Toyota Camry Head Light Bulb Change Guidance Tips

The Toyota Camry is the best-selling car in North America, and one of the biggest reasons is that they’re easy to maintain. Oil changes, filter changes and other basic maintenance are easy to do in your own garage or driveway. Changing head light bulbs is no exception, and with this guide, you’ll learn how to do it without a trip to your mechanic.

Head light bulb guide

For the 2007-2016 generation of Toyota Camrys, you’ll need H11 bulbs for the low-beam head lights, and 9005/HB3 bulbs for the high-beams. Toyota Camrys made from 2000-2006 use 9006/HB4 low-beam head light bulbs and 9005/HB3 high-beam bulbs. Older Camrys use 9003/H4 bulbs. Consult your vehicle manual for more information about how to change head light bulbs.

Change the head light bulbs

After popping the hood, locate the low- or high-beam headlight that needs to be changed. Remove the wire harness by pressing the small lever on the front of the harness and sliding it off the head light retaining clip on the base of the bulb. Carefully turn the head light bulb 1/8- to 1/4-turn counter-clockwise, then pull the bulb straight out of the head light assembly. (You’ll want to recycle the old bulb, as throwing it out increases the risk of it breaking and releasing harmful substances.)

Wearing a clean pair of cotton gloves to prevent fingerprint smudges, insert the new bulb directly into the head light assembly. Slowly rotate the bulb clockwise until it’s secure, then slide the wire harness over the retaining clip until it clicks into place. Test the new bulb by turning on your head lights and aiming your vehicle at a garage, house, or other wide surface. Close the hood, and you’re all set.

Change both, or just one?

While some people just change the burned-out bulb, it’s usually better to change both at the same time. Changing bulbs in pairs ensures that both are the same intensity, and you won’t have one brighter than the other. Furthermore, bulbs have the same general lifespan – so if one goes out, the other usually isn’t far behind, making the safe play the good one.