Maintenance procedure · Written to ASD-STE100 Issue 9 · Formatted to ANSI Z535

Replace a Headlight Bulb, and Find Out First Whether Your Car Has One You Can Replace

Vehicles with a replaceable halogen headlight bulb — identify the bulb from your own car, change it without touching the glass, and recognise the three headlamp types where this stops
ApplicabilityPassenger cars and light trucks with a replaceable halogen headlight bulb, where the vehicle documentation gives an owner procedure for that bulb
Task time38 min to 1 hr 35 min editorial estimate, not a measurement
PersonnelOne
Revisionv1 · 2026-07-29
BEFORE YOU BEGIN

Before you begin. This procedure is general reference information, not professional advice. Equipment varies by manufacturer, model, and year. Always follow the documentation supplied with your equipment — where it differs from this page, follow the manufacturer. Verify that you have the tools, the working conditions, and the ability to do this task safely. If anything is unclear, if the equipment is damaged, or if the task exceeds your experience, stop and use a qualified professional. You are responsible for your own safety and for the outcome. This site accepts no liability for any loss, damage, or injury arising from the use of this information.

Specifications marked unverified could not be traced to a manufacturer source. Do not rely on them — obtain the value from your equipment documentation.

Summary

One headlight out is one of the few car faults you can often fix on your own driveway for the price of a bulb, and one of the few where the wrong part is genuinely dangerous rather than merely annoying. On a lot of cars the job is a twist, a pull and a click: reach behind the headlamp, release the connector, turn the retainer, and the old bulb comes out. On plenty of other cars it is not that at all, and the first useful thing this page does is help you find out which car you have before you buy anything.

What this page will not do is tell you which bulb your car takes. There is no single answer: the bulb type is per-vehicle, your owner's manual is the authority for yours, and there is a second copy of the answer in the car already, because federal rules require a replaceable headlight bulb to carry its own marking designation. So the page teaches you to read the answer off your own vehicle rather than printing a number that would be wrong for most readers. It stops, hard, at three headlamp types: high-intensity discharge (HID or xenon), integrated LED units, and sealed beam. It also will not tell you to fit LED bulbs into a halogen headlight, because NHTSA's Acting Chief Counsel has said in writing that no LED replaceable light source may be used in a replaceable bulb headlamp. And it does not touch headlight aim, which is a separate job with its own measurements.

Necessary equipment

ItemNote
Eye protectionWear the eye protection when you touch a bulb.
Clean glovesWear the gloves when you touch a bulb.
FlashlightUse the flashlight to see the back of the headlamp.
Isopropyl alcohol and a clean cloth optionalUse the isopropyl alcohol only if your bare skin touched the glass.
Pen and paper optionalRecord the date of the replacement.
New headlight bulb materialThe type designation must agree with the vehicle documentation.

Specifications

Headlamp aim setting
Unverified — do not rely on this value
CONSULT THE VEHICLE DOCUMENTATION. THIS PROCEDURE DOES NOT ADJUST THE AIM OF THE HEADLAMP.

No tier-1 source was found for this value. Take it from the documentation supplied with your equipment.

Find the type of your headlamp

Estimated 8 min to 17 min

NOTEThis procedure applies only to a headlamp with a replaceable halogen bulb.
Type of light source in the headlamp
Unverified — do not rely on this value
CONSULT THE VEHICLE DOCUMENTATION. A DISCHARGE HEADLAMP AND AN INTEGRATED LED HEADLAMP ARE NOT PART OF THIS PROCEDURE.

No tier-1 source was found for this value. Take it from the documentation supplied with your equipment.

WARNING

DO NOT REPLACE A BULB IN A DISCHARGE HEADLAMP.
The ballast output voltage can cause a severe electric shock. Permanent injury or death is possible. Speak to a vehicle repair shop.

