HL change with no tools and off roading

[Tbone]

Today was the first time I changed the headlight bulb on my Uly with no tools and in less then 10 minutes. I guess if you do something enough you finally figure it out. At least this bulb lasted about 18 months. Hope my battery is not going out next?

I think it went out because I left the dang parking lights on while watching the sun set last night over Emerson lake in Royse City. I ended up at Emerson lake because they took the fences down on tracts of lake front land they have for sale along Emerson Road. So I took an opportunity, foolish one I admit, to take the Uly off road on some virgin pasture land, full of very deep gullys, erosion, ruts, hills, rocks, and I amazingly survived unscathed except for a broken shoe lace. One advantage to a stock Uly off road is it runs fairly quiet, I don't think any one knew I was there? Well I came close to dropping it a couple of times but luck was on my side, killed the motor and watched the sun go down for about 20 or 30 minutes and low and behold the lights were left on? Lucky again it started and rode outta there. Well on my commute into work this morning noticed that the headlight was burned out and just changed it during my lunch hour.

I just might be late going home from work tonight and have an 8 pm appt. with another beautiful sunset? Sure was quiet and peaceful there.

 

[BambamXB12r]

You should document and post your tool free bulb change. Sounds like some of us could use that in a sticky situation.

 

[Tbone]

Here is an attempt at explaining an 09 ULY light bulb change with no tools:
You cannot see what you are doing as you use your fingers. So I stood in an AutoZone parking lot next to the bike while fiddling blindly, then squat often to see what I was doing. Now that I know where everything is I can probably do this in < 5 Mins without squatting and receiving looks from passers by.
- Remove the rubber boot on the back of the light, fork leg will be in the way and there is very little room. Power wires feed through boot so you could push it gently toward the center to get it out of the way.
- Look inside the back of the light housing, you should see the back side of the bulb with a connector on it. Do NOT remove the connector until the bulb is out of the light housing or you may crack your light housing like I did, glad the super glue is still holding well.
- On the sides and to the bottom of the connector you will see a V clip that is attached by a slot at the bottom. The tops of the V clip are dog eared and attached by opposing metal hooks with barbs facing front, shanks on the back,eyes in the middle. Release the tips of the V clip from the hooks by pushing them toward the middle of light one at a time, or squeeze both together at the same time, my fingers are too fat so I do one at a time. After the tip(s) is toward the middle, continue holding them and push the tip(s) to the front of the headlight, over the barbs. While pushing to front of headlight let the tip(s) spring back toward the edges of the light. They should have come unhooked, if not repeat until both are unhooked.
- Now the that V clip tips are unhooked, you can leave the bottom in the slot. Rock the tips of the V clip gently back toward the connector and until they are below the connector and wires, the dog ear usually hooks a wire so you may need to gently push the wires on top of it. If your V clip came out of the slot do not lose it.
- Gently remove the bulb with connector on it from the housing,it has a short leash, so angle the connector toward the middle of the bike. AFTER the bulb is removed from the housing unplug the connector from it. Then with the tab of the new bulb at the top, plug it in to the connector. Then while keeping the tab up slide it into the light housing,short leash so angle the connector again. The flange should be flush with housing.
- If the V clip is not in the bottom slot place it back there from underneath the connector and wires. Once in the bottom slot, Rock the V clip tip(s)forward, if they cannot rock you have it in backwards so turn it around. The dog ear will also snag a wire, so gently push the wire back underneath dog ear.
_ After the tip(s) are rocked toward the front, hold, then squeeze or push toward the center of the light. Hold and then pull toward the back of the light,over the barbs. Hold and let let the tips spring toward the sides and they should be hooked again, if not repeat until they are both hooked.
- Replace the boot and you are done changing the light bulb without any tools.