Headlight bulb replacement Tesla Model S
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- Опубліковано 28 вер 2024
- How to swap out the head light bulbs on a Tesla Model S 2014.
The very early Model S had halogen lights, then they switched to HID lights which is what I have here. Depending on your car the light bulbs might look different. Double check before you buy replacements.
I later learned that you can change the light bulbs without taking off the wheel. It is a little tight though. Taking the wheel off is so easy that I still do when swapping out the bulbs.
This replacement bulb seems has been the best and most reliable:
www.amazon.com...
HID (high intensity discharge) lights are different from old fashioned tungsten halogen lights. They fade over time and eventually they will turn off but can then be restarted. If you have HID lights that sometimes work, sometimes not, it's usually not an electrical problem, its the light bulbs aging. This is exactly what happened to me and that's why I replaced them. My lights would randomly turn off and then I was able to turn them back on again. Now, after the replacement, the problem is gone.
I read from other owners that Tesla will charge you around $1000 to have them replaced. Anyone with a little experience working on cars will be able to do this job in 45 min. If you are in the Los Angeles or Orange County area and need help, let me know.
Please consider supporting me by using and sharing my Tesla referral code ts.la/david540 - Авто та транспорт
I just had to perform this on my 2015 S with the HID bulbs, I just wanted to point out you DO NOT need to take the wheel off. If you set your suspension to the highest and turn your wheels (to the right for the drivers side, left for passengers) you can get to it without removing the tire. It is tight, but not terrible, it took me ~30 minutes and was the first time I was doing it. You also only need to remove 3 of the pop rivets, and I used a T20 torx screwdriver on 1 screw, I didn't remove it but I lowered it just to get it out of the way (was connecting the bumper and car). Once that's done you can pull the felt material out of the way and get to the bulb, actually removing/replacing it will have to be done mostly by touch but it's not too bad. You can remove the plastic piece that secures it with 1 finger, just rotate it in the proper direction mentioned in the video.
The hardest part was getting the cable off of the bulb, it is on there quite tightly.
Thanks! Can you make a video on this?
@@clintluna6884 Unfortunately I don't work on my car all too often, just this bulb and replacing 3 out of the 4 door handle levers, and luckily the bulbs last quite awhile. Was there a specific part you were having trouble with? Perhaps I can help. It was pretty straightforward with the instructions in the video + what I posted, I think once you get under there you will understand what you're doing. If you've ever changed a bulb on a normal car, you'll have a similar idea what's going on.
Have to second @sirixamo not needing to remove the wheel to do this. I thought I had a bad ballast (light would flicker a couple of times when first turned on then it would shut off). I have the standard suspension (not air). I was able to jack up the car with the puck, turn the wheel and remove three of the pop rivets. There are two different sizes/lengths so pay attention to which size came out of which hole.
I think they must have changed the design to make this easier in later models because in my 2014, there's no way I could get to anything by removing only 3 pop rivets. It would take at least 7 plus two screws under the nose and you'd still be bending the harder plastic cowling at that point and I'm not sure it has enough flexibility to give enough access. The plastic ring around the light was also far too stiff to turn with only one finger and it was even more stiff when I put it on the new light so I needed fingers from two hands to make it turn the other way.
@@clintluna6884 sure you need also a video, how to got to the bathroom...right?
Great video and good practice to replace both sides as a pair for symmetry as the new one will be noticeably brighter.
Yes I didn't want to have different colors or intensity in my lights. At $34 for a pair, it made sense to replace both. I wish it would be easier to get to the light. But if I only have to do it every three years, I guess it is OK.
Thank you for this video. In Europe it is d8s 25W in 2013 cars
It's actually not only in 2013 cars but in all. I have them too in 2015 car. This is because of EU regulations as the car doesn't have headlight washers. You can replace the ballast and bulbs to upgrade them to 35W.
@@jozefroman2110 You can, but it is not legal. ;)
Hey. Thanks for this. Worked just right. PS you can get a cheap box of fasteners online for about $15 to replace the ones which break during the process.