  1. Read the section about the exterior lights in the vehicle documentation.
    • The owner manual of the vehicle is the vehicle documentation.
    • Each model has different instructions.
    4m
  2. Find the type of the light source in your headlamp.
    • A halogen bulb, a discharge light source and an LED light source are the usual types.
    • The vehicle documentation gives the type for your vehicle.
    2m
  3. If the headlamp has a discharge light source, do not continue.
    • The other names for this type are HID headlamp and xenon headlamp.
    • A discharge headlamp has a ballast.
    • Speak to a vehicle repair shop about a discharge headlamp.
    <1m
  4. If the headlamp has an LED light source, do not continue.
    • An LED headlamp has no bulb that you can remove.
    • Mazda gives this boundary for the LED headlamps on some models.
    • Speak to a vehicle repair shop about an LED headlamp.
    <1m
  5. If the headlamp has one part for the lens, the reflector and the light source, do not continue.
    • Sealed beam is the name for this type.
    • The words SEALED BEAM are in the lens of a sealed beam headlamp.
    <1m
  6. If the vehicle documentation gives no owner procedure, do not continue.
    • Some manufacturers send the owner to a dealer for all headlamp bulbs.
    • Mazda gives this instruction for the halogen bulbs on some models.
    <1m

Identify the correct bulb

Estimated 8 min to 22 min

NOTEThe vehicle documentation gives the type designation of the bulb for your vehicle.
Headlight bulb type designation
Unverified — do not rely on this value
CONSULT THE VEHICLE DOCUMENTATION. THE TYPE DESIGNATION IS ALSO MARKED ON THE BASE OF THE USED BULB.

No tier-1 source was found for this value. Take it from the documentation supplied with your equipment.

Headlight bulb voltage and wattage
Unverified — do not rely on this value
CONSULT THE VEHICLE DOCUMENTATION, AND READ THE MARKING ON THE BASE OF THE USED BULB.

No tier-1 source was found for this value. Take it from the documentation supplied with your equipment.

  1. Read the type designation of the headlight bulb in the vehicle documentation.
    • The type designation is a short code of letters and numbers.
    • The federal rules require this marking on a replaceable light source.
    • If your vehicle has a separate bulb for the upper beam, read both type designations.
    3m
WARNING

DO NOT INSTALL AN LED LIGHT SOURCE IN A REPLACEABLE-BULB HEADLAMP.
The federal rules do not permit it. The light can go into the eyes of other drivers and cause a collision.

  1. Buy a new bulb with the same type designation.
    • The new bulb must have the DOT mark.
    • A replaceable light source must have the DOT mark and the name of its maker.
    • The new bulb must have the same voltage and the same wattage.
    5m
  2. Keep the new bulb in its box until you install it.
    • The box keeps the glass clean.
    <1m

Prepare the vehicle

Estimated 7 min to 17 min

WARNING

STOP THE VEHICLE IN A SAFE AREA AWAY FROM TRAFFIC BEFORE YOU START.
Traffic can kill you.

  1. Stop the vehicle on a level surface in a safe area away from traffic.
    <1m
  2. Set the parking brake.
    <1m
  3. Set the headlight switch to off.
    • Mazda gives this instruction before a change of an exterior bulb.
    <1m
  4. Stop the engine.
    <1m
  5. Set the ignition to off.
    • Mazda gives this instruction before a change of an exterior bulb.
    <1m
WARNING

LET THE HEADLAMP BECOME COOL BEFORE YOU TOUCH THE BULB.
A bulb that operated recently can burn your skin.

  1. Wait until the headlamp is cool.
    • A bulb that operated recently is very hot.
    • OSRAM gives a warning symbol about the temperature of a lamp.
    5m
WARNING

WEAR EYE PROTECTION AND GLOVES BEFORE YOU TOUCH A BULB.
The gas in a halogen bulb has a high pressure. A bulb that breaks throws glass and can injure your eyes.

  1. Wear the eye protection and the gloves.
    • Mazda and OSRAM give this instruction for a halogen bulb.
    <1m
  2. Open the hood.
    • The vehicle documentation gives the access route to the headlamp.
    <1m

Remove the used bulb

Estimated 6 min to 20 min

Access route to the back of the headlamp
Unverified — do not rely on this value
CONSULT THE VEHICLE DOCUMENTATION. SOME VEHICLES NEED THE REMOVAL OF A BODY PANEL, WHICH IS NOT PART OF THIS PROCEDURE.

No tier-1 source was found for this value. Take it from the documentation supplied with your equipment.

