This was a year ago but for any future people I just did this. Remove the reservoir first. Makes this easy. It's held in place by two metal tabs just grab the tank and pull straight up to remove it. Mine a little tight so I fed a piece of rope under it, and lifted it up. Came up easy and snaps back in place
A few people commented this as well and others have tried it but it seems they had a difficult time detaching the reservoir. I think you’re the first to comment that there is a metal clip to undo first before you’re able to remove it. What a pain this task was. Hopefully we don’t have to do this for a few years again but if we do I’ll be looking for that clip! Thanks for watching and commenting! Andrew
@@LivingtheNorthernLife I had some trouble, the front was easy. The back was tight. I fixed this by using a piece of rope, sliding it under the tank and lifting straight up
@@dnf8878 Yeah, that clip in the back was a b*tch. I ended up having to push the metal portion of the clip as hard as I could with a flat screwdriver while pulling straight up. Get the back clip loose FIRST, then do the side. I had the side easily done right away, but had to reclip it in order to get the back clip free. With the reservoir out of the way, my adult hands finally had room to maneuver. The lack of wire slack on the passenger side still made it rather difficult.
Thanks for this video! Saved me from having to pay someone to replace the bulb. And others for the reservoir tip! I was able to lift off the front, which was just enough more room to get my hand in. Still a little tight, but did it! 5 minute job.
This is probably the only video in the whole internet that shows the actual PASSENGER side bulb change and what a pain in the ass it is...no slack whatsoever....every other one is the easy driver side.
Thank you. I read your comment to my son as well. They certainly didn’t put any thought into this at all that’s for sure. Thanks for watching and commenting!
Stupid if you ask me. Never had a problem changing lamps on any vehicles I've owned going back probably 40 years ......at least since they converted over to halogen lamps with lamp sockets that just turn in. The passenger side lamp burnt out ... 29,000 miles. It took me 2 hours to do something that typically takes about 10 minutes. Same issue as everyone else .. the length of the wire leads on the lo beam passenger side socket was inadequate to make the change in an acceptable manner. I did discover after trying for about an hour.. the orange gasket which slides over the plug end has to be fully on the plug ... I tried placing the gasket onto the end of the lamp socket and than sliding the plug into the lamp but I could expend enough effort to get the plug on that way. Once I placed the gasket all the way on the plug which was a task n it's self I was able to push the connector onto the lamp socket once it lined up properly. This is something Ford should be required to fix with a recall but I wouldn't hold your breath. All they need to do is offer a short extension plug .. a couple of inches would be adequate.
Thanks for making this video! I’ve always relied on my dad for car stuff and now that I’m living away from home I wanted to learn how to do the car stuff on my own. Did it under 10min with ease! 🥳🥳
My low beam bulb is out on my 2019 Ford Escape. I bought the bulbs yesterday and I'm working up the courage to change it today. Thank you for the REALISTIC VIDEO. It's much appreciated. The only videos I could find are vids of the drivers side. I'm assuming nobody wanted to hassle with the passenger side bulb, but its more helpful. So, thank you for your video!!!
Do more you guys I just went out this morning and changed that same bulb after watching this video for three days to work up my courage, I'm trying to stop cussing. And I did it with no cussing although mid way through this 10 min process I almost did. Thanks 😊
Thanks Rosalind! We will create more as it's needed but so far this is the only thing that we've had to do to it. Congrats on not cussing! This is almost a task where it's required though :)
THANK YOU SO MUCH! My mom's 2017 passenger low beam bulb went out and I couldn't find a video covering how to replace it except for this one! The comments about the reservoir helped me move it out the way by taking it off the two clips that hold it in place. It was a pain though for that back clip because it had no give. Speaking of no give or slack, my passenger bulb had a ton of slack, but the driver's side was tighter than a Fort Knox 😂😂
I popped up the the front tab of the reservoir which gave me an extra 1/2" of clearance for my hand. I used my left hand to do the twist to remove the bulb because it was a better angle than my right hand. When I pulled out the bulb I realized either Ford gave me 2 inches of extra wire slack or the bulb had been replaced before and someone pulled the wire a bit in the previous installation which luckily made my job easier. Thanks for positing this video!
They all seem to be different. it's amazing on an assembly line that there is this much difference in the builds. Thanks for watching and commenting! Andrew
Thank you & your Son for making this video. Every other video people pick the easy side to make a video on but yours is the only one showing the passenger side. It was bad enough trying to replace this bulb but to make things worse every online parts store called for H11 bulbs to be installed in my vehicle. When I removed the old bulb in my vehicle it was a 9005 which meant another 10 mile drive back to the parts store. Thanks
Thank you! I shared your comment with him and he wanted to thank you as well. The passenger side is MUCH more difficult than the driver side that's for sure! Thank you for watching and commenting!
@@kylerokitjanski7598If you are saying Ford sells some vehicles with different projectors/reflectors that might be but the problem is Ford still issues the same owners manual which calls for the H11 bulbs. My daughters vehicle came from a Ford dealership and has had no aftermarket parts installed on it but requires the 9005 bulb. I will include a link where several other Ford owners have run into the same problem I had. I think Ford either used the 2016 wiring harness in some of the early 2017 Ford Escapes or as you said they used a different projector/reflector which requires a different bulb. Most car owners wouldn't know which reflector/projector is installed in their vehicles and it's not a question that gets asked by parts suppliers when purchasing replacement items. www.fordescape.org/threads/2017-se-headlights.82273/
GovtMule66 They circled the problem when we bought them. Why my wife likes fords I will never know. I just bought H11’s for my wife’s 17 per the manual. I’m gonna be raging if I just wasted money on bulbs that neither vehicle can use...
Good video. Another tip, after popping off the reservoir, keep the bulb locked in and then detach the wire, then unlock the bulb and pull it out. It helps with the lack of slack on the wire.
yes we thought of that after we made this video (facepalm) it does work cause we did it after releasing this video. Thanks for watching and commenting! Andrew
Thanks for posting this video. It was very helpful, especially because it was about the passenger side bulb. As Doug Wiltfong said below, the trick is to remove the coolant tank first. Mine looks like the one pictured and I just wiggled it up out of two clips and set it aside, hoses attached. I wore nitrile gloves to avoid touching the bulb with bare fingers. My cost was $15.04 with tax (bought bulb from Autozone.)
Removing coolant tank is HIGHLY recommended. Even with my fair of dexterity still had to. Tank is kinda clipped in rear and left side… small screwdriver comes in handy…
Best video on this topic with helpful camera angles! Thank you!! Got the drivers side done and couldn't understand why no videos showed how short the cord is on the other side
Glad it helped! Another way to do this is to disconnect the cable, remove and replace the bulb and then re-connect the cable. Let me know how it goes for you. Thanks for watching and commenting! Andrew
@@LivingtheNorthernLife thanks for the tip. We're going to try this later. The guy at auto zone couldn't get the passenger side. Then my dad got the light bulb stuck when it fell inside there. A stranger in the parking lot who said he owned a shop couldn't get it. Then my husband couldn't get it lol he got it connected after struggling and then couldn't turn the bulb into the socket. Trying again after work and if that doesn't work I'll have to take it to a shop. It definitely shouldn't be so difficult and mine seems to have even less slack
Okay here's the update: after two more attempts we finally got it. The problem was that it is freezing and windy and snowing here so we tried again when it warmed up. We ended up using a mechanic's mirror so we could see inside the hole and first put the bulb in and then connected the wire. I think next time the passenger side burns out I'll take it to the dealer 🥴
Elijah is the real star, he definitely deserves a raise. This video came up by accident y’all are my little handy dandy light savers I’ll say you popped up like fairy godmothers of google or something I don’t know how you got to me but I’m half you did. So are Sioux and Kurlee. (My cars name and my stuffed dash-hog.)
Great Vid - the struggle caught on video was helpful. I hate videos where suddenly "magic happens" and things are fixed when reality isn't that way at all.