A few things not mentioned in the video:
* 10mm socket wrench is for removing 3 screws holding down plastic cowling. He shows a long 10mm socket wrench and you need one that long or the length of the screw on one of the nuts will prevent a standard-length 10mm socket from reaching the nut. You can also use a pass-through socket wrench.
* It's better to use two small screwdrivers or plastic nylon spudgers to pry the plastic rivets off from two sides at once. I got all my rivets off without breaking any.
* Some rivets are twice as long as others. Note where these go. Generally they go in holes that have metal behind a layer of hard plastic and felt.
* The clips that hold on the temperature sensor wire onto the plastic fin have little metal prongs that dig into the plastic. This means you have to tear them through the plastic to remove them unless you can slide a thin piece of metal in between the clip and the plastic to bend the prong back as you pull off the clip.
* Don't touch the glass on the new light. It says this in the instruction manual and I assume it's because you might leave skin oil on it that could cause uneven heating and heat stress the bulb.
* A bit of oil between the black plastic ring and the light housing will make it easier to get on and to turn.
* A flashlight and small mirror is quite useful for seeing into the light housing when you need to aim the end of the new light to fit in the small hole it needs to slide into.
* The 4 rivets around the fan are all short and serve only to hold the felt to the hard plastic. It will often be impossible to get the felt holes to line up with the hard plastic holes unless you can reach behind the felt to guide it, so try to put these back before anything else (I'm not sure if it's possible).
Thanks for the video!
Tesla wants to charge me 300$ to change that lightbulb...Thanks for showing how to do it myself
Elon Musk will hate this vid even though everyone else would love it including me
Can you tell us which replacement bulb you installed, and/or where you purchased it? thanks
Mark Levin link is in the description
The daytime running light went bad and turned yellow on my 2016 Model S LED lights. Tesla wants $1500 to fix the bulb!!!!
That's messed up. They replace the entire headlight assembly. That's why it's so expensive.
Do you need to replace the entire assembly or just the bulb?
@@michaelbrown7881 I'm not sure. I have never opened a head light assembly. I assume the LEDs for the daytime lights are built in and sealed. You can get entire headlight assemblies from used part dealers for prices much lower than Tesla. Tesla wants $1200 for it, as a good used part you can get it for $200.
thanks for convincing me to never buy a tesla or any tesla product, $TSLA on the other hand, to the moon!
It takes 30 min and you have to do it maybe every 5 years. How is that an issue? You spend way more time on oil changes and tire rotations and all kinds of other repairs and maintenance.
Question. My service center just replace the driver side headlight under warranty . Same issue as yours. But the new HID is more yellowish than the one that came off and the one that still on the passenger side ? Toughs on this ?
I assume they can't get the exact same bulb that was used when the car was manufactured. Maybe they switched suppliers since then. Since a pair is only $35 I would always replace both at the same time.
David Drives Electric
thanks for the reply David. How are the ones you replace holding on so far ?
So far it's been a year and the head lights work fine and reliable. I would expect them to last maybe 3 years.
Maybe ask your service center about the different colors. They should fix that.
David Drives Electric
I already send them a email. And believe it or not my driver side just shut off this morning 😅 fantastic ☹️
wow. They really didn't want anyone to know how to change a bulb on this car. Lot of Apple tutorial vibes.
hahahaha
Crappy design if you can't do basic maintenance without taking so much apart
Since I made the video I realized you actually can get to the light from under the hood. It's very tight but should work. When I replace my next head lights I will make an updated video
David Drives Electric Is it the same access as where you aim the lights?
@@DavidDrivesElectric If you still plan to make this video I'd like to see it. I'm not looking forward to when mine fail and I have to go through this. Also, shouldnt there be a way to put LED bulbs in there instead?
@@sarevok6 I realized you can't get to the light from the hood. You can get away not taking the wheel off by turning the steering all the way to one side but it's actually very tight. I would just take the wheels off. Takes 3 min.
When will new car buyers wake up to realise their new car is not pro environment and not to save you money.
This was a 5 minute job that any one could do at any fuel station.
Back when cars (and manufacturers) were more honest in design and not gouge owners.