  1. Find the back of the headlamp.
    • Use the flashlight.
    • Some vehicles need a turn of the steering wheel for more space.
    • Mazda gives that instruction for the bulbs on one side of some models.
    2m
  2. If a cover is on the back of the headlamp, remove the cover.
    • Keep the cover and its seal clean.
    • A cover that is not correctly installed lets water into the headlamp.
    1m
  3. Disconnect the electrical connector from the base of the bulb.
    • Many connectors have a lock that you release first.
    • Hold the connector.
    • Do not pull the wires.
    1m
  4. Release the retainer that holds the bulb in the headlamp.
    • A wire clip, a plastic ring and a screw are the usual retainers.
    • The vehicle documentation gives the retainer type for your vehicle.
    2m
  5. Remove the used bulb from the headlamp.
    • Hold the used bulb by its base.
    <1m
  6. Read the type designation and the DOT mark on the used bulb.
    • The type designation on the used bulb must agree with the new bulb.
    • If the two type designations do not agree, do not continue.
    • This is the check that no page can do for your vehicle.
    1m

Install the new bulb

Estimated 4 min to 12 min

WARNING

DO NOT TOUCH THE GLASS OF THE NEW BULB WITH BARE SKIN.
Skin oil on the glass makes a very hot area. The bulb can break when it operates. Broken glass can injure you.

  1. Hold the new bulb by its base only.
    • OSRAM gives this instruction for a halogen lamp.
    <1m
  2. If your bare skin touched the glass, clean the glass with the isopropyl alcohol.
    • Mazda gives this instruction for a halogen bulb that a bare hand touched.
    • Let the glass become dry before you install the bulb.
    1m
  3. Install the new bulb in the headlamp.
    • The base of the bulb has a tab that agrees with a slot in the headlamp.
    • Do not use force on the new bulb.
    1m
  4. Close the retainer on the new bulb.
    • The new bulb must not move in the headlamp.
    <1m
  5. Connect the electrical connector to the base of the new bulb.
    • Push the connector until the lock engages.
    <1m
  6. If the headlamp had a cover, install the cover.
    • The seal of the cover must be fully in its groove.
    1m

Do a test of the headlamps

Estimated 4 min to 6 min

  1. Set the ignition to the accessory position.
    <1m
  2. Set the headlight switch to on.
    <1m
  3. Do a test of the lower beam and of the upper beam.
    • Look at the two headlamps from a position in front of the vehicle.
    • The two headlamps must have the same brightness.
    • Do not stand in the path of the vehicle if the engine operates.
    2m
  4. Set the headlight switch to off.
    <1m
  5. Set the ignition to off.
    <1m
  6. Close the hood.
    <1m
WARNING

KEEP THE USED BULB AWAY FROM CHILDREN.
A halogen bulb that a child breaks can injure the child.

  1. Put the used bulb in the box from the new bulb.
    • The box holds the glass if the used bulb breaks.
    • Mazda gives this instruction for the disposal of a used bulb.
    <1m
  2. Record the date of the replacement and the type designation of the bulb.
    • The record makes the next replacement faster.
    1m

Terminology

This page uses one term for each item and holds it throughout, as ASD-STE100 requires. Equipment sellers and other guides use the names below for the same parts.

headlight bulb
Also called: headlamp bulb, head light bulb, headlight globe, front light bulb, low beam bulb, high beam bulb, car light bulb, headlight lamp
headlamp
Also called: headlight, head light, headlight assembly, headlight housing, light unit, front light
type designation
Also called: bulb size, bulb number, bulb code, bulb type, what bulb does my car take, headlight bulb size
halogen bulb
Also called: halogen globe, regular headlight bulb, filament bulb, normal headlight bulb
discharge headlamp
Also called: HID, HID headlights, xenon, xenon headlights, high intensity discharge, gas discharge headlight
LED headlamp
Also called: LED headlights, LED unit, integrated LED headlight, factory LED headlights
sealed beam headlamp
Also called: sealed beam, old style headlight, whole headlight unit, round headlight
upper beam
Also called: high beam, main beam, full beam, brights
lower beam
Also called: low beam, dipped beam, dip beam, normal headlights
retainer
Also called: bulb clip, wire clip, spring clip, locking ring, twist ring, bulb holder
headlamp aim
Also called: headlight adjustment, headlight aiming, headlights pointing too low, headlight alignment

When to use a professional

Stop the work if the headlamp has a discharge light source. Stop the work if the headlamp has an LED light source. Stop the work if the headlamp has one part for the lens, the reflector and the light source. Speak to a vehicle repair shop about these three types.

