Changing Bulbs On A Modern Hatchback!

[agent_zed]

who ever designs the headlights for most modern hatchbacks needs a good kicking. They are so hard to replace these days! especially when most of the time the people replacing them have large hands incapable of getting into the impossibly small space!

 

My brothers old fiat stilo required the wheel arch to be disassembled. Rover 25 was a pain in the butt too.

Just tried to replace the bulb on GFs 2006 polo and the stupid fuel filter is bolted in the way. Think from youtube videos you have to remove the headlight unit to replace the bulb. Not the easiest job for most people, especially if you wanted to do it on the side of the road on a dark night.

 

Sisters megane coupe wasnt too bad although still had to remove a screw and pull up a lever to slide the headlight forward.... once i'd worked it out.

 

My pet hate is seeing cars with bulbs out, especially on the drivers side and sometimes neither headlight or sidelight working. accidents waiting to happen. but this doesn't help if people can't easily change them

 

makes working on the 2b a pleasure, everything (mostly) just easy to get to!

 

be safe out there

[blue]

I agree

just done the lights on my bmw and bumper has to come off and then you take the light out !!!!!

What happens if you have a bulb out in say france where it's a fine!

It can't be that hard to design a space behind the light

[richyb66]

They don't design the lamps so the bulbs are deliberately difficult to change. The position of the bulb is determined by the optics of the reflector and the shape of the lens, these are driven by the style of the car.

 

The engine probably fits in several different cars, everything under the bonnet goes in any space that's left over. Also there's minimum clearances between under bonnet hard points and the outer surfaces to meet head impact requirements.

If getting a better safety score means the bulb is harder to fit, then that's what will be done because safety and not ease of maintenance, sells cars.

[nicko]

On my 2009 yaris the drivers side headlight bulb is easy to get at, but the passenger side is a real pain. There's a small fuse box in the way which is bolted in before the wing is fitted, there's space for it to be an inch further back which would make bulb replacement a 5 minute job instead of 2 hours!

Nick

[Guest peter2b2002]

on my Z3 off side ok but n/s you have to take off the whole head light unit

peter2b

[Guest janis]

Go to halfords..i tbink they charge £2 for changing bulb..let them take it apart..

My lexus dont even have normal bulbs but ones in special plastic kind of molded in...not easy to get i think..thanks god never needed to change in 30k miles

[kevin the chicken]

Just had the same trouble with my wife's honda crv. You can just see the back of the fitting with a torch but not if your hand is in there and I still haven't worked out how the retaining clip works. I just pulled and pushed at for about 15 minutes until it came undone and the same with doing it up. On a positive note my cursing and swearing saw off a big bunch of trick or treaters who crossed the road and tried the other side where it was quieter!

[maw]

Ford Ka was just about doable for anyone with hands the size of a 6-yr old!

 

Seat Leon Cupra was a little better but I lost many a knuckle skin!

 

Volvo S40 = no problem... Why? Because you had change them that often not only did the designers give you plenty of room you had a lot of practice!

 

Oh happy days struggling with cramp & back ache!

[maccavvy]

5th gear iirc did a test on this very subject.

 

megane vs golf.. both 5 star cars.. one took 5 mins. the other needed the wheel and arch liner removing then tight access.

 

my monaro headlight and sides are easy. the indicators are super difficult.

[fry61]

I always have trouble with mine --- especially lighting them --- in the wind --- keeps blowing the match out.

[Guest 2b cruising]

Pay a little more for your bulbs from Halfords and get their little boys to fit them.

[maccavvy]

depending on the difficulty halfords prices vary.. they dont even touch the beetles or lupos.

[speedtripledan]

just changed bulbs on my 307cc easy enough with my big hands, my lads smart forfour on the other hand was a pain had to change them through a pull out panel on the wheel arch liner one i could see the other side was by feel,

307 blew the drivers side then exactly one later week (550miles) blew the passenger side, they do seem to have certain life span and not as long as the manafacturer claims either...

Edited November 13, 2015 by DanE

[theduck]

5th gear iirc did a test on this very subject.

 

 

I remember watching them record that at the back of the Custard Factory in Birmingham

[Guest peter2b2002]

Just had a look about the lights on my freelander take wheel off remove arch liner then a small panel to get to the bulb

Peter2b