I plan on purchasing HID headlights for my 2003 Dodge Stratus SXT Coupe. Does anybody know how I would go about removing the front bumper, since that is the only way to get to the headlamps? Has anybody done this before and can they possibly give me hints/directions as to how this is done? As for the actual bulbs themselves, does anybody know the bulb size? If not, I can figure that out once they are removed. The bumper question is the more important one, in that I have no real clue as to what to do. Thank you so much for your help.

 

Why would you think you need to remove the headlights? Even if you needed to, you dont need to remove the bumper...

 

Its a 9007 Bulb which means its 1 bulb for both hi/low beam. If your going HID and dont drive down those dark windy country roads I would not worry about getting the hi/low beam hid, But if you do then I would suggest you get the dual that way you still have your hi beams.

And you can take the bumper off if you really feel the need but you dont have to do that to change the light bulb unless you doing a complete conversion. If you doing just a plug and play hid its the same as changing the light bulb.

http://www.sylvania.com/ConsumerProd...RG-Results.htm

 

when you say HID headlights, do you mean that you are getting an elaborate lighting system for your car, or are you getting a set of "HID 9007"s, that are just very bright headlights? i know that there is alot of stuff around the back of my headlights that creates some clutter when removing the headlights, but if this guy is talking about swapping to something like nate022 has, then he might need to remove the bumper..?

ive never messed with the front of the 03-04 coupes, but ive come across cars in my days where the bumper had to come off to remove the headlight housings...

 

Neither the 01/02's or 03-05's bumpers need removed to get the headlights out. There is a slight lip on the bottom, but thats it. The hardest bulb to change is the turn signal bulb. It can be done without having to remove the headlight though.

Are you looking for a clean white light like Sylvania Silverstars? Or do you want those god awful light scattering HID plug and play bulbs? Projectors are the way to go. They look good, don't blind opposing traffic, and work very well.

 

I feel like I'm repeating myself everyday, I swear. If you don't have projectors to go into your headlights, don't even waste your money. Your putting peoples life at risk because your "HIDs" are scattering and causing some god aweful glare to the onciming traffic. Don't go and say your going to adjust the beam lower either, what would be the point for brighter lights to be pointing straight below your bumper? Are you just looking for the awesome "blue" color, or what? Do it right or not at all.

Anyways, you do not need to remove your bumper, you'll need to manuever the headlight around a little to get it to come out, I don't think you can even get the bumper off without taking the headlights out first. I found it easier take out the outside corner of the headlight first.

 

Thanks for all your help guys. I'd definitely be going with projector beams, I'm not a big fan of the Sylvania bulb treatment. I'm just really learning about the actual mechanics and ins and outs of cars, so thanks for your patience. So as for removing the headlcamp housing, how should I go about it? Is it just as easy as popping it off, or is there a certain way I should go about it? As for actual installation of the projector beams, is it hard to do? Once again, thanks for your patience.

 

Removing the headlight is easy. Unhook all the headlight bulb harnesses on the back of the headlamp, unbolt the 3 bolts securing the headlight, then maneuver it out of the car. Make sure you push on the top of the bumper under the headlight to clear the slight lip.
As for opening the headlight and installing a projector retrofit, its going to be difficult. If you had an 01/02, it would be simple. But... you have an 03-05 (2.5 gen), and there are no records of anyone being able to pop the lenses off. They used a different glue those years, and it isn't pliable like the previous years. No aftermarket is made either, which would be nice. Good luck.

 

Oh the price you'll pay to be unique. As Dan said you have a 2.5g, the lens is pretty much impossible to take apart without cutting it. I've talked to a company that would be willing to tackle this task but may cost a little more in the labor department. If you interested you can contact Rich at www.hidillusionz.com or Bjorn at www.customlightz.com. This is probably going to cost around $800 minimum I'd assume for mediocre projectors, but trust me, once you go HID (projectors) you'll never want to go back to standard halogen lights.

 

nate, you car looks sharp with those lights, but i cant imagine paying that much for headlights...i wonder how many people know what they will be spending to do it the right way.