Kia Optima
Headlight Bulbs Replacement Guide
How to change a burnt out low beam, high
beam or front side marker light bulb in a 2016 to 2020 Kia Optima.
2019 Optima Headlights |
Rear of Headlight Housing |
Low Beam Dust Cap |
This automotive
maintenance tutorial was specifically written to assist owners of the 4th
generation (2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 model years) Kia Optima sedan in
changing a burnt out low beam, high beam or front side marker light bulb in
the headlight assemblies. Owners of other Kia, Hyundai or Genesis vehicles such as the Niro, Sportage, Sedona, Telluride, Sorento, Rio, Forte, Soul, K900, Cadenza, K5, Stinger, Tucson, Santa Fe, Kona, Palisade, Elantra, Sonata, Accent, Veloster, Ioniq, Nexo, Venue, G70, G80 and G90 may also find these DIY instructions to be helpful. The compatible replacement light bulb part numbers are as follows: Low Beam # 9005, High Beam # 9005 and Front Side Marker # 2825 (also known as W5W). If you would like to have brighter and longer lasting headlight bulbs, choose some 9005 LED and 2825 LED bulbs. No tools are required to access and replace any of the bulbs in either the driver side or passenger side headlight housings. (Check out my 2016-2020 Kia Optima Front Turn Signal Light Bulb Replacement Guide if you need to change a burnt out front turn signal light bulb in the separate housing located near the bottom of the front bumper cover. On some trim levels the lower housing may also contain the fog light bulb.) The first two steps are to open the hood and then move to the side of the vehicle with the burnt out light bulb. |
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Twist Off 1/4 Turn CC |
Plastic Cover Removed |
Base of Old Low Beam |
The low beam light
bulb is situated near the center of the headlight assembly. Reach in behind the headlight housing and remove the round black plastic dust cap by rotating it 1/4 turn in the counterclockwise direction before pulling it straight off. Set the dust cover aside in a safe place. If you have trouble removing a stubborn or stuck dust cover, try gently tapping one of the ridges with a flat head screwdriver and a small hammer to loosen the rubber o-ring gasket from the plastic housing. The o-ring gasket on the cover may have dried out or become attached to the plastic due to heat or extreme cold. |
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Pry Up Retaining Clip |
Slide Off Power Plug |
Rotate 1/4 Turn CC |
Gently pry back the
plastic tab on the electrical connector to release the retaining clip.
Slide the power plug straight down off the base of the old low beam light bulb. Rotate the base of the old light bulb 1/4 turn in the counterclockwise direction before pulling it straight out of the housing. |
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Old Low Beam Removed |
Empty Bulb Housing |
New Halogen Low Beam |
Try to avoid
touching the glass part of the new halogen bulb with your fingers or
anything greasy in the engine bay. If you do get the bulb dirty, clean it with a paper towel and some rubbing alcohol. |
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1/4 Turn Clockwise |
Round Plastic Cover |
1/4 Turn Clockwise - Lock |
Push the electrical
connector straight on to the base of the new low beam light bulb. Install the new number 9005 bulb into the housing and rotate it 1/4 turn in the clockwise direction to lock it into place. If you would like to have brighter low beam headlights that will also last much longer than traditional halogen bulbs, install some compatible replacement 9005 LED bulbs. Be sure to read the directions for the LED headlight bulbs if you buy a pair. They may need to be adjusted (rotated) so that the LEDs are pointing in the correct orientation for the proper beam spread. Replace the dust cap by twisting it on 1/4 turn in the clockwise direction. |
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High Beam Bulb Cover |
Twist Off 1/4 Turn CCW |
Base of Old High Beam |
The high beam light
bulb is situated near the inner corner of the headlight housing (closer to
the KIA emblem on the front bumper cover). Remove the dust cap by rotating it 1/4 turn in the counterclockwise direction. Set the dust cover aside in a safe place. |
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Twist 1/4 Turn CCW |
Remove Old Light Bulb |
Pry Back Retaining Clip |
Rotate the base of
the old high beam bulb 1/4 turn in the counterclockwise direction before
pulling it straight out of the housing. Gently pull back on the release tab before sliding the electrical connector straight off the base of the old light bulb. |
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Use Plastic Pry Bar Tool |
Power Plug Disconnected |
Empty Bulb Housing |
If you have trouble pulling back the release tab on the electrical connector, use a plastic pry bar tool or a flat head screwdriver to carefully release the retaining clip. | ||
Push On Connector |
Install New High Beam |
1/4 Turn Clockwise - Lock |
Avoid touching the
glass part of the new halogen bulb with your fingers or anything greasy in
the engine bay. If you do get the new bulb dirty, wipe it clean with a paper towel and some rubbing alcohol. Push the electrical connector on to the base of a new number 9005 high beam bulb. You should feel or hear the power plug "click" securely into place. Install the new bulb into the housing and rotate it 1/4 turn in the clockwise direction to secure it into place. If you would like to have brighter high beam bulbs, install some compatible replacement 9005 LED bulbs. |
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Line Up Plastic Cover |
1/4 Turn Clockwise - Lock |
Side Marker - Outer Edge |
Replace the dust
cover over the high beam housing by turning it 1/4 turn in the clockwise
direction. The front side marker light is situated at the outer edge of the headlight assembly. |
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Black Plastic Handle |
1/4 Turn Counterclockwise |
Bulb Socket Removed |
The long black
plastic tab or "handle" for the front side marker bulb socket is marked with
a red arrow in the first picture in the row above this sentence. Rotate the tab 1/4 turn in the counterclockwise direction to unlock the socket before pulling it straight out of the housing. |
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Pull Out Old Light Bulb |
Empty Bulb Housing |
Rotate 1/4 Turn CW |
Carefully pull the
old light bulb straight out of the socket. If you have trouble removing an old stubborn or stuck bulb due to corrosion (rust) or debris such as sand, try gently wiggling the bulb back and forth while pulling it straight out. Push a new number 2825 miniature wedge base light bulb straight into the socket. For brighter and longer lasting front side marker lights, install some compatible replacement 2825 LED bulbs. Re-insert the bulb socket into the housing and rotate it 1/4 turn in the clockwise direction to secure it into place. |
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Test New Headlight Bulbs |
Test New High Beam |
Testing Side Marker |
To test the new
light bulbs, turn on the headlights, flash the high beams and activate the
hazard signals.
Tip - If you installed an LED bulb and it doesn't work, try removing the bulb from the socket, rotate it 180 degrees and push it back into the socket again. Some LED bulbs are "polarized" and will only work when the "+" positive and "-" negative electrical contacts are in the correct orientation. Check out my 2016-2020 Kia Optima Front Turn Signal Light Bulb Replacement Guide if you need to change a burnt out front turn signal light bulb in the separate housing located near the bottom of the front bumper cover. On some trim levels the lower housing might also contain a fog light bulb. Please check out all of my
2016-2020 Kia Optima DIY Repair & Maintenance Guides. |
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