Easier to loosen the bumper and remove the headlight so you can access the rear. Often makes me laugh when people go overboard with stuff like this. Must be doing it for clickbait and advert reasons
No, the bumper is below the head light and doesn't give you access to the head lights. I don't understand why people are so concerned about a 30 min job to replace a part that only needs replacement every 5 years. So maybe once or twice for the entire time you own the car.
@@DavidDrivesElectric Actually, the Tesla service manual I have also states to take the bumper off and.... I did this yesterday and it was far easier than jacking the car up, taking the wheel off and then the liner off.
I am never buying a tesla. I have to remove my tire to change the damn lightbulb!?
I had to replace my light bulb after 5 years and it will last another 5 years. I rotate tires every 3 months. So in 5 years I have taken off the wheels about 20 times. What is your point?
Your videos are the most informative with no glitz, no annoying background music, no ridiculous CGI, just good solid information.
Please keep these great videos coming, they are much needed and appreciated!
Thanks so much,
Brian James
thanks so much!
I really thought Tesla would've made this super simple, it would be so cool to have an easy bulb replacament on a car on both left and right side.
This IS a super simple procedure. I used to have a Ford, and I used up two hours of my life for every bulb change...
@ Skoda Octavia mk2 (2005-2013) model is super easy to change bulbs, the whole assembly comes off and is held only with one plastic bolt and a lever, takes 1 minute to remove whole light assembly, thats clever simple engineering, this Tesla stuff is absolutely garbage and they want people to pay hunders of dollars to Tesla periocally from changing the fucking bulbs
@ try changing it on a 2006 sierra, thats the easiest replacement ever.
@ Bulb replacement never should take more than 5-10 minutes. I'm surprised that high tech Tesla and all those engineers couldn't figure out a more simple way to change the bulb, but when you're saying it takes 2h to change it on Ford... bruh :D puts in perspective.
I do agree, I just bought a used Tesla didn’t notice the led bulb was out. My ford explorer was so easy… this sucks
My front left bulb was going on and off so I called Tesla I had them come over to replace the front left driver lightbulb and they charge me $208 including tax problem solved I have a 2014 S 85
Going to try this because Tesla tried to charge me 1500 bucks to change both lights out which is absolutely insane. If everything goes well and you’re in California I owe you a nice lunch!!!
I'm up for that :) If you run into more serious issues like actual damages to the light assembly, there is a great place that does greant and honest work on Teslas. They are called EVFixMe and are in Costa Mesa. Tell them David sent you.
Will do, do you know how much they charge to fix my driver door? Sometimes it opens and most of the time it doesn't. BTW I just did my lights this morning so a big THANK YOU for this vid.
@@eddiebombay depends on what it is. Might be just a connection or something bigger
Thx so much David, from Hong Kong
Wasn't possible with my MS P85. Had to partially remove the front bumper and loosen the side panel to take out the lights completely. Not an experienced 'do it yourself-er', took me 4 hours to replace both lightbulbs and adjust the lightlevel correctly.
You sir are a Godly saint for putting this on UA-cam, keep up the great videos
I used to have cars in the AUD300 - AUD4000 range (Australian $). To change a light bulb was typically 1-3 minutes and $4.99 for the bulb.
Than I seriously fell in love with the Model S and bought one. I just changed a Xenon, it took me more than an hour and $180 for the bulb. Elon does ask for a lot of patience and more importantly UNCONDITIONALLY Love here. Otherwise super happy with my Nose Cone and thank you for making this video !!!
Yeah in some ways Tesla isn't user friendly. I managed to change the bulb without taking the wheel out but you still need to lift the car up. I highly recommend getting good quality bulbs so they last longer
Do not put the cheapest lamps you can find in your car! You've definitely reduced the output vs stock! I upgraded to the Osram CBB lamps but there are a quite a few good options to swap in.
Save money by doing it yourself. You save nothing by buying the lowest quality, lowest priced product you can find...
I agree. The cheap ones I put in didn't last very long.
