Screw head is stripped- how to get the screw out?

[hornian]

I was trying to replace a burned out headlight on my girlfriends car yesterday. I pop the hood and find the crew that's holding the headlight assembly in place, see its a philips, grab my screwdriver, and start unscrewing it. It turns pretty easy for awhile, and then the head starts to get stripped. I push the screwdriver in harder, try to make sure that I'm perpendicular so that it comes out easier, and keep going, but it only gets worse. Now the screwhead is pretty much completely stripped and I can't get the screw out. Any ideas?

 

[accuratehorn]

Well, next time screw the screw in and out a small amount each way until it will come on out, and a generous amount of WD-40 on the back threads would not hurt either.
At this point, you try to grab it with small vise grips and screw it back in a little, spray with WD-40, and screw it out a little, repeat until it is out.
Or file a slot in it so you can get a flat tip screwdriver in it, or file wrench flats on the side so you can get a small wrench on it, or get you drill set out and drill the head of it off.
Or trade the car in on a new one like most people do in this situation.

 

[MirrOlure]

Maybe a little much for a one-time job, but the Craftsman (Sears) Screw-Out damaged screw remover works like a charm.

Link

 

[BA93]

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[MrPhlegm]

40lb of semtex will take care of the job and the car, just stand WAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYY back when you use it.

 

[TexasOwnzYou]

hrm...any other suggestions?

some screws inside my pc seem stripped and i cant seem to take it out at all (the head is round, so i cant seem to use pliers on it)

 

[minivette_horn]

I was going to say try one of the following:
-E-Z-OUT
-If you have a dremel tool, score across the face of the stripped screw to see if you can get a screw driver on it.
-While doing a search I came across this.Sears

 

[Rusk]

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[minivette_horn]

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[accuratehorn]

You can break out your arc welder, and weld a larger bolt to the head of the offending bolt. Then you have something to grab onto and you can unscrew the stuck bolt.
Could be a bit of overkill in this situation, however.

 

[WesTex]

You have probably taken the screw out already, but if you haven't, this should work:

Get a pair of vice grips. Clamp them on the end of the screw and turn.

You are fortunate that the screw is sticking out enough to grab. Makes it much easier.

 

[TTUStudent]

what kind of car requires taking out screws to replace a headlight bulb ?

 

[accuratehorn]

Way back in history, about 8 or 10 years ago, cars had one piece headlight bulbs called sealed beam headlights.
They were held in place by a chrome trim piece, with 3 or 4 small phillips head screws holding the chrome piece to its frame. By the time a bulb burned out, usually 5 or 6 years, the screws would be good and stuck, as the poster found out.
There may even be a few or these prehistoric bulbs still installed on American pickup trucks or other unchanged by prevailing automotive fashion trends vehicles.

 

[wherzwaldo]

I had a similar problem trying to replace fog lights this weekend. Four screws on the back of the casing, one was hopelessly stripped. Even worse, the screw was in the corner of the casing AND it was completely screwed in, so ViseGrips weren't an option.

I didn't have the patience for a 45-minute trip to Sears, so I ended up taking a drill bit to that *****. When the screw head popped off, I was good to go.