Wanted to give a shout-out for this video, nice job gentlemen ( 👍 ). I performed this task yesterday and If I may add a tip : As much as I tried I simply couldn't work my fingers due to the coolant tank being in the way, frustrated, I went and found some helpful advice from the Ford Escape Forum. The tank has two clips, front and back, the front one can be lifted, but it's the back one that will anger many < lol >. Take a flathead screwdriver ( short length so you can have room to maneuver) and work it behind and tap it up as you pull up ( there's a small lip on which the clip rests ) and keep taping it up as you pull up. Once pulled up you can move it to the side and have more room, do not remove the hoses. And your son was correct, the wire is very short but it can be done, it's still a pain. My apologies for turning this into a Wiki page, but I hope this helps anyone who has to face this, trust me, I almost gave up and was ready to pay someone to do it. Again, thank you, guys.
This seems to be the best method. We've had several comment that this works. We tested it and sure enough it works very well. Thanks for watching and commenting! Andrew
And I thought it was just me. I zipped through the first 3 no issues. Replaced all the halogen bulbs with 6500k led's. Then the last one came (same as video) I Struggled with it for a half hour or so then gave up. Couple days later tried it again, struggled with it for an hour, then gave up. At this point I thought there has to be an easier way to do this. I considered removing the entire light assembly but in order for that to work. I'd have to take so many other things off (y'all know what I'm talking about if you own the exact model). Then I considered the reservoir just adjacent to the light bulb entry. After looking around that particular area and diagnosing as if I knew what I was doing (in front of my wife). Came to realize, I'm not a mechanic, not a good idea. So now that I've watched this video. It's assuring to know that even the pro's have a hard time with this task and I'm not just an idiot. Thanks for the vid. It serves as motivation that even your son was able to do it. Thanks guys!!!!
Thanks, guys, for the video! Had similar problems replacing the passenger side bulb (tight quarters, and very little slack in the wire). After playing with it for an hour, I replaced the driver side bulb, which was easier, but still not a cake walk. When I went back to the passenger side, I tried a number of angles that did not seem to work. I was finally able to pull more slack on the wire - it was caught on something. Once the wire was more free, the bulb came out relatively easily. Tried removing the coolant reservoir, which did not come easily either since there was a spring clip on the back support - was never able to get the clip undone, but was able to remove the reservoir from the front clip, giving me a bit more room. This is a difficult operation, IMHO.
I agree. I'm not sure why Ford short changed us on the wiring for the passenger side. There are no fans or anything like that for it to get caught in. Even an extra 1/2" would have made a world of difference. Thanks for watching and commenting! Andrew
I used a large pry bar and got some leverage on the back resevoir clip and popped it up and out. CAREFULLY lol. I'm going to be putting some LED replacement bulbs in this week so I've got to probably take the entire light assembly out on the passenger side due to that ridiculously short wire. Going to try to lengthen it while it's out. I mean it's barely long enough to get the thing clipped back on when changing bulbs!
THANK YOU THAT WAS VERY HELPFUL. I TO HAVE A 2017 FORD ESCAPE AND MY PASSENGER SIDE RUNNING LIGHT STOP WORKING AND I DID NOT WANT TO TAKE IT TO THE DEALERSHIP THIS WILL HELP ME AND MY HUSBAND WHEN HE DOES DO THAT.
You can also unclip the bulb in its socket and then take the bulb out to replace it. Hopefully it goes smoothly for you. Thanks for watching and communicating! Andrew
Thank you for this video...while I couldn't get the reservoir out of the way, this video gave me hope to keep going on changing the bulb without moving the reservoir and I was eventually successful! 😂 Curious as to Ford's reasoning in putting such short wires on that side...that was the main hindrance. Ugh.
Thank you for this video. I have replaced my drivers side with no issues however when i had to do my passenger side i thought i was doing something wrong. I had to actually unclip the bulb before being able to get it out cause my wires were so short.
Ford sure made the passenger side interesting! I agree that unclipping the cable first and than replacing the bulb is the best and fastest way to complete this. Thanks for watching and commenting! Andrew
I don't know if anyone else has said this, but take off the electrical clip BEFORE you remove the old bulb and put it back on AFTER you install the new bulb, especially on the passenger side. The wire is so short that you can't pull it out far enough to use two hands to unclip the connector. (The driver's side is a bit longer). Removing the clip while the bulb is still in place makes doing this one-handed SOOOO MUCH easier. I was able to do both bulbs in under 10 minutes, most of which was figuring out how to move the coolant reservoir, lol.
Yes sir! I appreciate your feedback and I’m hoping to not have to change the passenger side again but if i do, I’ll be sure to give this method a go! Thanks for watching and commenting! Andrew
The passenger headlight side is out so I bought the bulbs for both low beams on a 2017 Escape from Auto Zone. Apparently, the model determines whether you need an H11 or a 9005. Mine is the Titanium and calls for the 9005. I attempted to remove the bulb but my hands are too big without removing the coolant reservoir. I was able to remove the reservoir from the front clip but not the rear. I gave up before I cracked the reservoir. I’m glad I didn’t open the package for the bulbs. I will return them and take the car to the dealer. This should be an easy repair but Ford insured that it isn’t.
Ya this is absolutely terrible. I hear that a lot of cars have better lights as you go up into the high more expensive models. I would assume that the plug is the same but that the Titanium would have a better light installed than my SE. Thanks for watching and commenting! Andrew
I found my wire even shorter than yours. Impossible to get it reconnected to the new light. I finally got an LED light that has a wire extension as part of the light assembly. That was fairly easy to get plugged in . Then I installed the light into the socket.
Yes get the reservoir out of the way. The front clip will slide up easily but not the back. I took the front loose first then used a long, thin pry bar and, using the adjacent motor mount bracket as a fulcrum, gently pushed upwards (on the back connection) while rocking reservoir back and forth with my other hand... it popped right up, easy peasey. I can not imagine trying to do the passenger side without getting the reservoir out of the way first.
Yours is the only one that discusses how difficult it is. Ford told me I had to drop the bumper. 45minutes and it is still not changed. I will try again after your video.
Just pulled the bulb. Took about 5mins or less. Mine had enough slack to get to where I could easily remove the bulb from the socket. Now off to buy the replacement. My 20017 Escape SE 4WD had a 9005 bulb although the Sylvania bulb lookup site listed an H11.
@@LivingtheNorthernLife Same difficulty, the wiring to the passenger's side headlight is way too short, AND it's somewhat blocked by the coolant overflow container, as you found . Not a 'smart idea' Ford!
Thank you! And btw if this helps Sylvania & O'REILLY has the low beam listed as H11 and it is indeed the 9005 as you have on the video...(in michigan if that matters)
Others have said in the comments that if you remove that container in my thumbnail, there is a clip on the back of it) that it makes this job much easier. Let me know how it goes for you. Thanks Andrew
@@LivingtheNorthernLife I took a look, and decided to have the service person take on the aggravation tomorrow, since I'm bringing the vehicle for an oil change.
@@nancyingemi6589 Sorry to hear about that but others have had to do the same. it's so silly that Ford couldn't have put enough slack in the cable to take the bulb out. :( thanks for letting me know! Andrew
super easy to remove the reservoir, just pull it up and out of the clips ( one on the side, one in the back). gives you much more room. i have been having trouble with mine. can't seem to get them seated properly. is there a gasket that has to be depressed ?
Hey thanks Doug! I will keep that in mind for next time... hopefully there is no next time though! :) We didn't notice a gasket but we did have to press it in before turning it to lock it and then it has a bit of a click. Thanks for watching and commenting!
At least on a cold winter day, I found it was much easier to get the coolant reservoir off the tab a little while after ending a drive, so it was nice and warm under the hood. I assume that made the plastic reservoir a touch more flexible.
Remove the old bulb and insert the new bulb in the headlamp fixture. Than attach the plug. Part of the trick is to make sure the orange rubber gasket is fully pushed ON to the plug. so that when you go to insert the plug into the lamp you can guide it into the lamp socket. Once it's in the socket you'll be able to push it all the way on with one finger as long as the orange gasket is pushed fully one.
yes for sure! It does work well as we've had to change the bulb a few times now since this video. There is an issue with the Escape burning passenger side bulbs. Thanks for watching and commenting! Andrew
Give the wire a decent yank and it will give you a lot more slack to work with, it worked for both sides of my headlights. Must be taped up or some light push pin keeping it down
Rear radiator hold-down bracket was a bear to budge as previously noted by others. Needed assist from a good buddy, Here is the kicker. Removed burnt-out bulb and went to replace with H11 bulb as per my Owner's manual but the burnt-out bulb was a 9005. Had to confirm with my Ford dealer.
