The owners manual shows that you remove three fasteners from the wheel well to access the lamp assembly. One is a screw and two are pop rivets. They are out and there is no way to reach the lamp asembly as the wheel well plastic is quite stiff and inflexable.

Do you need to remove the tire and the entire wheel well molding to get at the lamp assembly?

Such a simple job and such big PITA.

 

Yes it is a PITA for such a simple job. But that's what you have to do. The wheel well liner will pull back, you can either turn the wheel fully to the inside (front) or take it off.

 

I found at least six more fasteners that hold the wheel well liner in place once I removed the front tire. Easy to get at the socket once the liner was removed, but a PITA to spend about two hours climbing under the car locating things that hold the wheel well liner in place, and putting it back together. It took 20 seconds to replace the bulb.



I had to fix it today as cold weather is coming back to Florida.

 

Boy you sure like doing extra work. I know you have been a member for a long time and thought you would know the best method by reading everything. On page 5-41 of your owners manual they have a pic of the 3 fasteners you need to remove and the steps required. I've done it and it isn't that bad even for a old senior like me in my late 60's.

 

That was where I started, but those three fastners didnot allow the wheel liner to move. My wheel liner extends to under the front bumper and held in place by three more fasteners, one screw and two push pins. There was one more screw that held the back of the wheel well liner in place.

The wheel liner in my '06 is rather inflexable ie stiff. There were two more push pins in the top edge and once removed, the wheel liner could be pulled away to access the light assembly.

 

It seems to me, it just couldn't have cost GM that much more, to provide a removable cutout in that liner, so we could access the back of that headlight assembly.

 

I concur. It wasn't that tough for me either. (I'm younger but not enough to matter)

 

This is the same maneuver needed to replace the headlight bulbs. I found that out the hard way when a body shop "did me a favor" and replaced my headlights with blue bulbs that each died separate deaths within 3 months. For that, moving the wheels toward the outside gave better access. Before that, I had managed to replace bad front side marker lights on my and girlfriend's HHR by just turning wheels inward, removing 3 fasteners, etc. I don't why it was so hard for that other person.

Other threads talk about the $10 puller....

 

Puller for what? The fasteners? I don't recall using or needing any special tools.

 

Have to say I was able to change mine by removing the three fastners and reaching in and removing the bulb holder.
The inner liner does take some force to move but it can be done!

Mike R
All total, 10 minutes and a 7 MM nut drive, wide flat blade screw driver.

BTW 3157 Bulb.