How to Remove a Headlight on a 2008 Chevy Malibu

When the headlight bulb fails on your 2008 Malibu, your first reaction is likely to open the owners manual to see the correct replacement procedure. Upon turning to the Bulb Replacement section, you will notice that the owners manual doesnt contain the headlight bulb replacement procedure, but does contain a blurb instructing you to see the dealership for replacement. This is for good reason, as the process requires removing the Malibus front fascia. You can, however, replace the bulb at home and save a lot of money, as long as you have the mechanical knowledge and the tools required to complete this task.

Instructions

1

Open the Malibus hood and remove the 10 bolts securing the radiator sight shield, using a ratchet and socket. Pry upward on the center pin on each of the four pin-style clips with a flat-head screwdriver until they stop moving. Pry the pin-style clips from the sight shield.

2

Loosen the vehicles front lug nuts with a ratchet and socket. Raise the front of the Malibu with a floor jack and slide jack stands under the vehicles subframe. Lower the Malibu onto the jack stands. Remove the front lug nuts and pull the front wheels off the front hubs.

3

Remove the four screws on the bottom of the wheel well liner -- two are located on the front of the liner and two on the rear. Pry the center pin from each of the nine pin-style clips securing the wheel well liner, using a flat-head screwdriver until each center pin stops moving. Pry all nine of the pin-style clips from the wheel well liner. Pull the wheel well liner from the wheel well. Repeat this step on the wheel on the other side of the Malibu.

4

Crawl beneath the front of the Malibu and remove the three lower air deflector-retaining bolts with a ratchet and socket. Pry the center pin from each of the three pin-style clips with a flat-head screwdriver and pry all three of the pin-style clips from the lower air deflector. Pull the air deflector from the bottom of the Malibu.

5

Remove the five bolts on the front of the under-engine splashguard, using a ratchet and socket. Pry the two push-pin-style retaining clips from the rear of the splashguard, using a flat-head screwdriver. Pull the under-engine splashguard from the Malibu.

6

Look inside the wheel well and find the two bolts securing the front fascia to the front fender. Remove these two bolts with a ratchet and socket. Repeat this step for the other side of the Malibu -- each side has two bolts securing it.

7

Press downward on the topmost part of one side of the fascia, where it contacts the front fender, to disengage the retaining clips, and pull that part of the fascia away from the fender. Press inward on the lowermost contact point between the fender and front fascia to disengage its retaining tabs and pull it out slightly. Repeat this step on the other side of the fascia to fully disengage the fascia.

8

Set a clean, lint-free towel under the front fascia. Pull the front fascia outward and remove it from the Malibu. Set the fascia on the towel to prevent damage.

9

Remove the four bolts securing the upper fascia bracket -- the metal bar spanning the width between the top of the front fenders -- with a ratchet and socket, then pull the bracket off the Malibu.

10

Unfasten the two headlight assembly-retaining screws -- one on the top-inside corner and one on the lower-outside corner -- with a ratchet and socket.

11

Pull the outer edge of the headlight assembly outward sharply to disengage the outer locator tabs. Pull the top-inside corner of the headlight assembly to disengage the inner locator tabs. Remove the headlight by pushing it downward slightly, then pulling it from the front of the Malibu until you can access the wiring on the rear of the assembly.

12

Disconnect the wiring harnesses by pressing and holding the unlocking button on each harness as you pull each harness from its receptacle.

13

Twist the high-beam headlight bulb -- the inner bulb -- counterclockwise to unlock it and pull the headlight from the headlight assembly. Hold a new H9 headlight bulb by its plastic socket and insert the headlight into the hole on the rear of the headlight assembly. Twist the headlight clockwise to lock it into place.

14

Rotate the low-beam headlight bulb -- the outermost bulb -- counterclockwise to unlock it and pull it from the headlight assembly. Grab a new H11 headlight bulb by the plastic end and insert it into its hole on the rear of the headlight assembly. Rotate the headlight clockwise, locking it into place.

15

Plug the wiring harnesses into their respective receptacles on the rear of the headlight assembly. Set the headlight assembly back into its bed on the front of the Malibu, lining up the locator tabs on the rear of the headlight assembly with the slots in the headlight bed. Press the headlight rearward to engage the locator tabs. Hand-thread the two headlight assembly-retaining screws, then torque them from 2 to 3 foot-pounds with a torque wrench and socket.

16

Repeat Steps 10 through 15 to replace the headlight bulbs on the other side of the Malibu. Given the difficulty of this task, it is best to replace all four headlights, regardless whether they are burned out or not.

17

Turn the ignition to the Run position and turn the headlights on to verify correct operation.

18

Lift the front fascia and line up the tabs on one side of the fascia with the slots in the front fender. Press the fascia toward the fender until the tabs lock into place in the slots in the fender. Repeat this step on the other side of the fascia.

19

Line up the bolt holes on one side of the fascia with those in the wheel well. Hand-thread the fascia retaining bolts, then torque the bolts from 4 to 5 foot-pounds with a torque wrench and socket.

20

Position the under-engine splashguard in place under the engine. Hand-thread the five bolts into the front of the splashguard, then tighten them from 1 to 2 foot-pounds with a torque wrench and socket. Press the two push-pin-style retaining clips into the two holes on the rear of the splashguard.

21

Reinstall the lower air defector under the vehicle on the front of the splashguard and hand-thread its three retaining bolts. Tighten the three retaining bolts from 1 to 2 foot-pounds with a torque wrench and socket. Insert the three pin-style clips into their holes and press the center pin into the pin-style clips to lock them into place.

22

Set the wheel well liner into the wheel well and line up the bolt holes on the liner with those in the front fender and fascia. Hand-thread the four bolt, then tighten the bolts from 1 to 2 foot-pounds with a torque wrench and socket. Insert the nine pin-style clips into the holes in the line and fender, then press the center pins into the pin-style clips to lock them into place. Repeat this step to install the wheel well liner on the other side of the Malibu.

23

Place the front wheels on the Malibus front hubs and hand-tighten the lug nuts. Raise the vehicle off the jack stands with a floor jack and remove the jack stands. Lower the Malibu to the ground and tighten the lug nuts, in a crisscross pattern, to 100 foot-pounds with a torque wrench and socket.

24

Install the radiator sight shield in the engine compartment, lining up its bolt holes with those in the upper radiator support and front fascia. Hand-thread the 10 sight shield bolts, then torque them from 1 to 2 foot-pounds with a torque wrench and socket. Insert the four pin-style clips through the holes in the sight shield and press the center pin in each pin-style clip to lock them into place.