Thank you for the tutorial. We have a 2018 SE, the original bulb is sylvannia 12V 60W 9005. I replaced both low beam with Sylvannia silver star ultra 9005 since its 65W to have a uniform brightness. The low beam replacement is really a pain to do. A small hand and thin arm will help a lot. The most helpful part here for me is knowing that it losen counter clockwise. I guess i’m also lucky to have a little more slack on the wire. I tried to remove the reservoir, but like every other here said, the back clip is hard to lift. Thanks for the video. BTW the mechanic wants me to pay $25 for the labor to replace one bulb.
Exactly! Seems silly to pay the mechanic $25 to change a bulb that should be easy enough to change in the driveway. Thanks for your kind words, watching and commenting! Andrew
@@gothamvengeance I changed my bulbs again today! Both Sylvania were busted for whatever reason, the same time. I replaced it with LED’s. This time it only took me 10 mins. I guess previous experienced help a lot.
I did my passenger side low beam replacement today...what a pain in the (_!_). I'd like to meet the person that signed off on this design and bit*h slap him. 2 problems to over come...the short wiring on that side of the car and the super tight mounting of the coolant jug. After spending about 2 hours total (3 different attempts), I finall was successful by the following: 1. use heat (hair blow dryer in my case). Heat up that rear plastic mount on the coolant jug to make it pliant and possible to just yank off with brute strength. Then pull up on the front mount, done. 2. unclip wiring from bulb before you twist and pull the light out. 3. Insert new light without trying to plug in that ridiculously short pigtail. After bulb in inserted, then use the smallest hand you got and struggle to attach the electrical plug. Congrats!! Now hope it does not burn out again until you sell it or you die, whichever occurs first.
We've had to change our passenger side three times now since posting this video. Just the passenger side so there's more going on. If you search Google you will find that the passenger side bulb going out on the Escape is a frequent thing. Thanks for watching and commenting! Andrew
I understand that this is an old video now, but for anyone else finding this, take the plug off of the bulb before taking the bulb out... it's easy to do since the release tab is already facing out. Then put the new bulb back in before plugging it back in.
Next time you gotta change the passenger's headlight. Just move the coolant overflow over more. You can just lift it right up and you get your hand in there a lot easier.
Some commentors have said that they have had some luck getting theirs off. We tried and are not yet able to get it to lift off. We're assuming there is a catch in there stopping us from lifting it off/ Glad it worked out for you. Thanks for Watching and Commenting! Andrew
@@LivingtheNorthernLife the cross member on the driver's side is too close to easily fit the rubber cap back on too. Cabin air filter is in a stupid spot as well. I love Ford's but Jesus Christ the engineers of the escape don't return that love 😂
Sorry to hear that. I’ve had to do mine again since and disconnecting the plug and then removing the bulb is the easiest way to do it. Thanks for watching and commenting. Andrew
Hopefully you were able to complete it. Others were saying that it didn't work for them. You can try to disconnect the cable and then take the bulb out as well. Thanks for watching and commenting! Andrew
I hear there is a little catch behind the reservoir to make removing it easier. Someone else suggested just disconnecting the cable and then removing the bulb.
This was helpful thank you. I've ordered similar bulbs from Sylvania (ultra white) for the low beam. Have you had paint issues with peeling paint on the A pillars & roof line above windshield on your Escape? Many people are on model years 2017 - 19.
1) I removed the cable from the bulb first, then it was easy to unscrew. Couldn't pull it out while still attached, and the lack of slack kept it from falling away. But, putting it back in was easy that way! 2)Any chance y'all have fixed the LED strip in the assembly before?
My 2017 Escape passenger side low beam is out again. I replaced it last time 2 years ago but now the socket connector has got hot and melted too. Fuse is not blown. Still have 12.3 volts at the socket connector but the wires are short and no slack for splicing a new one in.
One commenter said that there is a clip holding the wife short. They said if it’s pulled on gently it will release from the clip and give you more slack. I’m haven’t tried it so we don’t know and can’t recommend it but thought I’d share their input. Thanks for watching and commenting! Andrew
@@LivingtheNorthernLife Thanks. I got the socket and light replaced finally by using lots of swear words. That seemed to help. Oh, and by the way, I also have a "clip holding the wife short" too! Love autocorrect. Don't edit it. Too funny.
Ez fix: UNPLUG bulb first then TURN & remove bulb from housing. if you don't unplug the bulb first it will be hell to try to work with. They did not provide you with enough wire to work with. Take new Bulb and place in housing and lock into place and then re connect wire. Took me 2 min
Edit: Just found out that the low beam bulb is a 9005...Good thing I got it from Walmart and can return the h11 Useful, as my black Ford escape's low beam light on the right side just died. Curious though, why did you use a 9005 to replace the low beam light? The manufacturer sheet says 9005 is the highbeam, with h11 being the low beam.
Ronan Tetsu the projector headlamps use a 9005 best I can tell. H11 should be for the reflector style. Most searches either show both without specifying, or just list one. I’m still waiting to verify on my wife’s escape (reflector style), but I don’t have a shop and it’s -20c around here right now lol. I’m just going to hook a string around the plug wire and unhook it inside the headlight, pull the bulb, put the new one in, then pull the cable back up with the string. In theory, should work not having to fight with the short plug.
Hey Kyle, It should be listed in your manual if it's still in the Escape. @-20c is sounds like you're close to where we live in Northern Ontario. :) Andrew
Amen remove the reservoir buy using a long prybar to lift it gently but firmly off its connection points. No need to undo any hoses it will move to the side to access the opening made for a child's hand
I haven’t tried but others replied to just disconnect the wire and then take the bulb out and it’s easier. I do have pretty small hands so there’s a bonus for me 😂😂😂
My big hands (palming a basketball is no problem) made this tough for me, too. The coolant reservoir clip in the back was stuck, so I gave up on removing that, but getting it off that side clip may have given me a crucial extra millimeter of room. I was barely able to get the old bulb out and the new bulb into position with my fingers, but I couldn’t tighten it into place until I got my thumb in there. It’s too bad such a simple job has to be so difficult, at least for some of us. I can’t help but wonder if the repair shops have a tool to help with this, or if they just get help from someone with smaller hands.
You may need the H11 bulb or the 9005 bulb, depending on your model. I have the SE and needed to 9005. Pull your bulb first to be sure. Btw, the 9005 is a longer buib and harder to remove. I assume the assembly is designed for the shorter H11 bulb but some a-hole engineer switched to 9005 without a care how the customer would be affected. I could not get the rear reservoir clip to release. From a tip in another video, I made a string lasso and was able to pull the wire harness into place and snap the bulb in. I did after getting the tip of the bulb into the hole but prior to seating it fully and twisting it into place. All-in-all, a horrible design, as is the battery location on this vehicle. A customer should not have to take their car to a mechanic for these simple tasks.
Totally agree. I’m assuming that the H11 bulb is for the Titanium model. Nit that we couldn’t put it in out SE but chose to just put the 9005 in as that’s what we removed. We couldn’t easily remove out reservoir either. After reading some of the comments over the years we tried disconnecting the cable and just remove the bulb and that was super easy. Thanks for watching and commenting! Andrew
Struggling with this on -13c temperatures. Even considered removing the coolant tank but afraid of snapping the tabs. Just don't see success on the horizon. Looks like a trip to my mechanic.
Hey Brockville Boomerang Club, I hear the weather is going to warm up this week so maybe that will make it a bit better. Having smaller hands does help a lot but it's not impossible to do. Thanks for watching and commenting! Andrew
My mother in law has one of these and not only has the navigation/entertainment computer went to complete shit. Its blowing headlights every six months. Meanwhile my 24year old truck has had the same bulbs for about 7 years when i only changed them because i went with aftermarket headlights so i put new bulbs in them. And my 74 stingray vette has had the same bulbs since the early 90's. It amazes me how much worse the new stuff is.. its such a shame.