@@DavidDrivesElectric I DO want to thank you for this how-to. Even though I didn't need to; it prompted me to replace my 6 year old HID bulbs. The output has made a world of difference.
@@DavidDrivesElectric So are the bulbs in your amazon link (cougar motor) the cheap ones? If so, what did you end up using instead?
nvm. Found this link that gives a good comparison of different light bulbs. Someone posted it on the TMC website: www.bulbfacts.com/hid-oe/chart/#ONBU
Don't have to do all that. Should be easier by going through the frunk.
I’m in LA. I’d be down to pay you to help me out 🙏
Thank you for posting this! Great video and to the point.
My 2012 had 2 screws on the bottom and one in the back of the wheel well. I didn't have any temperature sensor, but was changing the driver side light, so maybe that is only a passenger thing or maybe 2012 is different. For the plastic clips, there were at least 2 that were a little longer. I didn't notice this until putting it all back together, so others might want to make a note as they remove them. Also, in case anyone doesn't know, you have to remove the decorative plastic lug nut caps to get to the actual lug nuts in order to remove the tire.
Funny, I don't have a sensor either - 2012 - but the connector is there and empty.
@@henryf5103 turns out I was wrong. It's not a temperature sensor. It is an antenna for the tire pressure system.
did you get the notifications on the dashboard the lights were going off when they went off?
Great video, very informative and straight to the point. My experience is to add some oil at the closing black ring, makes it much easier to turn it back.
Yeah I ended up doing that when I had to replace them again
Thanks for the tutorial
Looks like you can access it from the frunk removal which might be easier?
I tried and it's too tight.
So how have they held up? Still working? What does the light output look look like at night? It has a blue hint right
Well, I‘m just here because I was interested. But now I’m convinced I’ll never buy a Tesla.
Because it takes 30 min to swap out a light bulb that lasts 5 years? You know an oil change takes longer and you need to do it many many times. That has never been an issue...
How did u remove the old lock before transferrin get it to the new bulb
Did you figure it out?
You rotate it so that the opening of the plastic piece is pointing down (towards the plug)...then pull it/slide it off in the opposite direction (away from the plug). Then you do the reverse on the new light.
Omfg you are awesome!
Tesla wanted 2500.00 and it was turning off intermittently.
I am so glad I found your channel.
I have a 2014 model s.
I wish you were here in Wisconsin to help.
Thank you.
i like the way you talk and show us how you did it :D
Thank you for the helpful video. It gave me the nudge I needed to do it myself. I just replaced the left headlight in my 2014 Model S with air suspension. I was able to do it without removing the wheel on "very high" suspension setting with wheel turned left (*toward* the side of the car of the bulb being replaced). Couple of issues I encountered: 1) Really tough to remove electrical connector to the bulb housing from the old bulb. I had to gently pry it loose with a flat head screwdriver. 2) Challenging to line up holes in the felt with those of the plastic while putting everything back together, but was able ro reattach the underside screws and more peripheral snaps and left a few others out.
What a hilariously garbage car.
Man I thought the Prius was a bitch… why do they make it so difficult to change 😞
The light bulb needs to be replace once, maybe twice over 10 years. It takes about 30 min. I don't see how this is an issue. In 10 years there will be many more repairs that take an entire day in a repair center...
@@DavidDrivesElectric my bulb went out on my x in the first yr so I sold it
I thought the headlights would be LED or at least some form of HiD like Xenon. Just a dingy, yellow halogen?
Ryan's V-Twin Vlogs they are HID
Thank you, you really have time and patience to educate us, thank you again
Thank you very much for making this video. My Model S popped an eyeball today and I wasn't looking forward to trying to figure out how to replace it. Your video was concise , clear, and well filmed.
Thanks. I talked to a Tesla technician and he confirmed this way is the easiest way to replace the light bulb.
Great video indeed!Would you have a link where we can order bulbs?Thank you
I have the 2013 model s Tesa. How do you remove the clips that hold on the temperature sensor wire onto the plastic fan .
Flat screw driver or a similar tool.
Excellent video, thanks!
Did you figure this out by trial and error / does Tesla have any mechanic's book to fix it yourself?
