To the Subaru Engineer 

by "AestheticsInMotion" (aestheticsinmotion)
Published 06/01/2017 at 22:20

Tags: It's what makes a Subaru ; a Subaru ; Subaru ; Outback ; Headlights
STARS: 3

Who decided that high-tension, filed-to-a-needle-point, retaining clips would be better than the tried and true “push and twist” method of headlight bulb retention..... Fuck you. That thing had enough force to pierce straight through my nail and half my finger along with it. Excuse me while I clean the blood out of my engine bay...

Replies (26)

"TheHondaBro" (wwaveform)
06/01/2017 at 22:22, STARS: 3

Hey now you can say it’s running on your sweat, blood, and tears!

"jkm7680" (jkm7680)
06/01/2017 at 22:25, STARS: 1

Sounds like the DRL bulbs on my former vehicle.

You needed tiny hands and Volkswagen is shit so they made every single plastic thing in the headlight enclosure extremely sharp so you’d cut the fuck out of your hands/wrists if you could even get in there to begin with.

"AestheticsInMotion" (aestheticsinmotion)
06/01/2017 at 22:25, STARS: 2

Maybe that’s why it doesn’t like oil

"AestheticsInMotion" (aestheticsinmotion)
06/01/2017 at 22:27, STARS: 0

Bulbs seem like one of those things that should be pretty easy to take care of, but hey what do I know... Service department needs extra business amirite?

"jkm7680" (jkm7680)
06/01/2017 at 22:28, STARS: 0

They really should be, haha. I think it’s a Hyundai or something, but you have to remove the bumper or some crazy shit just to replace a headlight bulb.

"HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles" (hondasfordsvolvo)
06/01/2017 at 22:29, STARS: 1

I did a bit of work on my SILs second gen fozzie enough to learn that Subarus are not built to be worked on.

"Urambo Tauro" (urambotauro)
06/01/2017 at 22:30, STARS: 0

But it saved so much money on the assembly line! :P

"wafflesnfalafel" (wafflesnfalafel1)
06/01/2017 at 22:35, STARS: 1

I absolutely hate those metal clip retained bulbs - my Mazda has them. What should be a 5 minute job is 45 minutes with much swearing just because of poor design...

"AestheticsInMotion" (aestheticsinmotion)
06/01/2017 at 22:36, STARS: 1

One of my employees has a Tahoe. Probably 2007ish? Anyways, one drl can be replaced easily in a minute, the other requires the bumper and undertray removed. WTF

"merged-5876237249235911857-hrw8uc" (merged-5876237249235911857-hrw8uc)
06/01/2017 at 22:37, STARS: 1

The first gen Cadillac CTS and STS were that way. Bumper had to come off to get the headlight housing off to change any of the bulbs. I had pulled the bumpers enough on the two I had that I could do it without even jacking up the car. A lot of body rivets and a couple 10mm bolts and they’re off. Still a pain in the ass. I helped my coworker change bulbs on a late ‘90s or early ‘00 Malibu and it was the simplest I’ve ever done. One clip and the whole housing comes out. They should all be so simple.

"for Michigan" (formichigan)
06/01/2017 at 22:38, STARS: 0

What was Mazda thinking? After changing my bulbs a couple times, I can do it in less than 30 minutes. The first time it took me nearly an hour…

"AestheticsInMotion" (aestheticsinmotion)
06/01/2017 at 22:38, STARS: 1

On the plus side they seem to last forever even with major issues. My mom went 17,000 miles without changing the oil on hers, finally took it to dealership for oil, was told she needed a new engine, and two years later is still driving it daily with the same engine, and possibly the same oil she got at that dealership. Crazy

"jkm7680" (jkm7680)
06/01/2017 at 22:39, STARS: 0

What the hell, haha.

"jkm7680" (jkm7680)
06/01/2017 at 22:39, STARS: 1

I guess as the other guy said, the dealer reigns superior.

"AestheticsInMotion" (aestheticsinmotion)
06/01/2017 at 22:39, STARS: 0

Next time I’ll probably remove the clip perman and break out the duct tape.

"AestheticsInMotion" (aestheticsinmotion)
06/01/2017 at 22:40, STARS: 0

Yikes. I’m suddenly glad I ordered LED bulbs/housings with 100,000+hour lifespans.

"TheTurbochargedSquirrel" (thatsquirrel)
06/01/2017 at 22:48, STARS: 1

At least you don’t have to pull the fender liner out like on the 5th gen Legacy platform.

"AestheticsInMotion" (aestheticsinmotion)
06/01/2017 at 22:52, STARS: 0

True. Although that would give me a much needed excuse to clean out what I’m sure is a giant pile of dirt and debris that’s built up into there...

"NJAnon" (NJAnon)
06/01/2017 at 22:52, STARS: 0

The blood is a reminder that the carmakers want to make owning the car painful even years afterward?

"AestheticsInMotion" (aestheticsinmotion)
06/01/2017 at 22:54, STARS: 0

I think Blubaru is just mad that I spend all my time with the pop-up lighted vixen in red...

"Kiltedpadre" (kiltedpadre)
06/01/2017 at 22:59, STARS: 1

Yep, hate those damn things on my wife’s impreza. Then throw in that the post on the housing that holds the bulb wore out so it had a bad connection and randomly would burn out the bulb. Guess what, you can’t buy just that one piece anywhere. You have to buy a whole new headlight assembly. If it’s a part I can remove from the housing with one screw and one electrical connection it should be sold on its own!!

"Highlander-Datsuns are Forever" (jamesbowland)
06/01/2017 at 22:59, STARS: 0

The ones in my mazda 3 is like trying to assemble an erector set in the dark, behind your back with sharp cutting implements tearing the shit out of your hands. 10/10 would do again.

"AestheticsInMotion" (aestheticsinmotion)
06/01/2017 at 23:06, STARS: 2

This entire thread has made me reconsider my hatred for people driving around at night with one headlight.

"smobgirl" (smobgirl)
06/01/2017 at 23:06, STARS: 1

The worst part about smashing my Civic a few years ago was knowing that the turn signal bulb that I had just disassembled the car to replace was one of the things that got destroyed.

"jkm7680" (jkm7680)
06/01/2017 at 23:10, STARS: 0

Ooof

"Duck Duck Grey Duck FTMFW!" (theduckduck)
06/02/2017 at 15:11, STARS: 0

Oh my god! Just you mentioning this make me go into a slight rage. I changed a headlight AND fixed the other light in my sister’s 2010 Outback. What a fucker! I wondered why her headlights sucked for output and it was because whoever messed with them last installed them crooked. I now know why. I managed to get them straight but what a dumb ass design!