I totally agree with you and yet it's still not the worst car we've ever owned. That would be a 1997 Dodge Intrepid. The absolute worst car we've ever owned by far. Thanks for watching and commenting! Andrew
I’ve struggled all day to change out this light. I tried to remove the tank which was a ‘no go’. It feels like something is about to break. My only option is to bring it to a mechanic. Very frustrating!
@@LivingtheNorthernLife I’ve watched videos of a reservoir repair (remove and replace). It looks simple but it’s seems like mine is being stubborn to remove. So that being said, I have no choice but to take it to A mechanic to change out a simple lightbulb? I will ask for an estimate first because I do have the bulb I bought from AutoZone. This is the first car I ever owned that I can not swap out a simple light bulb 🤦♂️. Needless to say it’s driving me crazy but I’m at the point where I don’t want to break anything especially the radiator reservoir.
Hi Pocketpoolboy, It doesn't turn very much before you can take it out. Were you able to get the bulb out and replaced? Thanks for watching and commenting! Andrew
@@LivingtheNorthernLife yes. No problem. Just had to pull the wires a little BEFORE turning the bulb. Of course, at the moment I am writing this I am waiting for a tow truck at Lutsen Mountain in the middle of a blizzard because of a no-start, broken drivebelt incident. 6 hours away from home (in nice weather).
@@pocketpoolboy OH MAN!!!! That's terrible! Sorry to hear that. Hopefully the Christmas season will be a good time to relax and enjoy. Thanks for the update! Andrew
We seem to have a clip or something preventing us from just lifting it off. Others in the comments have said the same thing as well so I’m not sure what Ford did but it’s not consistent that’s for sure. Andrew
Thank you! I'm glad that everything worked out for you. Ford could have added an extra inch of slack here and made the job a lot easier that's for sure.
I haven't looked through all the comments, but I have large hands and can't get past the coolant container.....I've been quoted at least $160-$200 to replace this bulb, how can I move the coolant container to change it. j and I apologize if this question was asked/answered already.
Can I borrow him to change mine for me? 😂 that is too small a space for my hands. Driver's side is easier and to pull the lamp housing requires removal of the bumper cover. 😡
The passenger side is a mess! We have also tried disconnecting the cable and then taking the bulb out and this works very well as long as you can get your hand in there. Thanks for watching and commenting! Andrew
When in doubt, read the owners manual! Tells you right in the Owners Manual how to move the reservoir to get better access to remove/replace the passenger low beam bulb 🤦♂️🙄🤷♂️ lol 😂
The driver side is way better for access and the cord is longer, my 2017 Ford escape se has the short wiring on the passenger side were it's already harder to access so stupid
This was a year ago but for any future people I just did this. Remove the reservoir first. Makes this easy. It's held in place by two metal tabs just grab the tank and pull straight up to remove it. Mine a little tight so I fed a piece of rope under it, and lifted it up. Came up easy and snaps back in place
A few people commented this as well and others have tried it but it seems they had a difficult time detaching the reservoir. I think you’re the first to comment that there is a metal clip to undo first before you’re able to remove it.
What a pain this task was. Hopefully we don’t have to do this for a few years again but if we do I’ll be looking for that clip!
Thanks for watching and commenting!
Andrew
@@LivingtheNorthernLife Yeah , I had/having a bit of a struggle to slide the reservoi off.
@@LivingtheNorthernLife I had some trouble, the front was easy. The back was tight. I fixed this by using a piece of rope, sliding it under the tank and lifting straight up
@@dnf8878 Yeah, that clip in the back was a b*tch. I ended up having to push the metal portion of the clip as hard as I could with a flat screwdriver while pulling straight up. Get the back clip loose FIRST, then do the side. I had the side easily done right away, but had to reclip it in order to get the back clip free. With the reservoir out of the way, my adult hands finally had room to maneuver. The lack of wire slack on the passenger side still made it rather difficult.
Thanks for this video! Saved me from having to pay someone to replace the bulb. And others for the reservoir tip! I was able to lift off the front, which was just enough more room to get my hand in. Still a little tight, but did it! 5 minute job.
This is probably the only video in the whole internet that shows the actual PASSENGER side bulb change and what a pain in the ass it is...no slack whatsoever....every other one is the easy driver side.
Thank you.
I read your comment to my son as well.
They certainly didn’t put any thought into this at all that’s for sure.
Thanks for watching and commenting!
Stupid if you ask me. Never had a problem changing lamps on any vehicles I've owned going back probably 40 years ......at least since they converted over to halogen lamps with lamp sockets that just turn in. The passenger side lamp burnt out ... 29,000 miles. It took me 2 hours to do something that typically takes about 10 minutes. Same issue as everyone else .. the length of the wire leads on the lo beam passenger side socket was inadequate to make the change in an acceptable manner. I did discover after trying for about an hour.. the orange gasket which slides over the plug end has to be fully on the plug ... I tried placing the gasket onto the end of the lamp socket and than sliding the plug into the lamp but I could expend enough effort to get the plug on that way. Once I placed the gasket all the way on the plug which was a task n it's self I was able to push the connector onto the lamp socket once it lined up properly. This is something Ford should be required to fix with a recall but I wouldn't hold your breath. All they need to do is offer a short extension plug .. a couple of inches would be adequate.
thanks for showing the passenger side
A single 36 year old woman, very limited in car repair… I did it with this video! Thank you for posting!
Read your comment to my son as well.
Thank you for that.
🙏
Andrew
Thanks for making this video! I’ve always relied on my dad for car stuff and now that I’m living away from home I wanted to learn how to do the car stuff on my own. Did it under 10min with ease! 🥳🥳
Thank you for the kind words.
We’re so glad that it was a good help for you.
Keep up the good work!
Andrew
My low beam bulb is out on my 2019 Ford Escape. I bought the bulbs yesterday and I'm working up the courage to change it today. Thank you for the REALISTIC VIDEO. It's much appreciated. The only videos I could find are vids of the drivers side. I'm assuming nobody wanted to hassle with the passenger side bulb, but its more helpful. So, thank you for your video!!!
Hopefully you were successful in changing your low beam!
Here I am in the same predicament on my 2018 Ford Escape. Also going to attempt to change ours. Thank you!
Do more you guys I just went out this morning and changed that same bulb after watching this video for three days to work up my courage, I'm trying to stop cussing. And I did it with no cussing although mid way through this 10 min process I almost did. Thanks 😊
Thanks Rosalind!
We will create more as it's needed but so far this is the only thing that we've had to do to it.
Congrats on not cussing!
This is almost a task where it's required though :)
THANK YOU SO MUCH! My mom's 2017 passenger low beam bulb went out and I couldn't find a video covering how to replace it except for this one! The comments about the reservoir helped me move it out the way by taking it off the two clips that hold it in place. It was a pain though for that back clip because it had no give. Speaking of no give or slack, my passenger bulb had a ton of slack, but the driver's side was tighter than a Fort Knox 😂😂
Hahahahaha!
I’m glad it worked out well for you!
Strange that there is a different amount of slack at each bulb 🤦♂️
I popped up the the front tab of the reservoir which gave me an extra 1/2" of clearance for my hand. I used my left hand to do the twist to remove the bulb because it was a better angle than my right hand. When I pulled out the bulb I realized either Ford gave me 2 inches of extra wire slack or the bulb had been replaced before and someone pulled the wire a bit in the previous installation which luckily made my job easier. Thanks for positing this video!
They all seem to be different. it's amazing on an assembly line that there is this much difference in the builds.
Thanks for watching and commenting!
Andrew
I'm unsure if this matters but I have a cold weather version 2017 Escape. Turbo without the sunroof. It was a little harder to find.
Thank you & your Son for making this video. Every other video people pick the easy side to make a video on but yours is the only one showing the passenger side.
It was bad enough trying to replace this bulb but to make things worse every online parts store called for H11 bulbs to be installed in my vehicle. When I removed the old bulb in my vehicle it was a 9005 which meant another 10 mile drive back to the parts store.
Thanks
Thank you!
I shared your comment with him and he wanted to thank you as well.
The passenger side is MUCH more difficult than the driver side that's for sure!
Thank you for watching and commenting!
