Headlight reflector piece

Hi guys — there is a little reflector piece on the inside of my 2nd gen headlight assembly. It has reflectors on the outside (and probably inside..?) and covers over the bulb. This piece has fallen off on the passenger side so the headlight doesn’t work as well.

Does anyone know what this piece is called, or for bonus points, how to reinstall it?? It looks like maybe a tiny screw holds it in, but without disassembling the headlight assembly I don’t know how I’d do it...

 

If it’s laying inside the headlight assembly. It’s a no go. They are sealed, you could heat up the assembly where the lens is glued to the back housing but it’s a pia. Look for a used headlight assembly cheaper and faster. Good luck.

 

Dang, that’s what I was afraid of. Thanks for the advice, I’ll look around.

 

Bulb shield.

 

+1 to all of this.

In addition to the headlight "not working as well," it's likely blinding oncoming traffic, making it a safety hazard for you and those around you. Without the reflector in place, light is not properly focused and projected, resulting in a much more scattered pattern. (This is why it doesn't appear to work as well for you, as it blinds oncoming traffic.) Recommend you fix/replace the assembly ASAP. If you decide to go with a replacement, look for OEM or CAPA-certified aftermarket to ensure correct optics. Uncertified aftermarket units MAY be no better than the broken one you replace. Good luck!

 

Thanks guys. The bulb is out now, so it’s not blinding anyone, but I plan to replace it soon.

 

It’s a lot easier than you think, opening the lights is a piece of cake! You’re not even painting it either, makes it even easier and saves you some dough!

 

Got any suggestions? I might as well try it now that I have the thing out anyway.

 

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/bhlm-hope-this-helps.453052/

 

Okay, so to wrap this thread up in case anyone is interested or it happens to someone else.. The issue was that (after 140k+ miles), the screw holding the bulb shield in place had fallen out and the bulb shield was rattling around inside the headlight assembly.

Once I had the headlight assembly out of there, I was able to shake it upside down until the “tail” of the bulb shield fell through the opening the lamp goes in. Using a little paper-clip ingenuity and some patience I was able to hang it in place and thread a machine screw and washer in on top. It’s an m2.5 machine screw, for the record.

The Ace near me only had 40mm long in that size so I had to cut it to length. I also fab’d a little square washer out of some thin steel to augment the store bought one as I was afraid it wouldn’t cover the whole opening and hold the thing in place.

I covered the screw in loctite and torqued it down as much as the little head could take, so hopefully it’s there for the count!

Anyway, it’s all fixed up now and it cost me a total of about a buck fifty instead the 80-150 for a new headlight assembly...