****small update with pics a few posts down
So heres what ive learned after changing out the D3S hid bulbs in my car (2013 SHO), and I hope this helps someone. I really could not find this description anywhere on any forum. Im starting a new post for this so that it is easier to find in a search. Sorry I didn't do pics. Popular opinion is that you have to remove the wheels, fender liners, front bumper, and headlight housings BEFORE removing and replacing the bulbs. If that sounds like fun to you then go for it, but I decided to try my luck at skipping all of that!
This may depend on your hand size. I am tall and thin and my hands are neither large nor small. Sausage fingers may have trouble!
Essential tools:
1. Precision "hook" tool like the one here
https://www.amazon.com/Precision-Gasket-Puller-Remover-Scribe/dp/B00UYFQYJM/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1467208868&sr=8-3&keywords=tools+mini+hook2. Vise grip adjustable "needle nose" pliers like these:
https://www.amazon.com/Tools-VISE-GRIP-Locking-Original-1602L3/dp/B0000BYD9A/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1467209036&sr=8-2&keywords=vise+grip+needle+nose3. also helpful but not absolutely essential: longer needle nose angled pliers like these
https://www.amazon.com/ToolUSA-Bent-Nose-Plier-Degree/dp/B00VUFXHC2/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1467209069&sr=8-4&keywords=needle+nose+long+angle4: Latex rubber gloves with some grippy stuff on the hands was very helpful
5. A good light to set in engine bay so you dont have to hold it!!
DRIVERS SIDE: Remove entire airbox - takes like 60 seconds. Remove cover to fuse box (helps with room). I used a pretty bright LED worklight that I set on the engine facing my headlight. A rubber dust cover pops right off of the back of the headlight (easy). Now the hard part: this simple task took me 30 minutes roughly. You have to unplug the bulb and also twist the bulb out. You cannot twist it out, remove, and THEN unplug it because the plug prevents you from pulling it all the way out. Also I could barely get my fingers around it and felt like I was gonna break my fingers trying to twist the bulb out. I opened up my needle nose vise grips all the way and used them to leverage it out (untwisted the bulb partially with them wide open). MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO ENSURE YOU PULL THE PLUG STRAIGHT OUT AND PLUG IT BACK IN STRAIGHT AS WELL.
I chose to untwist it counterclockwise 1/4 turn to put the plug into an easier to reach position. I used several different methods to unplug the plug. Dont put too much force into the plug or you can break it and be screwed. Every effort I put into it was short "tugs" and pulls. I used needle nosed vise grips and also regular small vise grips to BARELY grip closed around the plug and sort of wiggle and work it downward to separate it from the bulb. Dont be discouraged if initial efforts dont seem to work. It takes time and consistent tugging to eventually free it. The outer metal part of the plug got bent an separated from the inner plug slightly, and this is OK. The inner green plastic plug part is still intact so its all good. One maneuver that worked best was snapping the vise grip closed on the plug (barely), then pull the vise grip handle up so it is leveraging against the back of the bulb and pushing down on the plug at the same time if that makes sense. This can bend the plug if done incorrectly. Another method was closing the grips around the plug and then using a long pry bar to push down gently on the vise grips so that it unplugs straight down and not crooked so as to bend the plug.
When plug is out then slide bulb out. Make sure the new bulb is not touched! Any fingerprints or grease can ruin the bulb when hot. When removing the plug from the old bulb I allowed the bulb to jiggle all around the inside of the housing as I was "working it". I would not take that risk with the new one, so the first thing I did was carefully slide the new one in and click it clockwise in place.
Now the hard part once again (stupid plug). Unless you weigh 50 lbs your fingers will likely barely be able to touch the plug, much less plug it in with those fingers. I used my fingers to line the plug up to the plug in on the light. I could not line it up perfect, and it will NOT go in unless lined up perfect. Heres where the right tool saved my butt. I used the mini hook like listed above. The plug consists of a medium sized wire and plug on the end sorta like an hdmi cable but smaller. While the plug was mostly lined up I reached the hook in and hooked it UNDER the "plug" but AROUND the wire part of the plug. After, I simply pulled the plug up and into the bulb with my hook. Wow I cant believe it was that easy! Reverse steps to put everything back together and dont forget the dust cap.
PASSENGERS SIDE: Very similar, but some minor differences. This side was harder to reach but easier than it could have been based on experience from the drivers side. All I could really move to access it was to bend the washer fluid fill pipe over and wedge it under a turbo pipe. The only other difference was that there is an even smaller space to work the plug out, but its still workable. Now when you untwist the bulb it doesnt really give you more room to unplug the plug this time. I decided to partially untwist it and use my same vise grip/ needle nose technique to remove the plug from a slightly better angle. I believe I had to still put hand pressure on the back of the bulb while unplugging the plug to provide stability. I also messed up the metal surround on the plug but it did not affect the plug itself. I also used the same hook to line it up the plug when inserting it into the new bulb (after the bulb was clicked into place). With new bulb in make sure to put the dust cap back on and put the washer fluid tube back where it was. DONE with zero bumper removal!!!!!
I know this may be a little too descriptive, but I'm a details guy = ) It seems like alot of work but it took me around 1.5 hours. Now that I know how to do it I bet I could do both sides in under 1 hour. Trust me this is much easier than removing half your car to get a stupid bulb out!