Projectors need the 9005, if you have the standard reflector housing it ”should” be an H11
@@kylerokitjanski7598If you are saying Ford sells some vehicles with different projectors/reflectors that might be but the problem is Ford still issues the same owners manual which calls for the H11 bulbs. My daughters vehicle came from a Ford dealership and has had no aftermarket parts installed on it but requires the 9005 bulb. I will include a link where several other Ford owners have run into the same problem I had. I think Ford either used the 2016 wiring harness in some of the early 2017 Ford Escapes or as you said they used a different projector/reflector which requires a different bulb. Most car owners wouldn't know which reflector/projector is installed in their vehicles and it's not a question that gets asked by parts suppliers when purchasing replacement items. www.fordescape.org/threads/2017-se-headlights.82273/
GovtMule66 They circled the problem when we bought them. Why my wife likes fords I will never know. I just bought H11’s for my wife’s 17 per the manual. I’m gonna be raging if I just wasted money on bulbs that neither vehicle can use...
@@kylerokitjanski7598 Keep your receipt & remove the old bulbs before opening the packaging in case your have to return them.
Good video. Another tip, after popping off the reservoir, keep the bulb locked in and then detach the wire, then unlock the bulb and pull it out. It helps with the lack of slack on the wire.
yes we thought of that after we made this video (facepalm)
it does work cause we did it after releasing this video.
Thanks for watching and commenting!
Andrew
Good tip!! What a pain
Thank you! Helped me a ton with that tip!
Thanks for posting this video. It was very helpful, especially because it was about the passenger side bulb. As Doug Wiltfong said below, the trick is to remove the coolant tank first. Mine looks like the one pictured and I just wiggled it up out of two clips and set it aside, hoses attached. I wore nitrile gloves to avoid touching the bulb with bare fingers. My cost was $15.04 with tax (bought bulb from Autozone.)
Glad it helped.
Hopefully I never have to change that bulb again but if I do I will remove the coolant tank and give that a shot.
Thanks!
Removing coolant tank is HIGHLY recommended. Even with my fair of dexterity still had to. Tank is kinda clipped in rear and left side… small screwdriver comes in handy…
What is the official low beam bulb for replacement on a Ford Escape 2017 SE 4WD? I recall last time that the manual listing is a wrong base. Confirm?
Thx so much, just changed my headlight myself and probably saved close to $100 🙂
I’m glad it helped you out!
Sure beats having to take it in for servicing.
Thanks for watching and commenting!
Andrew
Best video on this topic with helpful camera angles! Thank you!! Got the drivers side done and couldn't understand why no videos showed how short the cord is on the other side
Glad it helped!
Another way to do this is to disconnect the cable, remove and replace the bulb and then re-connect the cable.
Let me know how it goes for you.
Thanks for watching and commenting!
Andrew
@@LivingtheNorthernLife thanks for the tip. We're going to try this later. The guy at auto zone couldn't get the passenger side. Then my dad got the light bulb stuck when it fell inside there. A stranger in the parking lot who said he owned a shop couldn't get it. Then my husband couldn't get it lol he got it connected after struggling and then couldn't turn the bulb into the socket. Trying again after work and if that doesn't work I'll have to take it to a shop. It definitely shouldn't be so difficult and mine seems to have even less slack
Okay here's the update: after two more attempts we finally got it. The problem was that it is freezing and windy and snowing here so we tried again when it warmed up. We ended up using a mechanic's mirror so we could see inside the hole and first put the bulb in and then connected the wire. I think next time the passenger side burns out I'll take it to the dealer 🥴
@@makeitbetterx33 it sure is a pain to change...
Elijah is the real star, he definitely deserves a raise. This video came up by accident y’all are my little handy dandy light savers I’ll say you popped up like fairy godmothers of google or something I don’t know how you got to me but I’m half you did. So are Sioux and Kurlee. (My cars name and my stuffed dash-hog.)
Glad it helped!
Thanks for watching and commenting.
I sent your reply to Elijah to read.
Thank you!
Andrew
Man what an annoying thing to change but your video definitely helped so thank you!!
Hopefully it helped you out.
Thanks for watching and commenting.
Andrew
Great Vid - the struggle caught on video was helpful. I hate videos where suddenly "magic happens" and things are fixed when reality isn't that way at all.
This one is sure a pain.
some people replying said they were not able to do this.
Thanks for watching and commenting!
Andrew
LOL! Ohhh, magic when working on cars....like that invisible funnel that leads right to your eye when you're working underneath.
Wanted to give a shout-out for this video, nice job gentlemen ( 👍 ). I performed this task yesterday and If I may add a tip :
As much as I tried I simply couldn't work my fingers due to the coolant tank being in the way, frustrated, I went and found some helpful advice from the Ford Escape Forum.
The tank has two clips, front and back, the front one can be lifted, but it's the back one that will anger many
< lol >. Take a flathead screwdriver ( short length so you can have room to maneuver) and work it behind and tap it up as you pull up ( there's a small lip on which the clip rests ) and keep taping it up as you pull up. Once pulled up you can move it to the side and have more room, do not remove the hoses.
And your son was correct, the wire is very short but it can be done, it's still a pain.
My apologies for turning this into a Wiki page, but I hope this helps anyone who has to face this, trust me, I almost gave up and was ready to pay someone to do it.
Again, thank you, guys.
Thanks David!
We really appreciate that!
Andrew & Elijah
Yeah did this yesterday you had more slack in your plugin than ford left me. We had to install bulb then plug it back in. And unplug it first
This seems to be the best method.
We've had several comment that this works. We tested it and sure enough it works very well.
Thanks for watching and commenting!
Andrew
And I thought it was just me. I zipped through the first 3 no issues. Replaced all the halogen bulbs with 6500k led's. Then the last one came (same as video) I Struggled with it for a half hour or so then gave up. Couple days later tried it again, struggled with it for an hour, then gave up. At this point I thought there has to be an easier way to do this. I considered removing the entire light assembly but in order for that to work. I'd have to take so many other things off (y'all know what I'm talking about if you own the exact model). Then I considered the reservoir just adjacent to the light bulb entry. After looking around that particular area and diagnosing as if I knew what I was doing (in front of my wife). Came to realize, I'm not a mechanic, not a good idea. So now that I've watched this video. It's assuring to know that even the pro's have a hard time with this task and I'm not just an idiot. Thanks for the vid. It serves as motivation that even your son was able to do it. Thanks guys!!!!
Thank you so much and thank you for watching and commenting!
Thanks, guys, for the video! Had similar problems replacing the passenger side bulb (tight quarters, and very little slack in the wire). After playing with it for an hour, I replaced the driver side bulb, which was easier, but still not a cake walk. When I went back to the passenger side, I tried a number of angles that did not seem to work. I was finally able to pull more slack on the wire - it was caught on something. Once the wire was more free, the bulb came out relatively easily. Tried removing the coolant reservoir, which did not come easily either since there was a spring clip on the back support - was never able to get the clip undone, but was able to remove the reservoir from the front clip, giving me a bit more room. This is a difficult operation, IMHO.
I agree.
I'm not sure why Ford short changed us on the wiring for the passenger side. There are no fans or anything like that for it to get caught in.
Even an extra 1/2" would have made a world of difference.
Thanks for watching and commenting!
Andrew
I used a large pry bar and got some leverage on the back resevoir clip and popped it up and out. CAREFULLY lol. I'm going to be putting some LED replacement bulbs in this week so I've got to probably take the entire light assembly out on the passenger side due to that ridiculously short wire. Going to try to lengthen it while it's out. I mean it's barely long enough to get the thing clipped back on when changing bulbs!
Thanks. I have to do mine now. Just noticed it this morning. Same one, too. Good video.
Let us know how it works out for you!
Andrew
Going to try the passenger side low beam headlamp replacement now. I may remove the radiator fluid tank if need be. Thank you for the video.
How did it go for you?
THANK YOU THAT WAS VERY HELPFUL. I TO HAVE A 2017 FORD ESCAPE AND MY PASSENGER SIDE RUNNING LIGHT STOP WORKING AND I DID NOT WANT TO TAKE IT TO THE DEALERSHIP THIS WILL HELP ME AND MY HUSBAND WHEN HE DOES DO THAT.
