Honda: 1999 honda civic dx help, xenon headlights, replaceable bulbs

Question
QUESTION: i just bought a 1999 honda civic dx and i have a few questions. there are no tacks on the dash. if i go to an auto wrecker or buy one off the internet, do i have to worry about wiring and all that crap?? or does it no matter. and also my horn doesnt work, can u tell me where it is located or how to take it out. i am not sure, a wire could just be faulty. thanks

ANSWER: I am not familiar with a swap like you've mentioned (new dash), it would be quite a pain in the butt even for an experienced guy like me to do.

As for the horn, they are usually located in front of or behind the radiator. It can be a multitude of possibilities as to why it is not working.

1) It can be that the fuse is blown; 2) The physical horn itself is dead; 3) There may be a break in the cable leading to/from the steering wheel; 4) The contacts in the steering wheel that activates the horn may be bad.........I'd check the horn first to see if it works by running 12 volts directly to it, if it goes off then you know it something else. If horn is good then proceed to troubleshoot 3-4.

Hope this helps.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank you. Yes it does help. and ive got one more question. i am about to buy a set of xenon headlights off ebay and they say that these headlights wont work unless they are not sealed headlights. do you know if a 1999 honda civic dx has sealed headlights? or should i literally go find out myself by trying to pop the headlight off. thank you

Answer
As far as I know, they are not sealed, they all have replaceable bulbs, the only catch is make sure its within the wattage rating of the stock unit or you may melt the bulb connectors leading to the bulbs (higher amperage draw).

Also, never touch the glass portion of the bulb when you do the swap, the oils in your skin will shorten the life of the bulb and possibly crack it as it heats up.