Stop the work if the access to the bulb needs the removal of a bumper or of a body panel. Stop the work if the retainer of the bulb has damage. Stop the work if water is in the headlamp. Speak to a vehicle repair shop.

This procedure does not adjust the aim of the headlamp. Speak to a vehicle repair shop about the aim. Stop the work if the new bulb does not operate. A fault in the wires or in a fuse is possible.

Common questions

What headlight bulb does my car take?

This page will not guess, and no page that has never seen your car should. The bulb type is per-vehicle, and your owner's manual is the authority for yours. There is a second copy of the answer in your car already. FMVSS No. 108 at S11.1 requires that a replaceable light source "must be marked with the bulb marking designation specified for it" under Part 564, and that "each replaceable light source must also be marked with the symbol DOT and with a name or trademark" — so the old bulb carries its own type designation, the DOT symbol and a maker's mark. Reading it off the used bulb is the check that catches a wrong part before you fit it, and it is why this procedure has you look at the old bulb rather than trusting the box.

Why can't I touch the glass on a halogen headlight bulb?

Because the oil your skin leaves behind does not evaporate — it bakes onto the glass and makes a spot that runs hotter than the rest of the envelope. Mazda's owner's manual is blunt about the consequence: "If the glass portion is touched with bare hands, body oil could cause the bulb to overheat and explode when lit." The lamp makers say the same thing from the other end. OSRAM's ORIGINAL LINE H7 product data sheet does not print the warning itself; it links OSRAM's safety symbols instruction document, and that document is where the symbols are defined — "Hold the lamp by the base, do not touch the outer bulb with your bare fingers", "Wear gloves" and "Wear safety goggles". If you do touch it, this is fixable rather than fatal to the bulb: Mazda says "If the halogen bulb is accidentally touched, it should be cleaned with rubbing alcohol before being used." Let it dry, then fit it.

Can I put LED bulbs in my halogen headlights?

Not legally, and this one is not a matter of opinion. FMVSS No. 108 sets requirements for the replaceable light sources used in replaceable bulb headlamps, and S11 requires each one to be "designed to conform to the dimensions and electrical specifications furnished with respect to it pursuant to part 564 of this chapter". In an interpretation letter dated 13 February 2024, NHTSA's Acting Chief Counsel wrote that "As of the date of this letter, no submission that includes LEDs as the light source for a replaceable bulb headlamp has been listed in the docket", and therefore "No LED replaceable light source may be used in a replaceable bulb headlamp." The same letter notes that illegal LED headlamp replaceable light sources may be available for purchase on the internet. The practical harm is glare: a light source that sits in the wrong place inside a reflector designed for a filament throws light where the reflector was never meant to send it.

My car has LED headlights. Can I just change the bulb?

Usually not, and that is a design decision rather than a difficulty. Mazda's 2023 Mazda3 manual states it plainly: "The LED bulb cannot be replaced as a single unit because it is an integrated unit", and "The LED bulb has to be replaced with the unit. We recommend an Authorized Mazda Dealer when the replacement is necessary." On that same car the only exterior bulb the manual describes an owner replacing is the parking light and front side-marker: "Only the bulb for a parking lights/front side-marker lights (type B) can be replaced." If your headlamp is an integrated LED unit, the part you are replacing is the whole headlamp, which is a different job with a different price, and it belongs with a repair shop.

What about HID or xenon headlights?

Stop. A discharge headlamp runs from a ballast, and FMVSS No. 108 at S11.2(e) requires every such ballast to carry a permanent marking that is "A warning that ballast output voltage presents the potential for severe electrical shock that could lead to permanent injury or death". That is not a caution invented for a website; it is a marking requirement written into the standard. A halogen bulb change is a low-risk job on a 12 volt circuit. A discharge headlamp is not the same job wearing a different bulb, and it is outside what this site publishes.

One headlight is out. Can I still drive?

Get it fixed quickly, and do not take a legal answer from this page. FMVSS No. 108 governs the vehicle as it was manufactured — S2 states its purpose as "to reduce traffic accidents and deaths and injuries resulting from traffic accidents, by providing adequate illumination of the roadway, and by enhancing the conspicuity of motor vehicles on the public roads". Whether you may drive with one headlight out is state law, it differs by state, and it is enforced by your local police rather than by NHTSA. What is not in dispute is that you have lost half your lit roadway and a large part of how oncoming drivers judge your width and distance.