You can also unclip the bulb in its socket and then take the bulb out to replace it.
Hopefully it goes smoothly for you.
Thanks for watching and communicating!
Andrew
Thank you for this video...while I couldn't get the reservoir out of the way, this video gave me hope to keep going on changing the bulb without moving the reservoir and I was eventually successful! 😂
Curious as to Ford's reasoning in putting such short wires on that side...that was the main hindrance. Ugh.
Glad it helped.
Copper is expensive I guess cause that's bonkers :(
Andrew
First change on a Ford escape, this helped me, thank you
Glad it helped!
Thanks for watching and commenting!
Andrew
Thank you for this video. I have replaced my drivers side with no issues however when i had to do my passenger side i thought i was doing something wrong. I had to actually unclip the bulb before being able to get it out cause my wires were so short.
Ford sure made the passenger side interesting!
I agree that unclipping the cable first and than replacing the bulb is the best and fastest way to complete this.
Thanks for watching and commenting!
Andrew
Those headlights are a pain. My sons had no slack on wire either. But found coolant tank can be turned. So will have to see. Ty for the video help
Those headlight cables are bananas. They could have put a bit of slack in it.
Thank you for watching and commenting
Andrew
I don't know if anyone else has said this, but take off the electrical clip BEFORE you remove the old bulb and put it back on AFTER you install the new bulb, especially on the passenger side. The wire is so short that you can't pull it out far enough to use two hands to unclip the connector. (The driver's side is a bit longer). Removing the clip while the bulb is still in place makes doing this one-handed SOOOO MUCH easier. I was able to do both bulbs in under 10 minutes, most of which was figuring out how to move the coolant reservoir, lol.
Yes sir!
I appreciate your feedback and I’m hoping to not have to change the passenger side again but if i do, I’ll be sure to give this method a go!
Thanks for watching and commenting!
Andrew
Thank you
I am so so so so grateful for this video. Thanks so much.
I’m glad it helped!
Andrew
The passenger headlight side is out so I bought the bulbs for both low beams on a 2017 Escape from Auto Zone. Apparently, the model determines whether you need an H11 or a 9005. Mine is the Titanium and calls for the 9005. I attempted to remove the bulb but my hands are too big without removing the coolant reservoir. I was able to remove the reservoir from the front clip but not the rear. I gave up before I cracked the reservoir. I’m glad I didn’t open the package for the bulbs. I will return them and take the car to the dealer. This should be an easy repair but Ford insured that it isn’t.
Ya this is absolutely terrible.
I hear that a lot of cars have better lights as you go up into the high more expensive models.
I would assume that the plug is the same but that the Titanium would have a better light installed than my SE.
Thanks for watching and commenting!
Andrew
This helped 100% Have to do mine today, same bulb. thank you!!
You're welcome!
I found my wire even shorter than yours. Impossible to get it reconnected to the new light. I finally got an LED light that has a wire extension as part of the light assembly. That was fairly easy to get plugged in . Then I installed the light into the socket.
We are also thinking of putting LED's in.
Yes get the reservoir out of the way. The front clip will slide up easily but not the back. I took the front loose first then used a long, thin pry bar and, using the adjacent motor mount bracket as a fulcrum, gently pushed upwards (on the back connection) while rocking reservoir back and forth with my other hand... it popped right up, easy peasey. I can not imagine trying to do the passenger side without getting the reservoir out of the way first.
I can only seem to get the front clip off and move it just enough to get in there.
Andrew
@@LivingtheNorthernLife To get back off you've got to rock it back and forth and wiggle it off (while applying upwards pressure on the back bracket)
Yours is the only one that discusses how difficult it is. Ford told me I had to drop the bumper. 45minutes and it is still not changed. I will try again after your video.
Assuming you have tried again. If so, how did it go?
Thanks for watching and comment!
Andrew
Just pulled the bulb. Took about 5mins or less. Mine had enough slack to get to where I could easily remove the bulb from the socket.
Now off to buy the replacement. My 20017 Escape SE 4WD had a 9005 bulb although the Sylvania bulb lookup site listed an H11.
Glad you had some slack.
Most in the comments have very little to work with it seems.
Did you replace it with the basic 9005 or 9005 xtravision?
Nice that you've showed me what I now have t do!
Thanks vm Guys!
How did it go for you?
Andrew
@@LivingtheNorthernLife Same difficulty, the wiring to the passenger's side headlight is way too short, AND it's somewhat blocked by the coolant overflow container, as you found .
Not a 'smart idea' Ford!
Thank you! And btw if this helps Sylvania & O'REILLY has the low beam listed as H11 and it is indeed the 9005 as you have on the video...(in michigan if that matters)
It matters here in Ontario as well.
Glad it helped!
Thanks for watching and commenting!
Andrew
Thank you! I’ll try to do it my self. I have no idea how much It’ll take me to do it
How did it turn out for you?
@@LivingtheNorthernLife I couldn’t get it out 😁 I end up taking it to the auto crevice. The wire was loose, I don’t have to pay to get it replaced
Gonna give this a shot tomorrow, after today’s failed attempt, even with help from the Autozone sales guy. Glad it’s not just me! 😅
Others have said in the comments that if you remove that container in my thumbnail, there is a clip on the back of it) that it makes this job much easier.
Let me know how it goes for you.
Thanks
Andrew
@@LivingtheNorthernLife I took a look, and decided to have the service person take on the aggravation tomorrow, since I'm bringing the vehicle for an oil change.
@@nancyingemi6589 Sorry to hear about that but others have had to do the same. it's so silly that Ford couldn't have put enough slack in the cable to take the bulb out. :(
thanks for letting me know!
Andrew
Thanks for this video it went easier then I thought 👍🏻👍🏻
Glad to hear that it helped you out!
Thanks for watching and commenting!
super easy to remove the reservoir, just pull it up and out of the clips ( one on the side, one in the back). gives you much more room. i have been having trouble with mine. can't seem to get them seated properly. is there a gasket that has to be depressed ?
Hey thanks Doug!
I will keep that in mind for next time... hopefully there is no next time though! :)
We didn't notice a gasket but we did have to press it in before turning it to lock it and then it has a bit of a click.
Thanks for watching and commenting!
Thanks I've done it twice now this really helped the 2nd time. The reservoir was easy to pull up and put back
Great pointer Doug
@choossuck same
Thank you Doug. You get a follow for that yomens work
Yep. Just replaced the passenger side and yes. Just lift up on the reservoir and move it out of the way.
Ours must have a clip behind it because we couldn't get it to lift off.
Andrew
At least on a cold winter day, I found it was much easier to get the coolant reservoir off the tab a little while after ending a drive, so it was nice and warm under the hood. I assume that made the plastic reservoir a touch more flexible.
Great point!
Remove the old bulb and insert the new bulb in the headlamp fixture. Than attach the plug. Part of the trick is to make sure the orange rubber gasket is fully pushed ON to the plug. so that when you go to insert the plug into the lamp you can guide it into the lamp socket. Once it's in the socket you'll be able to push it all the way on with one finger as long as the orange gasket is pushed fully one.
yes for sure!
It does work well as we've had to change the bulb a few times now since this video.
There is an issue with the Escape burning passenger side bulbs.
Thanks for watching and commenting!
Andrew
I can see I'm in for a whole lot of fun tomorrow...
Try unplugging the cable before removing the bulb.
Give the wire a decent yank and it will give you a lot more slack to work with, it worked for both sides of my headlights. Must be taped up or some light push pin keeping it down
You might break the wire doing that and than you'll really be in trouble.
I have to do this. Thanks for the advice
Ford did a bad job on this vehicle :(
Rear radiator hold-down bracket was a bear to budge as previously noted by others. Needed assist from a good buddy, Here is the kicker. Removed burnt-out bulb and went to replace with H11 bulb as per my Owner's manual but the burnt-out bulb was a 9005. Had to confirm with my Ford dealer.
I beleive the H11 is for the Titanium models.
Mine is also the 9005 and we have an SE.
Glad it worked out for you!
Andrew
I have platinum Edition and the same thing happened to me, bought the H11's needed the 9005's@@LivingtheNorthernLife
Thank you for the tutorial. We have a 2018 SE, the original bulb is sylvannia 12V 60W 9005. I replaced both low beam with Sylvannia silver star ultra 9005 since its 65W to have a uniform brightness.