Bootlegged copies of the Model S 2012-2016 Tesla service manual (with electrical diagrams) are available on eBay. Avoid the cheaper download offers, which can be difficult to navigate, and purchase the DVD instead. About $20. In general, the manual is somewhat sparse on details compared to other official service manuals I've used for automotive and tractor repair. If working with used parts, watch the part number version (denoted by a capital letter, starting with 'A', following the part number. Tesla tends not to change part numbers, but rather, the capital letter suffix at the end of the same part number.) Since Tesla made (and probably still is making) continuous improvements, you can't go by the model year as one does when ordering parts for most other vehicles. There's an earlier, bootlegged Model S 2012-2016 parts catalog out there, also, that will help sort out which part number versions have been superseded and which are "OK to use". This is in contrast to Tesla's online parts catalog (available to view if you have an account) that only shows the latest version of each part number without any reference to usability of earlier versions.
David Drives Electric
David Drives Electric Will this bulb work on a 2016 Model S ? Both headlights are out on my wife's Model S.
It depends on if the car has the HMI or LED lights. You can just check if you pull out the bulb.
@@DavidDrivesElectric Thanks, I ordered the from the link provided and installed both lights on the Sunday that just passed, October the 2nd. It was pretty easy. The only issue I had was getting the bulb out. Once that was done it was very simple. The bulb didn't take long at all because I knew exactly what to do, so I finished the second one in about ten minutes.Thanks for the video it really helped me and gave me the confidence that I could do it.
bless you. ❤
I'd recommend wearing nitrile gloves since skin oil can drastically reduce bulb life.
That was the case many many years ago. The glass on light bulbs gets hot and the grease burns off compromising the glass a bit. That isn't an issue any more. I have not seen a light bulb that had a cracked glass in over 30 years.
and that, folks, is how you make sure you'll always have clients for servicing even the most minor of things. I'm unpleasantly surprised by how unnecessary difficult this simple procedure is made. Old school engineers are dying out, but it seems that younger people also don't involve themselves with learning how to do these things. So I guess it's a win win for the economy.
I understand your point. But then think about how many times the head light bulbs have to be replaced. Every 3 to 4 years. The average owner will swap them out maybe once. In the same time frame you go through several tires and tire rotations at which the area is open anyway. It's about as frequent as swapping break fluid or brake pads. Yes in an ideal case you want every part to be as easily swapped as possible but it comes at a cost of engineering and production cost.
@@DavidDrivesElectric I agree, I'm just looking from a perspective of old school bulbs, which I have to change 1-2 times a year :) I would be piiiiiiiised if I'd need to remove my tire and rip off all that padding just to switch out a bulb somewhere in the middle of nowhere (true story). I'd probably not have the same issue with xenons I'd assume. I'm not fond of this trajectory of cars becoming increasingly more complex and closed systems where you can interfere less and less with each passing year, basically - yes, cool tech and extras, but I have to work 50-100h more each year just to sustain the car and the maintenance of it. just feels like everything is slowly becoming this insulated "only a pro can do this" wherever you look, you just make sure you are able to pay for it and keep grinding the bucks.
I think I sound a bit depressing :) my bad
frunk
Wow and Tesla wanted to charge me almost $1900 to do this?!
Maybe they wanted to replace the entire head light assembly?
Wow. Just got an outrageous quote for a bulb replacement from my local Tesla Service Center, so decided to see what was up. I was thinking maybe it was a custom LED assembly or something - nope, standard HID bulb - just ridiculous process to get to. I've had some difficult-to-get-to bulbs before (Subaru, Audi, and Toyota fog lights,) but have never had a main headlight be this ridiculous, and even the difficult ones never needed me to *REMOVE A WHEEL*.
You can get it out by turning the wheel to the right or left to make some room. Honestly, people make too big of a deal out of this. I have replaced light bulbs every 3 years.