Do I have to replace both headlight bulbs at once?

This page does not publish that as a rule, because it could not find it in a primary source. It is a common recommendation, and the reasoning is easy to follow — two bulbs of the same age have had the same hours, so the second one is often not far behind, and a fresh bulb next to a dim one looks mismatched. But the places that say it are the places that sell bulbs, and that is not a tier-1 source under this site's own rules. Treat it as a judgement call about cost and convenience, not a safety requirement, and check whether your vehicle manufacturer says anything about it in your manual.

Do I need to re-aim the headlights after changing a bulb?

Changing a bulb in its original headlamp does not by itself change the aim, and this procedure deliberately does not touch the adjusters. If the beams looked wrong before the bulb failed, or if the headlamp itself has been knocked or replaced, aim is a separate job with its own measurements — a level surface, a measured distance to a flat wall, the tires at the placard pressure and the car loaded the way you normally drive it. Your owner's manual is the authority for where the adjusters are on your car, and on many cars a horizontal adjuster does not exist at all. If you are not sure, a repair shop can set it in minutes.

Sources

Every specification on this page is traced to one of these sources. Tier 1 is a manufacturer document, a published standard, or a government safety authority. See Standards for the full tiering rule.

  1. Tier 1Light Bulbs — 2017 Mazda6 Owner's ManualMazda North American Operations · accessed 2026-07-29 · re-verification due 2027-01-25
  2. Tier 1Replacing Exterior Light Bulbs — 2023 Mazda3 Owner's ManualMazda North American Operations · accessed 2026-07-29 · re-verification due 2027-01-25
  3. Tier 1571.108 — NCC-230201-001 LED Headlights: M. Baker (letter of interpretation)National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Office of the Chief Counsel · accessed 2026-07-29 · re-verification due 2027-01-25 · automated link check returned 403 — verified by hand
  4. Tier 149 CFR 571.108 — FMVSS No. 108, Lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipmentOffice of the Federal Register (eCFR) · accessed 2026-07-29 · re-verification due 2027-01-25
  5. Tier 1Product datasheet — ORIGINAL LINE H7 (global order reference 64210)OSRAM GmbH (ams-OSRAM) · accessed 2026-07-29 · re-verification due 2027-01-25
  6. Tier 1GPRS Safety symbols instructionsOSRAM GmbH (ams-OSRAM) · accessed 2026-07-29 · re-verification due 2027-01-25

Revision history

Current version 1 · updated 2026-07-29 · next review due 2027-07-29

  1. v1 · 2026-07-29First draft. Built from two Mazda owner's manual light-bulb pages, the NHTSA Acting Chief Counsel interpretation letter of 13 February 2024 on LED replaceable light sources, FMVSS No. 108 at 49 CFR 571.108 read through the eCFR versioner API, the OSRAM ORIGINAL LINE H7 product data sheet and OSRAM's safety symbols instruction document. No bulb type, voltage, wattage, access route or aim value is published: all five are per-vehicle and publish as consult-the-manufacturer. Discharge, integrated LED and sealed beam headlamps are outside the procedure and are named in the boundary. Three claims in the first pass were corrected against what the documents actually say: the do-not-touch-the-glass, gloves and eye-protection symbols are defined in OSRAM's safety symbols instruction document and not in the H7 data sheet; the headlight-switch-off instruction is Mazda's, not a lamp maker's; and FMVSS No. 108 S11.1 requires the marking on the light source, with the base named only for HB types. The claim that bulb makers publish a per-vehicle lookup was removed because no primary source for it was opened.

Corrections to this page are listed in the public corrections log. Reports that are credible and not yet verified are listed in the public errata register, and an open one renders above the step it concerns.

Comments and corrections

Found an error? A correction with a manufacturer source is applied and logged publicly. You can also write to corrections@fixchecklist.com.

Every step above carries its own report control, which tags the report with that step so a correction reaches the right place. For anything about the procedure as a whole — the order of the sections, a step that is missing, something that did not match your equipment — use this: report something about this whole procedure.

The comment system is not connected yet. Comments are stored in GitHub Discussions through Giscus, outside this site, so that a redeploy cannot destroy them.