The low beam replacement is really a pain to do. A small hand and thin arm will help a lot. The most helpful part here for me is knowing that it losen counter clockwise. I guess i’m also lucky to have a little more slack on the wire. I tried to remove the reservoir, but like every other here said, the back clip is hard to lift. Thanks for the video.
BTW the mechanic wants me to pay $25 for the labor to replace one bulb.
Exactly!
Seems silly to pay the mechanic $25 to change a bulb that should be easy enough to change in the driveway.
Thanks for your kind words, watching and commenting!
Andrew
After the struggle I just encountered, I would happily pay $25 for someone else to do that passenger side!!
@@gothamvengeance I changed my bulbs again today! Both Sylvania were busted for whatever reason, the same time. I replaced it with LED’s. This time it only took me 10 mins. I guess previous experienced help a lot.
I did my passenger side low beam replacement today...what a pain in the (_!_). I'd like to meet the person that signed off on this design and bit*h slap him. 2 problems to over come...the short wiring on that side of the car and the super tight mounting of the coolant jug. After spending about 2 hours total (3 different attempts), I finall was successful by the following: 1. use heat (hair blow dryer in my case). Heat up that rear plastic mount on the coolant jug to make it pliant and possible to just yank off with brute strength. Then pull up on the front mount, done. 2. unclip wiring from bulb before you twist and pull the light out. 3. Insert new light without trying to plug in that ridiculously short pigtail. After bulb in inserted, then use the smallest hand you got and struggle to attach the electrical plug. Congrats!! Now hope it does not burn out again until you sell it or you die, whichever occurs first.
We've had to change our passenger side three times now since posting this video.
Just the passenger side so there's more going on.
If you search Google you will find that the passenger side bulb going out on the Escape is a frequent thing.
Thanks for watching and commenting!
Andrew
Thanks guys very helpful 👍
Glad it was helpful!
Andrew
Great video! Thanks for showing this. Helped me a great deal
Thank you so much for your kind words!
I will let my son know! :)
Thanks for watching and commenting!
Andrew
I understand that this is an old video now, but for anyone else finding this, take the plug off of the bulb before taking the bulb out... it's easy to do since the release tab is already facing out. Then put the new bulb back in before plugging it back in.
Yes it is for sure
Next time you gotta change the passenger's headlight. Just move the coolant overflow over more. You can just lift it right up and you get your hand in there a lot easier.
I can get the front clip but can't seem to get the back one.
Andrew
I lifted the reservoir up off the front clip which gave me just enough room.
Some commentors have said that they have had some luck getting theirs off. We tried and are not yet able to get it to lift off. We're assuming there is a catch in there stopping us from lifting it off/
Glad it worked out for you.
Thanks for Watching and Commenting!
Andrew
I could only get the clip towards the front to pop off . I couldn't get the back one. I don't know why.
Thank you!
Thank you for watching and commenting!
Hope it helped you out!
Andrew
Nitrile gloves are recommended the handling new bulbs
We had'em, just didn't use them :(
"what a pain" is the understatement of the year. What were the engineers thinking with that passenger side?
Totally agree!
@@LivingtheNorthernLife the cross member on the driver's side is too close to easily fit the rubber cap back on too. Cabin air filter is in a stupid spot as well. I love Ford's but Jesus Christ the engineers of the escape don't return that love 😂
Thank you. I have small hands so hopefully it won't be so bad
Best of luck!
Small hands helped me do ours! :)
Make sure you ware gloves so to not to touch the glass on the new bulb
I found this comment stream AFTER spending hundreds to have a shop do it for me. Long, sad story. Now I know.
Sorry to hear that.
I’ve had to do mine again since and disconnecting the plug and then removing the bulb is the easiest way to do it.
Thanks for watching and commenting.
Andrew
Thank you
Hopefully you were able to complete it.
Others were saying that it didn't work for them.
You can try to disconnect the cable and then take the bulb out as well.
Thanks for watching and commenting!
Andrew
i agree the reservoir is the biggest issue. I am afraid pulling on it may crack it.
I hear there is a little catch behind the reservoir to make removing it easier.
Someone else suggested just disconnecting the cable and then removing the bulb.
Can you not remove the headlight unit?
I hope someone from the Ford motor corporation is watching , I will never ever buy another one of your vehicles , because of this kinda bull💩 design
Make sure you don't get skin oil on the lamp. I had more slack in the wires but not much. Helps if you say what kind of lamps it takes.
Pretty sure I mention and show the light container in the video and in the Description.
But yes, that is always helpful.
Andrew
take the reservoir back clip off first then the front. set the bulb in the hole. put the clip on the light. replace reservoir. 10 inutes for e
Looks like I'll be giving this a try this weekend! :(
Andrew
This was helpful thank you. I've ordered similar bulbs from Sylvania (ultra white) for the low beam. Have you had paint issues with peeling paint on the A pillars & roof line above windshield on your Escape? Many people are on model years 2017 - 19.
No issues at this point with the paint peeling on the car but it only has 112,000km
1) I removed the cable from the bulb first, then it was easy to unscrew. Couldn't pull it out while still attached, and the lack of slack kept it from falling away. But, putting it back in was easy that way!
2)Any chance y'all have fixed the LED strip in the assembly before?
We having touched much else on the escape besides the passenger headlight yet.
Wish we could help.
Thanks for watching and commenting!
Andrew
I got mine by putting the lamp back in first, and then connecting the plug.
Ya that sounds like it would work a lot better and eaiser.
Thanks for watching and commenting!
Thank you for the help!
Thanks for watching, commenting and subscribing to out channel!!
I hope it helped!
Merry Christmas!
Andrew
My 2017 Escape passenger side low beam is out again. I replaced it last time 2 years ago but now the socket connector has got hot and melted too. Fuse is not blown. Still have 12.3 volts at the socket connector but the wires are short and no slack for splicing a new one in.
One commenter said that there is a clip holding the wife short.
They said if it’s pulled on gently it will release from the clip and give you more slack.
I’m haven’t tried it so we don’t know and can’t recommend it but thought I’d share their input.
Thanks for watching and commenting!
Andrew
@@LivingtheNorthernLife Thanks. I got the socket and light replaced finally by using lots of swear words. That seemed to help. Oh, and by the way, I also have a "clip holding the wife short" too! Love autocorrect. Don't edit it. Too funny.
good work
Thank you! Cheers!
Andrew
It's good to have skinny hands and fingers to get around that coolant reservoir.
It is very handy :)
Ez fix: UNPLUG bulb first then TURN & remove bulb from housing. if you don't unplug the bulb first it will be hell to try to work with. They did not provide you with enough wire to work with. Take new Bulb and place in housing and lock into place and then re connect wire. Took me 2 min
ya I think your solution is much better than trying what we did.
It was a real pain!
The wire on the passenger side literally isn't even long enough to pull it out of the opening...brutal!!
It is absolutely terrible.
A workaround is to disconnect the cable and then pull the bulb out.
Andrew
Edit: Just found out that the low beam bulb is a 9005...Good thing I got it from Walmart and can return the h11
Useful, as my black Ford escape's low beam light on the right side just died. Curious though, why did you use a 9005 to replace the low beam light? The manufacturer sheet says 9005 is the highbeam, with h11 being the low beam.
Ronan Tetsu the projector headlamps use a 9005 best I can tell. H11 should be for the reflector style. Most searches either show both without specifying, or just list one. I’m still waiting to verify on my wife’s escape (reflector style), but I don’t have a shop and it’s -20c around here right now lol. I’m just going to hook a string around the plug wire and unhook it inside the headlight, pull the bulb, put the new one in, then pull the cable back up with the string. In theory, should work not having to fight with the short plug.
Hey Ronan,
Our manual says 9005 and that's what we replaced it with.
Thanks
Andrew
Hey Kyle,
It should be listed in your manual if it's still in the Escape. @-20c is sounds like you're close to where we live in Northern Ontario. :)
Andrew
It took me less than 5 minutes to replace both low beam bulbs. The connector wire was long on both sides.
Glad the passenger side worked out well for you!
