These Damn Sylvania H4703 headlamps do not fit 99 TransAm
10-09-2018, 12:48 AM
#1
These Damn Sylvania H4703 headlamps do not fit 99 TransAm So I wasted about $30 on "exact fit" Sylvania H4703 low beam lights. Advance Auto's website says it is an exact fit.
It is not. There's some fat foam on the back of these lights that prevent the connectors from sliding all the way into the socket.
I even cut the foam off and it still wont click into the socket. If I turn the lights on it works but the connection is loose and will just slide out.
I do not have money for fancy HID lights. Where do you guys get your normal headlamp replacements? Mine are on their way out and soon I'll be driving in the dark.
It is not. There's some fat foam on the back of these lights that prevent the connectors from sliding all the way into the socket.
I even cut the foam off and it still wont click into the socket. If I turn the lights on it works but the connection is loose and will just slide out.
I do not have money for fancy HID lights. Where do you guys get your normal headlamp replacements? Mine are on their way out and soon I'll be driving in the dark.
10-09-2018, 06:06 PM
#2
Which low beam headlights do we use on 99 TransAm? I got the Sylvania H4703 as it's supposed to be an exact fit but it doesn't fit into the socket at all. The original headlamps don't have thick foam around the connector like these do. I cannot afford HIDs yet.
10-10-2018, 12:02 AM
#4
Am I doing something wrong? I have the original connectors on the car but these H4703's do not slide all the way into the connector because there's a thick foam piece on the back of these lights which prevents them from clicking into the connector. What am I missing? I even cut that foam out with a knife which leaves the two prongs and a bump of plastic which is the back of the bulb. This plastic piece still keeps the connector from connecting fully. So on the original connector I even broke off that little useless plastic piece in the middle. Surely this time they will join flush with the back of the light but no, the bulbs plastic back piece is still protruding out too much. So I even went as far as slowly shaving the plastic back of that light bulb but I went too far and the light doesn't work anymore. WTF is going on here? The original lights do not have these thick pieces protruding from the back of them.
10-10-2018, 01:45 PM
#6
TECH Fanatic
Not all of the replacement headlights for these cars are the same. There is great variability. Probably due to where they are made now. The most common issue I have had is that on some lights there is a plastic "nubbin" that prevents the connecter from plugging in all the way. I just cut that off with a Dremel or other tool so the connector plugs in. Why these plastic things are there, I don't know, but I have never had any problem by just getting rid of them so the electric plug goes all the way on.
The last problem I had with the connections was that the fins on the replacement light were oriented wrong. Like they were vertical when the stock plug in wanted horizontal, or vice versa, I just used a pair of plyers and turned them a little until they fit the connector. I bought 2 lights at Oriellys and the fins were wrong. I thought they were idiots so I bought another 2 from Autozone, same thing. So I just twisted the fins a bit so they would plug in and have had no problem. And now I have spares.
The last problem I had with the connections was that the fins on the replacement light were oriented wrong. Like they were vertical when the stock plug in wanted horizontal, or vice versa, I just used a pair of plyers and turned them a little until they fit the connector. I bought 2 lights at Oriellys and the fins were wrong. I thought they were idiots so I bought another 2 from Autozone, same thing. So I just twisted the fins a bit so they would plug in and have had no problem. And now I have spares.
10-10-2018, 02:02 PM
#7
TECH Fanatic
And I just when to the garage and I have 2 spare Sylvania H4703's on the shelf and I see what you mean about the foam piece on the back. I did not have to do anything to that but I did have to twist the plug in fins to get them to fit. So take another look and instead of trying to plug the socket in directly, twist the plugs from vertical to more horizontal. I also have a spare NAPA on the shelf with the same vertical plug fins. They don't fit my car that way. Leave the foam alone, it is both a spacer and insulator. Make the plugs/fins match your connector.
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10-12-2018, 01:05 AM
#8
Thank you so much for your replies. So what you're saying is twist those two prongs coming out of the H4703 slightly horizontal to go into the connector more horizontally which might help the connector hold them in place? Because my original connector has vertical slots just like the H4703's fins so they slide in easily but not all the way in as the foam piece is in the way. Then I click the tiny connector clip down, which I assume is supposed to lock the fins inside the connector. But no, it just simply slides out without effort. If I can't figure it out, I'll have to tie the connector to the light somehow but that's just ridiculous.
As a side note, the birth of your WS6 is one day before my birthday. That's pretty neat. I assume you got it new on the last year they were made. That's really cool that you kept it all this time. Mine is a 1999 Navy Blue Metallic. Also just realized, 'Metallic' is spelled with two L's not one like in your picture. You might want to fix that. Sorry I'm a bit ocd.
As a side note, the birth of your WS6 is one day before my birthday. That's pretty neat. I assume you got it new on the last year they were made. That's really cool that you kept it all this time. Mine is a 1999 Navy Blue Metallic. Also just realized, 'Metallic' is spelled with two L's not one like in your picture. You might want to fix that. Sorry I'm a bit ocd.