Rep Power: 0

I just got a 2002 Civic EX, and I need to fix a few things for it to pass inspection. One of them is that the right hand DRL is out, and I cannot figure out how to change the bulb. I can reach the socket, but I can't get a grip on it to twist and remove it so I can pull the bulb. I've tried removing the battery to see if I could get a better angle, but that didn't help.

I've tried looking online, but there are dozens of tutorials on replacing the headlight, which looks like a piece of cake, but nothing on the DRL. I can't believe that you'd have to take the whole headlight out to to it, especially since that means having to remove the bumper (and BTW, WTF Honda? Taking out the headlights on my old Audi was two bolts, took about 90 seconds).

Is there some trick I'm missing?

 
Rep Power: 518

If you can't reach headlight bulb from the engine compartment.....

Lift up front corner if necessary
Turn wheel as necessary
remove some clips form the wheelwell plastic liner and pull it down far enough to get your hand through to reach the back of the headlight


Other notes:
US market Civics did not have DRL until 2006. Do you really have DRLs in a 2002 car? Do you mean one of the parking light bulbs is out?

Canadian market cars did have DRL and they use the headlight bulbs. Do you have a Canadian market car?
DO the headlights both work? On both low beam and high beam?

If headlights both work on high beam and low beam, it's not a headlight bulb problem.. DRL controller probably needs the board resoldered.

 
Rep Power: 0

It's not a Canadian car. And maybe DRL isn't the right term. Here's an image of the headlight:

The headlight is on the right, the amber parking light/turn signal is on the left. The small round feature in between is what I'm calling the DRL. It comes on along with the amber light when the light control is in the "parking lights" position. The headlight works on both low and high beams, and that bulb works as I described on the left side.

I can easily reach the headlight bulb from the back, but that's not the problem. I can reach the socket for the bulb that's out with my fingers, but I can't get a grip on it to pull out the socket.

 
Rep Power: 518

For some reason, I'm not seeing ANY images in this forum today. Hmmm.

The clear light is just a parking light, certainly not a DRL of any sort.
Takes a #194 style bulb IIRC.

Grab and twist with pliers?

 
Rep Power: 209

i remove the entire headlight assembly......

i havn't done it in a long time but i believe there are only two bolts holding it in, both easily accessible from the top.....just stand above the light and look down, you will see the bolts.....remove them,

after the bolts are removed you can slide the entire headlight assembly forward a bit, this gives you a lot more room to remove the bulb

 
Rep Power: 0

I thought about removing the headlight assembly. I took out the two bolts on the top and couldn't get the headlight out. Looked it up online and found this (https://images.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=...efault.jpg&f=1) that says you have to take off the whole bumper cover to get it out. I'm not quite ready to do that yet.

 
Rep Power: 223

Do as Ezone suggested, it is the simplest way. To remove the entire headlight assembly the front bumper cover does have to come off, not that difficult either but more work than you need to do.

 
Rep Power: 366

i am short, so did not need to lift the car either. but this worked well for me. sensitive fingers required, though. do enough times and you get to find g spot faster

 
Rep Power: 209

i can tell you for fact i HAVE removed the headlight assembly without removing the bumper....it took me less then 2 mins,

maybe some models are different?

mine is a 2005 SE

 
Rep Power: 518

Maybe your lower mount tab wasn't attached