Thanks for the follow up!!!
There is a way to remove coolant tank but I haven’t figured out how to get back part to slide off post it slides on
I have tried just for fun and haven’t gotten mine released either 😢
Amen remove the reservoir buy using a long prybar to lift it gently but firmly off its connection points. No need to undo any hoses it will move to the side to access the opening made for a child's hand
I haven’t tried but others replied to just disconnect the wire and then take the bulb out and it’s easier.
I do have pretty small hands so there’s a bonus for me 😂😂😂
Thanks for the great video
Glad you enjoyed it
Thank you for watching and commenting!
Y’all are lucky I am 6’4” got giant hands I’ve been trying to replace this lightbulb for the last 40 minutes I cannot squeeze my hands in there.
Ya they put ZERO thought into this.
Thanks for watching and commenting!
My big hands (palming a basketball is no problem) made this tough for me, too. The coolant reservoir clip in the back was stuck, so I gave up on removing that, but getting it off that side clip may have given me a crucial extra millimeter of room. I was barely able to get the old bulb out and the new bulb into position with my fingers, but I couldn’t tighten it into place until I got my thumb in there. It’s too bad such a simple job has to be so difficult, at least for some of us. I can’t help but wonder if the repair shops have a tool to help with this, or if they just get help from someone with smaller hands.
You may need the H11 bulb or the 9005 bulb, depending on your model. I have the SE and needed to 9005. Pull your bulb first to be sure. Btw, the 9005 is a longer buib and harder to remove. I assume the assembly is designed for the shorter H11 bulb but some a-hole engineer switched to 9005 without a care how the customer would be affected. I could not get the rear reservoir clip to release. From a tip in another video, I made a string lasso and was able to pull the wire harness into place and snap the bulb in. I did after getting the tip of the bulb into the hole but prior to seating it fully and twisting it into place. All-in-all, a horrible design, as is the battery location on this vehicle. A customer should not have to take their car to a mechanic for these simple tasks.
Totally agree.
I’m assuming that the H11 bulb is for the Titanium model.
Nit that we couldn’t put it in out SE but chose to just put the 9005 in as that’s what we removed.
We couldn’t easily remove out reservoir either.
After reading some of the comments over the years we tried disconnecting the cable and just remove the bulb and that was super easy.
Thanks for watching and commenting!
Andrew
2 thumbs up!
Thank you!
I like the time stamps! Hey where is your new logo?
Working on a new intro cause it's all different.
I have something coming in the next few weeks to show it off :)
Struggling with this on -13c temperatures. Even considered removing the coolant tank but afraid of snapping the tabs. Just don't see success on the horizon. Looks like a trip to my mechanic.
Hey Brockville Boomerang Club,
I hear the weather is going to warm up this week so maybe that will make it a bit better.
Having smaller hands does help a lot but it's not impossible to do.
Thanks for watching and commenting!
Andrew
Might want to topoff the coolant tank
Sure did.
But this video was almost 4 years ago.
My mother in law has one of these and not only has the navigation/entertainment computer went to complete shit. Its blowing headlights every six months. Meanwhile my 24year old truck has had the same bulbs for about 7 years when i only changed them because i went with aftermarket headlights so i put new bulbs in them. And my 74 stingray vette has had the same bulbs since the early 90's.
It amazes me how much worse the new stuff is.. its such a shame.
I totally agree with you and yet it's still not the worst car we've ever owned.
That would be a 1997 Dodge Intrepid.
The absolute worst car we've ever owned by far.
Thanks for watching and commenting!
Andrew
Good kid.
He is a great kid.
Thanks for watching and commenting!
Andrew
I’ve struggled all day to change out this light. I tried to remove the tank which was a ‘no go’. It feels like something is about to break. My only option is to bring it to a mechanic. Very frustrating!
Try disconnecting the cable and then take the bulb out first.
@@LivingtheNorthernLife my hand will not fit.
@@smithsterj Fair enough. It's a really tight space that's for sure!
@@LivingtheNorthernLife I’ve watched videos of a reservoir repair (remove and replace). It looks simple but it’s seems like mine is being stubborn to remove. So that being said, I have no choice but to take it to A mechanic to change out a simple lightbulb? I will ask for an estimate first because I do have the bulb I bought from AutoZone.
This is the first car I ever owned that I can not swap out a simple light bulb 🤦♂️. Needless to say it’s driving me crazy but I’m at the point where I don’t want to break anything especially the radiator reservoir.
It’s a pain I see I have to change mine as well and it is the passenger side one as well.
It’s the most fun.
Try disconnecting the cable and then remove the bulb.
Thanks
Andrew
That is pain in the rear , clumsy as I am better wait for auto zone guy to replace . Thanks man.
No problem!
Thanks for watching and commenting!
Andrew
My same bulb harness is so tight it won't turn more than 15-20 degrees. Send it?
Hi Pocketpoolboy,
It doesn't turn very much before you can take it out.
Were you able to get the bulb out and replaced?
Thanks for watching and commenting!
Andrew
@@LivingtheNorthernLife yes. No problem. Just had to pull the wires a little BEFORE turning the bulb. Of course, at the moment I am writing this I am waiting for a tow truck at Lutsen Mountain in the middle of a blizzard because of a no-start, broken drivebelt incident. 6 hours away from home (in nice weather).
@@pocketpoolboy OH MAN!!!!
That's terrible!
Sorry to hear that.
Hopefully the Christmas season will be a good time to relax and enjoy.
Thanks for the update!
Andrew
Are those the same as the original bulbs?
In our case yes.
We have the SE model but the Titanium has better bulbs but not sure the better bulbs can’t be used on a lower model than a Titanium.
@@LivingtheNorthernLife Thanks, do you think the 9005 basic bulbs would be dimmer than the original? I see you used the 9005 xtravision.
The coolant tank is just on posts, it lift’s right off
We seem to have a clip or something preventing us from just lifting it off.
Others in the comments have said the same thing as well so I’m not sure what Ford did but it’s not consistent that’s for sure.
Andrew
Took me less than 5min to put the passenger one in good video
Thank you!
I'm glad that everything worked out for you. Ford could have added an extra inch of slack here and made the job a lot easier that's for sure.
I haven't looked through all the comments, but I have large hands and can't get past the coolant container.....I've been quoted at least $160-$200 to replace this bulb, how can I move the coolant container to change it. j and I apologize if this question was asked/answered already.
Try just unplugging the bulb and then taking the light out… others have said this is the easiest way.
Let me know how it goes!!!
@@LivingtheNorthernLife my hands are to large, they won't fit; I just wasn't trying to spend a ton of money for something simple.
A major pain to change....
Totally agree!
The over flow tank comes right off just lift it gives you more room and you don't have to cuss so much.
Only the front clear hangar came off easily on my overflow... any ideas on how to remove the rear clear hangar of the reservoir?
I will have to give that a try but hopefully we never have to replace that bulb again! ;)
I just replaced mine, the passenger side is a major pain in the rear......
Ya we weren’t expecting that ourselves!
Thanks for watching and commenting!
Can I borrow him to change mine for me? 😂 that is too small a space for my hands. Driver's side is easier and to pull the lamp housing requires removal of the bumper cover. 😡
The passenger side is a mess!
We have also tried disconnecting the cable and then taking the bulb out and this works very well as long as you can get your hand in there.
Thanks for watching and commenting!
Andrew
When in doubt, read the owners manual! Tells you right in the Owners Manual how to move the reservoir to get better access to remove/replace the passenger low beam bulb 🤦♂️🙄🤷♂️ lol 😂
Others have said you can also just unplug it from the bulb, replace the bulb and plug it back in without issue.
The driver side is way better for access and the cord is longer, my 2017 Ford escape se has the short wiring on the passenger side were it's already harder to access so stupid
ya I'm not sure when changing a headlight became a deal issue
But my bulb can not be turned by any craft or power we here possess.
Oh that’s not good.
Were you able to get it changed?
@LivingtheNorthernLife Not yet! Looking for a burly guy! It is easy to reach if you take out the wipers and shelf as if you are changing the battery.
@@LivingtheNorthernLife Problem was the wires were too short. Guy at O'Reilly got it out in a moment by unplugging it first.