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How to Replace Headlights 2010-12 GMC Acadia
Created on: 2016-10-12
Tools used
Hi, I'm Mike from 1AAuto. We've been selling auto parts for over 30 years! We're dedicated to delivering quality auto parts, expert customer service, and fast and free shipping, all backed by our 100% satisfaction guarantee. We've created thousands of videos to help you install our parts with confidence. That saves you time and money, so visit us at 1AAuto.com, your trusted source for quality auto parts
In this video, we're going to be working with our 2012 GMC Acadia. We're going to show you how to remove and replace your headlight assembly.
We're doing this on the passenger side, but it is the same procedure for the driver side. We also have the Xenon or HID style headlight assembly, but these steps will be the same for the halogen style as well.
If you like this video, please click subscribe. We have a ton more information on this and many other vehicles. If you need headlights for your vehicle, you can follow the link down in the description over to 1AAuto.com.
Here are the items you'll need for this repair: T20 Torx socket, 7-10mm socket, ratchet, socket extension, flat blade screwdriver, side cutter, needle nose pliers, and a 10mm wrench.
Unclip the tabs that secure the floor mat. You only really have to undo these two. Then you can just fold it over and out of the way. This cover is where your battery is located. To get it out more easily, you'll want to lift up and snap this plastic cover off of the seat rail. Remove this T-20 Torx screw here. We're going to do that with a Torx socket, ratchet, and extension. Remove the screw from the cover. Lift the cover up and away. Remove the negative side of the battery with a 10mm socket ratchet and extension. Remove the terminal from the battery and place it out of the way.
Remove these six plastic retainer pins here. Use a flat blade screwdriver to lift up on the center portion of the pin here. Then keep your finger over it so it doesn't pop out. Lift up the plastic to release the pin. Once the last pin has been removed, lift up and remove your sight shield.
Remove the six T20 Torx screws along the top of the grille and along the corners of the bumper. We're going to use a Torx socket ratchet and an extension here. This job can easily be done on the ground, but we're going to raise and support our vehicle to make it easier to film and show you what's going on.
Remove the two 10mm bolts securing the bottom of the bumper. Use a 10mm socket and ratchet with an extension.
Remove the seven T20 Torx screws. We have two on the bottom here and five running up along the backside of the bumper and the fender. Remove the eight plastic clips securing the inner fender well in. We have three in the top area here, one over at the front (in the middle), two down at the bottom, and these two at the back of the front portion of the liner at the bottom in the middle here.
There's a few different ways to remove these style clips. I like to try to take a small flat blade screwdriver and work up the center part of the clip just a little. Once you get it up some, if you have the room to get in there with a pair of side cutters, you can sneak them underneath and then pry up evenly from both sides. Once the center's out, you can pop the lower portion out the same way.
To remove the wheel liner, pull out on the bottom portion here and pull down and forward to release the front half of the wheel well from the rear and sneak it out of the bottom.
Our vehicle is equipped with these fender flairs that we'll have to remove to remove the bumper without risking damaging this part. To do that, we have to remove the inner wheel well here. You can do this on the ground if you work the wheel and tilt it so you can reach in and access all the clips and screws, but it's easier to take the wheel off if you want to raise and support your vehicle like we have.
Remove this retainer for the wiring harness to the wheel speed sensor, as well as this pushpin at the bottom and the one at the top. Remove the six T20 Torx screws on the backside of the fender well. We use a Torx bit ratchet and extension for that. See, I'm using my left hand to put some pressure against the wheel well here because this last screw is all that's holding it in. Once we get that out, you can remove the rear half of the wheel well liner.
These clips below the fender line simply pop out of the bumper while these six along the rest of the wheel well will need to be popped out very carefully with a pair of needle nose pliers. You can see that you have the two spread tabs on the back of this clip. We want to squeeze those together carefully. They're just plastic. Squeeze them together, and slide them through.
This outer flair can be pretty brittle, so be sure not to force anything or you risk cracking and damaging the trim. Repeat these steps on the opposite side to remove the forward and rearward wheel well, as well as the fender flair on the outside. Disconnect the fog light and repeat this step on the opposite side. Have a friend hold the bumper while you remove the 7mm screws on the fender well side of the bumper. There's one on each side. Once we get one out, have your helper hold the side with the screw removed.
Once you've removed the other one, you'll both grab the edge of the bumper, pop the clips out, and walk away with it. With your friend supporting the other side, remove your last 7mm screw at which point you can both pull out on the top portion of the bumper. There you go, and remove it from the vehicle.
Pull the main electrical connector off of the back of the headlight. Simply pull back on this clip. Use a small flat blade screwdriver to wedge in between the tab and the housing of the connector here. Push down and remove the connector using a 10 millimeter socket and ratchet. You go from the bottom of the headlight through this access panel to remove this 10 millimeter screw at the bottom. You can't remove it fully with the ratchet, but it gets a good start, and you can do the rest with a 10-millimeter wrench or a 10 millimeter ratcheting wrench.
Remove the 10 millimeter screw on the side of the headlight housing that goes into this fender support bracket. It's also one under the site cover we removed earlier. Remove the screws at the top. Be sure to support the headlight when removing the last screw. Carefully remove the headlight housing from the vehicle.
Carefully reinstall your headlight into the vehicle, and start whatever screws you can reach by hand. Once you've got all your hardware installed by hand, go ahead and tighten it down with your 10 millimeter socket and ratchet. Again, you may need to use a wrench for this bottom bolt because the access is pretty tight there, or you can send a ratchet through the access hole in the bottom of the headlight. Reconnect the main electrical connector for the headlight assembly and re-hook the tab up onto its slot at the bottom of the housing.
Line up your bumper with the help of a friend. Snap the clips in on the side of the bumper—this may take a little bit of force. Reinstall the 7mm screw on each side. Once you have one side installed, go around line up the other side and reinstall that 7mm screw as well. Once the two screws are in, the bumper is in secure enough that you don't have anyone hold it anymore.
Line up the clips on the back of your fender flair with the holes inside of the fender and the bumper. They should snap back into place with just a little bit of pressure.
Reinstall the rear portion of the wheel well liner. I like to start with the push clips because they're the fastest to put in to hold it in place. Get the one on the bottom, one at the top, and the retainer for our ABS sensor, and we'll reinstall the six T20 Torx screws on the back side of the liner.
Reconnect the electrical connector to the back of the bulb and repeat this step on the opposite side.
Reinstall your inner wheel well liner. Do this by pushing it up from the bottom and rotating it in over the tire. Be sure that the top slides into place behind the rear liner, as well as on the sides. Once you have some holes lined up, you can start installing your eight push pins. Set them up like this. Install the bottom half and then pop the tab into place. Reinstall your seven T20 Torx screws. We'll start them a couple of threads by hand before we install them with our socket and ratchet.
Reinstall the two 10mm screws at the bottom of the bumper. Reinstall the six T20 torx screws along the top of your bumper and grill. Reinstall the upper engine sight cover and the six plastic clips that hold it into place.
Keep your keys handy in case this sets off your vehicle's car alarm, and reconnect the negative side of the battery. Tighten up the 10mm bolt. Reinstall the cover, and tighten down your T20 screw. Put the plastic cover back onto the seat rail. Snap it into place. Lay your floor mat back down. Reengage the hold downs.
Thanks for watching. Visit us at 1AAuto.com for quality auto parts, fast and free shipping, and the best customer service in the industry.