@@DavidDrivesElectric After having replaced a bulb on my '16 (pre-facelift) S for the first time today, I have to say I cannot see how I could do this without taking the wheel off. I noticed that my wheel arch inner is fastened quite differently from what is shown in this video and a few other how-tos I've found: Mine only has 5 pushpin fasteners, though the two screws and the nut are the same. Along the outer edge it's all hidden metal clips which go into slots, and then a final 6th pushpin fastener near the parking sensor, *under* the plastic liner, holding the felt mat only...
To top it off I was completely unable to turn the locking ring with my fat fingers, so I had to get help from my neighbour who was curious about what I was doing... I'll need a tool of some sort for future occasions - can't expect a more nimble-fingered neighbour to be available every time ;-)
I guess you've never had a 2009 Chevy Malibu. It's been a good car overall, but to replace the headlights, you have to take the bumper off! After doing it four or five times, I got some LEDS that thankfully have been going strong for years.
five years later thank you
I have 2013 S 85 (11/13). I think my bulbs are the same as yours. I have the symptoms of the head light going out at times. Should I change the ballasts too when I change my bulbs. Thanks
No the ballast is usually fine. If the ballast is bad your lights will not work at all.
What are your thoughts on the Gen 2. Is it worth the extra money. I want longer lasting more than brightness. Thanks again.
@@tjxoom1 Not sure hat Gen 2 is. Originally the Model S came with old style tungsten lights. Then they switched to HID. Later they used LEDs. I'm perfectly happy with my HID.
Wow, that's quite involved. I may have to take mine to a service center. How much does the lamp itself cost over going to the service center?
Light bulbs cost $38 a pair. Going to the service center and having them swapped total ~ $900. It took me a total of one hour to do it. My time with worth $862 :)
Wow! Only $38? Hmmm... ok, that makes sense. So my next questions are where did you order it (is it something you can get from any auto repair store?) and why not go through the frunk, by removing the plastic liner surrounding it? Did you initially try that and found that it was blocked from that direction, which is why you went through the wheel well? Also, will this work for the refreshed version of the headlights as well as the original design?
Yes that was my first instinct, but there is no access. The only way is through the wheel well. Considering you only have to do this every 3 or 4 years I think it's OK.
Thanks for the very helpful video - i need to replace my driver's side headlight bulb too ... do you remember what type of HID xenon bulb was it?
MichaelMing I put a link in the description
David Drives Electric Thanks so much!
so basically changing light bulbs with Tesla S is pure hell and absolutely stupid engineering, this was very sad video
🥰
Thnx
noice
Have the replacement bulbs been reliable?
Not really. I will update the link to a better light bulb.
Great video!
Only rich people are watching this video
You are rich!
I wish! I don't own a Tesla haha!
Rich people take their car to the service centre, poor Tesla owners fix it themself.
Many people actually like working on cars.
Is the Amazon link the correct bulb size?
That is the one I bought for my 2014 model.
sharkcookie.ev Thanks, I'll place my order and keep this video marked to rewatch.
I just double checked. The product link has different options. Make sure you pick the 'D3S' type when you order.
sharkcookie.ev You linked the right bulb, when you click the link the D3S is already selected. Thanks again
Thanks for sharing. An unrelated question, do you by any chance know if those older Model S wheels, that looked like Model 3 aero wheels (I think they were provided by Tesla as limited edition, or for referral gifts or something), do you know if they did any significant improvement to range?
Yes those old aero wheels for the Model S help a little with range. Based on what people who have them say, it's about 4%. It depends a lot on the driving speed. There is very little difference if you drive around town. On the freeway, at higher speeds, the difference is significant.
+Ali Moeeny KmanAuto had those wheels. He posted some UA-cam videos about them and the affect they had of range. As I recall he was very positive about them.
Thanks for this clip - just did my 2013 S after watching your clip - just wanted to send you my appreciation for the straight forward and easy to follow video
INACEPTABLE. FAIL DESIGN.
Since I did the video I found you, you actually can access the light bulb from the top, but it is still very tight. Next time I have to replace the bulbs I will try it and do another video
David Drives Electric - I have tried to replace my bulb from the Frunk it’s too tight - any tips? Don’t have a jack etc... to remove wheel