The Nissan brand is known for producing durable cars. This durability doesn’t point to the car engine alone but all other parts of the car including the headlight.
Unfortunately, your car headlight can develop a fault, and the need for it to be replaced arises.
The process of How to change Nissan Altima Headlight is straightforward and can be done by everyone.
Let’s get into the details of the article
Contents
When Should You Change the Nissan Altima Headlight?
The time in which you should change your car headlight solely depends on you and more on the nature of the fault.
There are times when you only need to tighten the loose screw, replace the headlight bulb, or tighten the headlight connection.
The only time you need to replace the complete headlight set is when the headlight connector is faulty, and the bulbs are burnt.
In this case, repairing them might be more expensive, so the best option is to change the headlight completely.
5 Common Headlight Problems
There are certain problems associated with the Nissan headlight, although these problems occur after about 500 hours of use, but it doesn’t matter since it will still occur.
All these problems can be fixed by an expert, but the problems need to be diagnosed early enough to avoid damaging other parts of the car.
The common headlight problems include
- Damaged Relay
- Headlights are always on
- Problem with the wiring
- Burnt bulbs
- Blown Fuse
The 4 common symptoms of a faulty headlight
We have discussed the common problem of the headlight, these are general problems that affect car headlights, but in this section, we want to talk about the common symptoms you are likely to witness when your car headlight is faulty.
01. Dim light
When driving your car at night, you might notice a sudden reduction in the brightness of the car headlight, it will become dim and later brighten up again, this can be a problem with the bulb or from the connection.
02. Can’t switch headlight mode
This is another symptom that your car headlight has developed a fault, the switch might be faulty and it won’t make the headlight work.
You should plan to repair the switch before it causes another issue.
03. High beam issue
When the headlight keeps using the high beam instead of the low beam, this is another symptom of the headlight’s fault.
04. Lights going on and off
This is a common symptom, your cat headlight may suddenly go off and come back on after some time, this can be associated with the bulb or faulty connections.
How to Change Nissan Altima Headlight: 5 Easy Steps
The need for you to change your Nissan Altima headlights may arise anytime.
This might be because it is faulty or because you just want to get a new headlight as part of the car’s general maintenance.
So the process of changing the car headlight is a breeze and we will take you through the process in this section.
You only need to get the necessary tools ready, get the new headlight, know the entire process and delicate time for it.
Tools
The tools needed in order to carry out the Nissan Altima Headlight replacement are
- Phillips head screwdriver
- Flat head screwdriver
- 10mm socket
- Push clips
- Extension and ratchet
Cost
The cost of replacing your Altima headlight will vary, depending on the way you want to get it done.
If you would like to employ the service of an expert, you will spend around $100-$150 for the bulb replacement and the service charge, but if you choose to use the DIY method, you will save yourself some money, you will only spend around $50-$100.
Time
This depends on the level of your expertise. The process of replacing a headlight bulb is quite easy and should not consume too much time.
However, during this process, one has to be very careful not to damage any other part when replacing only the bulb.
For an expert, 1hour should be enough but for a random car owner who wants to practice the DIY method online 2 hours will be enough to carry out the whole process without causing any harm to the car.
Step by Step Guide of Nissan Altima Headlight Replacement
To replace your Nissan Altima headlight yourself, please follow the below DIY step to get it done with ease.
Step1: Remove the push clips
The first step is to find your way down to the place where the headlight is located, so you have to remove the clips on the bumper first.
There are 6 clips there, remove all of them and keep them in a safe place, after this peel the plastic splash shield with the 10mm socket and the ratchet.
Step 2: Pull the bumper off
After loosing all the clips and removing the plastic shield, you can easily remove the bumper for easy access to the headlight.
Step 3: Remove the bolts holding the Headlight
You will notice there are bolts tieing down the headlight on top and at the side. Remove the bolt with the 10mm socket and the ratchet. Start from the upper side.
Step 4: Unclip all the wires
As you have loosened all the bolts, you can easily pull the headlight out. Pull out all the connectors, be careful when doing this so you don’t cut any wire
Step 5: Install the new headlight
When you have taken out the old headlight, check it and detect its fault if it can be fixed easily, if not just replace the whole headlight by connecting all the connectors you removed from the old headlight. Push in all the clips and tighten the bumper back.
Top 4 Nissan Altima Headlight Bulbs (Our Recommendation)
Here we will discuss some of the top Altima headlight bulbs reviews, including the highlighted features, pros, and cons of the bulb.
01. Phillips 12362CVB2 Bulb
Highlighted Features
- Blue coating glass
- Crystal white light
- Original quality seal
- 12 Voltage
The Phillips 12362CVB2 Bulb is a crystal clear headlight that brightens up your way when driving your car at night.
The 55 watts of the bulb make it brighter and cooler for improved performance.
