlights and the two hooks under the fenders. See Pic 6 for the location of the hooks circled in red. This simply requires some tugging on each side of the bumper. (The foam "absorber" may fall out when the bumper is free. It fits onto the "front bumper beam" via two round stubs.)
Step 2: Remove headlight assemblies.
Disconnect all the electrical connections to the headlight assembly. There are four.
Use the 10mm socket to remove the two bolts holding the headlight assembly to the fender. Pic 5 - numbered 1 and 2.
Detach the "corner upper beam" by removing the four 10mm bolts in Pic 6 - numbered 3, 4, 6, and 7.
Use the 10mm socket to remove the two bolts holding the headlight assembly to the fender. Pic 6 - numbered 5 and 8. The bolt numbered 5 will require an extension on the socket wrench as it is somewhat hidden between the fender wall and the metal brace under the headlight.
Remove the headlight assembly by maneuvering it around the various connection points. Then look at what you've done to your S2000...
Others have stated they did not remove the sockets and the HID ballast from the headlight assemblies before baking them. I removed everything to reduce the chance of damaging something. Removing the cover to the HID socket required a Torx T25 tamper-proof bit, which I bought at an auto parts retailer. However, if you're not comfortable with this step it seems to be OK to bake the sockets and HID ballast along with the headlight assembly.
The actual baking of the headlights is subjective as well. I used a temperature of about 225F degrees for around 10 minutes and a second baking for around 7 minutes after getting one corner pried open. The goal is to simply soften the glue holding the black and clear pieces together. (With all the sockets and the HID ballast removed I did not worry about damaging anything with the heat.)
I placed the headlight assembly on a damp towel on the oven rack without pre-heating the oven (allowing the oven to heat up with the headlight assembly in it). After the first baking I was able to pry open one of the corners. Some have stated they did this with their bare hands but I used flat-head screwdrivers, a scraper, and a lot of cursing . The plastic is rather hot at this point and you may want to use gloves. Once the corner was pried open I baked it again to re-soften the remaining glue. I was then able to slowly pull apart the two pieces. (This step is where an assistant might come in handy by placing separators in between the two pieces while you pry them open. However, I was able to do it alone.)
Once the two pieces are apart simply remove the amber diffuser. It's loosely attached with small tabs.
At this point you'll realize you're only halfway finished so you may want to use the Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch and put yourself out of your misery. Consult the Book of Armaments and remember to count to three, no more, no less. Five is right out!
Step 4: Reassemble the headlights.
Use some type of adhesive sealant and apply a bead inside the groove of the black piece where the clear piece fits in. (See Pic 8 for the type of sealant I used. I bought this at an auto parts retailer.) Ensure there are no breaks in the bead of sealant and be liberal with it - you want the headlight assembly to be airtight after reassembly. Place both pieces back into the oven to re-soften the old glue. I put them back in at 225F degrees for about 7 minutes. Push the two pieces back together and verify each tab is locked. Mine required another trip to the oven so I could push the two pieces together even more. After the second baking I wrapped the headlights with a towel and wound a strong string around the two pieces so continuous pressure was applied while the sealant cured. (If you do this just make sure the towel is lint-free and the string will not "shed". I had some lint and string-stuff make its way into the headlight assemblies after they were sealed. It was a big pain getting that stuff out.)
Allow the sealant to cure and the headlights to cool to ambient temperature. I only waited an hour or so for this but I live in Phoenix and the humidity was extremely low when I did this. (I can imagine that if you live in a humid environment this step is crucial to ensure no condensation occurs inside the headlight assemblies after all the components are replaced and the headlights are airtight.)
If you so desire, remove the clear turning signal bulb and running light bulb and replace them with your new bulbs. As I stated above I used an orange Sharpie marker to color the turn signal bulb. Replace all the sockets and HID ballast if you removed them.
Step 5: Install the headlights and reattach the bumper.
Re-attach the four connectors to each of the headlights and work them back into place. Getting the headlights back in is a bit tricky - it takes a little bit of wiggling. Take note of the small black tab on the top of each headlight assembly. It is in the area of the red circle in Pic 5. This tab fits into a hole in the underside of the fender. If you don't get this tab into the hole the headlight will not be flush.
Bolt the headlight assembly in and re-attach the "corner upper beam" as shown in Pics 5 and 6. Don't forget the hidden bolt (#5).
Re-attach the bumper by pushing it back into position. Ensure the bumper slides into each of the three hooks noted above (circled in Pic 6). Also, make sure the foam "absorber" is in place before the bumper is re-attached and the "inner fenders" and "front under cover" are tucked into the bumper.
Bolt the bumper on and re-attach the "front bumper upper stiffener" as shown in Pics 1, 2, 3, and 4.
Step 6: Adjust the headlights???
I did not adjust mine after performing this mod as they did not need it. However, you may need to adjust yours. To do this use a Phillips head screwdriver and turn the small "vertical adjuster" that is on the back of the headlight assembly. It's accessible through the inside of the engine compartment via a small hole in the fender wall. Pic 9 shows the gear-like adjuster.
The Helm manual states local requirements will dictate where your headlights should be but it also indicates a standard adjustment:
Park the vehicle on a level surface.
Make sure the tire pressures are correct.
The driver or someone who weighs the same should sit in the driver's seat. (This seems like overkill.)
[list=1]
[*]Clean the outer lens so that you can see the center of the headlights. (There is small cross-hair in the clear plastic directly in front of the HID lens. This is considered the center of the headlight and where all measurements are taken.)
[*]Park the vehicle in front of a wall or a screen so that the center of the headlight is 7.5m (25 feet) away from the wall or screen.
[*]Turn the low beams on.
[*]Determine if the headlights are aimed properly. Measure the height of the headlights (from the ground to the cross-hair). The edge of the headlight beam projected on the wall should be 52mm (2.1 in) below the height of the headlights.[/list=1]
Step 7: Drink the alcohol and admire your work.
Actually, immediately after doing this I did not think it was worthwhile. That was a couple weeks ago. I now feel that it was worthwhile because the car looks so much better and I've received some nice comments on the new look...
Great work.....I PM'd you about making a FAQ out of this. You covered the basics but we still need specifics on thew Amber Bulb to use? And how to paint it to allow the light to shine through. Great work and photos....the FAQ is 75% there.....
Originally posted by Utah S2K ... we still need specifics on the Amber Bulb to use? And how to paint it to allow the light to shine through.
The bulb to replace the 7440 turn signal bulb is definately more difficult to get in amber than the running light. As I stated in the "How To" I simply used an orange Sharpie to color the stock one (thanks MKH for the idea). Not the most elegant solution but it worked. I did not try fitting the so called 7440 bulbs I recieved from LightLens because there were obvious differences to the stock 7440 bulbs.
Some of those other links to online retailers sold amber 7440 bulbs but were pricey. And given the experience I had with LightLens.com it's hard to tell if they are the same as the stock. Maybe somebody else has ordered 7440 bulbs that are the same as stock???
03-08-2002, 04:33 PM
Disclaimer: I claim no responsibility for mistakes or injuries 
made by anyone using this post. This represents the actions I performed and are submitted as suggestions only.
. The plastic is rather hot at this point and you may want to use gloves. Once the corner was pried open I baked it again to re-soften the remaining glue. I was then able to slowly pull apart the two pieces. (This step is where an assistant might come in handy by placing separators in between the two pieces while you pry them open. However, I was able to do it alone.)
At this point you'll realize you're only halfway finished so you may want to use the Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch and put yourself out of your misery. Consult the Book of Armaments and remember to count to three, no more, no less. Five is right out!
