Steps taken to replace a burned out low beam bulb on my wifes 2009 GMC Acadia:
First, Waste approximately 1 hour looking for access to the rear of the headlamp assembly from above the engine compartment. You reason that this must be a simple enough job only requiring 5 minutes at the most. You are thinking this is the case due to the easy replacement of bulbs that has been designed into vehicles for decades. Heck my '03 Silverado has a simple pin that is removed allowing the assembly to flip down for easy access to the bulb, taking all of 2 minutes with no tools required and things have advanced since then, right??!!
Second, look in the owners manual and discover the only bulb replacement directions are for the license plate bulbs and notice a note indicating that if bulb replacement directions are not present then one should return the car to the dealer for bulb replacement.
Third, realizing that returning a car to the dealer to replace a light bulb would be completely idiotic and would cause the forfeiture of ones MAN card, you search the web for directions on the obviously easy steps that you are overlooking.....well it turns out nothing simple was overlooked so you feel better about your chances to retain your MAN card.
Fourth, one must remove 10 screws from the plastic wheel well cowling to access the rear of the headlamp assembly from the wheel well. You cannot simply unscrew them, because in order to get to the 10 screws the car must be started twice to turn the front tires each direction so there is clearance for a screwdriver to actually reach the screws.
Fifth, You won't actually be able to remove the cowling because it will still be fastened by some unknown force in the universe. You will just pull it down far enough to get your arms behind it just before it snaps back up cutting into your forearms. Please don't flinch and pull your arms back out or you will receive scrape marks down to your palms and if deep enough you may bleed out from cutting the veins and arteries in your wrists.
Sixth you will lose some knuckle flesh blindly trying to unscrew a plastic cap which will give you access to the lamp holder which you will blindly twist and pull back losing more knuckle flesh.
Seventh, you need a flashlight small enough to hold in your mouth since both hands will be needed to pry back two metal tabs that hold the bulb in the lamp holder.
Eighth...you will realize you have lost a large measure of your Christian outlook on life sometime during this process.
Congratulations, you have just removed the bulb.
The real fun part comes while trying to get the new bulb back in place.
edited to add: I feel like I have morphed into SMITTY!!!