The beams are sealed with ultra-crystal vision and also you have the original equipment seal to guarantee you a reliable performance.
The seal is not for decoration, it assures you that the bulb is durable and will not fail you early.
There is a blue cap designed on top of the bulb, the blue cap gives the headlight a cool effect reflector during the day and a bright crystal light in the night.
The exterior is painted to reduce any form of corrosion that may occur.
It is too bright at night and can block the vision of other drivers, this should be worked on and restored to normal.
Pros
- Enhances driver’s safety
- Durable
- Crystal clear at night
Cons
- Has to be replaced in pairs
02. Philips 85122C1 Headlight bulb
Highlighted Features
- Quality seal
- D2S bulb style
- Designed with quartz glass
- 4200 bulb temperature
This is another bright bulb designed by Phillips, it is bright, cool, and enhances safe driving at night.
You are able to see all the road signs clearly because the light travels straight and illuminates the dark spot on the road.
It consumes little or less power compared to the quality of light it produces. The bulb quality can’t be overemphasized; it is endorsed by most manufacturers as it is of very high intensity.
The durability of the bulb speaks for it. It works for a very long time and provides you value for your money.
Phillips bulb is made with quartz glass that is very durable. It gives you the flexibility needed with 1470F, with this it does not melt easily and can withstand even high thermal shock.
There are lots of fake Philips in the market but with the quality seal at the top, you can easily distinguish it from the counterfeit.
Although the bulb is of high quality but the watt is very low, something should be done about this
Pros
- High-quality bulb
- Very bright
- Works perfectly for most cars
Cons
- Low watt
03. AUTOSAVER88 A-CTLAHL-1047 Headlight
Highlighted Features
- High and low shaft adjuster
- Lampshade
- Waterproof bulb
- Heat Proof feature
The AUTOSAVER88 bulb consists of a high beam and a low beam bulb that is constructed with different frames to make it fit perfectly into any car.
The frames are adjustable and can be reduced to fit into the specified space.
This product is designed to be waterproof, which makes it suitable for all types of weather.
You don’t have to worry about your headlight bulb going off or a reduction in its durability when you are driving inside in the rain or hot weather. It is brighter even during the rain.
It is completely sealed with waterproof silicone; this helps to avoid any remains of water when you drive inside the rain.
Another interesting feature of this headlight bulb is that it is not affected by heat and it is also scratch-proof.
This is a big flex as you don’t have to worry about your car headlight being scratched by kids when you park around your neighborhood.
Lastly, the visibility is great, it illuminates every dark spot around you when driving at night because of the quality lens.
You also can not experience sim light with this headlight bulb.
This headlight packaging does not include an installation manual; this makes installation a bit difficult.
Pros
- It is sturdy
- Made with quality materials
- Waterproof case
Cons
- Difficult to adjust after installation
04. ASLONG AS-FDK-D18-9005+H1-SG4P-Apr Bulb
Highlighted Features
- Adjustable bulb
- 1:1 length
- Crystal white Light
- Cooling led system.
The design of the ASLONG bulb is top-notch and has earned it numerous sales. It is designed with a led chip and a good beam system.
The bulb is very bright and gives you an excellent driving experience late in the night.
You do not have to worry about traveling late in the night because the bulb is bright enough to elucidate your environment when driving.
This bulb has a direct fitment and can fit into different brands of cars plus it’s adjustable after installation, you can choose to adjust it to your preferred size.
Another interesting feature of the headlight bulb is the double-layer cooling system. This helps to cool the bulb even when in hot conditions.
Lastly, the installation is a breeze as it is straightforward.
The bulb emits too much heat, although it has a cooling system but when used for a long time it can break down.
Pros
- Brighter output
- Ultra-powerful bulb
- Direct fitment
Cons
- Generates a lot of heat
Frequently Asked Questions
How much money will I spend to replace my Nissan Altima Headlight?
To replace your headlight, you will have to spend about $100-150 for the entire process
How many hours to replace the Altima Headlight bulb?
An expert will only need about 30mins-1hour for this process while a random car owner needs about 2hours in order to replace the headlight bulb correctly.
Why is my headlight so dim?
Many factors can cause your Altima headlight to dim, but the main cause is a faulty bulb or blown fuse.
What tools do I need to replace it Altima Headlight bulb?
The tools needed are a Phillips head screwdriver, Flathead screwdriver, 10mm socket, Push clips and Extension, and ratchet.
Can I increase the brightness of my Headlight?
Yes, all you have to do is get a brighter bulb made with Led, replace it with the old bulb and your car headlight will be brighter.
Final Words
That’s all you need to know about the Nissan headlight replacement process and some of the headlight bulb reviews.
We hope you have learned some new things, if so do well to share with offer car owners, and don’t forget to leave a comment below.