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It seems between the MOT last week and today I have had a bulb blow. Obviously being as there are two on each side, the one that has one that has gone is the one that seems to be virtually impossible to gain access to. My hands don't seem to be narrow enough and able to bend in the right direction?
Before I actually try and fix this is there an easy way? Is there a way that doesn't involve the dealer?
Find a slim, wristed (lady) friend....
Or a gynocologist...
When i started losing knuckle skin on car lights i started shelling out the £6 for Halfords to do it. I've saved that in elastoplast easily.
Having said that, there's a guy in a LCS (local car shop) who fits for free. As such he gets all my business these days. I've got gallons of screen wash now....
I know its annoying and an affront to your manliness but just pop it down the dealership - I think mine did it free or charged a tenner. I had the diesel sporty one - you'd have struggled even using chopsticks...
If you're in the AA, call them.
People don't think of calling us for such a small thing but you can't drive legally in the dark with a blown bulb so technically your car is broken down.
Had exactly the same issue with our clio takes about 40 mins of faffing obout with a little mirror,modified screwdriver and a lot of cursing the designers. OTOH it is really well designed to squeeze that much stuff into a small space. are there no EU regs about maintenance of vehicles?
I ended up taking the light cluster out on my 2002 Polo!!! Bloody ridiculous if you ask me.
I saw someone having a bulb changed at Halfrauds yesterday, the whole light cluster seemed to come out relatively easily and more importantly clicked back into the right position (beam alignment unaffected).
This seemed such a good idea, why don't all modern cars have this arrangement? Thankfully my 52 plate Focus is quite roomy under the bonnet 🙂
On my last car I couldn't work out how to get access to change the headlight bulb, so after about half an hour I admitted defeat and took it to the local garage. He showed me how you do it - it was surprisingly straightforward, it's just about having the knack - you simply remove all the components that are in the way, starting at the back bumper.
So if the polo is anything like mine, just look methodically at what's in the way, and start dismantling. You'll likely only need a 12mm socket. Might also be worth having handy a Phillips head screwdriver, an engine hoist, a week off work in a fully equipped workshop and a phd in automotive engineering.
My mate has just gone thoroughly this work, light cluster has to come out it seemed in the end.
I ended up taking the light cluster out on my 2002 Polo!!! Bloody ridiculous if you ask me.
See Ford Puma; not just the whole light unit, but the radiator grill, and you needed a bloody great Torx wrench to undo the bolts holding stuff in. about forty minutes to replace a sidelight bulb.
Comes under Roadside repairs in the handbook... 😯
ford c-max front bulb changes require the whole headlight unit being removed. first time the bulb went i didnt know this and after 30 minutes of faffing about and cursing a lot i had to force myself to refer to the handbook.
that bulb lasted about 2 months before it went again (it was a cheap generic one from a supermarket).
so i bought a pair of decent ones with a 12 month guarantee from halfords and made them fit them
the nissan almera i had before that was a piece of cake on one side put a PITA on the other
Headlight unit needs to come out on my Jag as well. I've got it down to under 30 minutes to replace both sides now. I reckon Jag should use it to upsell HIDs.
I'd have Halfords do it, but I'd be more than a little concerned about them dropping a £500 headlight unit.
I'd have Halfords do it, but I'd be more than a little concerned about them dropping a £500 headlight unit.
if they drop it then they pay for it to be fixed
Had this with my old Merc A class, to change a bulb you have to remove the headlight, however to remove the headlight you have to loosen the front bumper and front wing and use a lot of wiggling to extract the headlight.
The Kangoo Van is a doddle in comparison.
Can be a nightmare.
My D Max needed bumper, grill, battery and air filter box removed so the headlight cluster could be removed so the bulb could be changed...
2005 Fiesta:
Handbook says to remove either the battery or screenwash bottle then loosen the wing mounts to access the headlight mount fixing screws.
Or you could do what I did: replace the stupid security screws (with Ford approved propriety heads) that they use to mount the headlight unit to the mount with standard ones from you local hardware store. Then you just have to unclip the grille (the clips will break after a few bulb changes) and undo three screws to remove the light unit. Stupid design.
I do remember one friend telling me how he was stunned when he was handed a bill of over £100 by his main dealer for changing a spot light bulb on his Golf. Turned out it required the whole front of the car to be removed 😯
http://www.volkswagen.co.uk/owners/how-to-guides/videos/lights/2
Vw dealers will change most bulbs for free if you buy the bulb from them
Or
Go to halfords buy the bulb pay them to fit it.
There are a fair few cars failing mot tests for headlamp beam patterns being incorrect these days due to incorrectly fitted bulbs, I know where I'd take a vw polo.
OK i succombed to reading the manual, not sure if i can ever live with myself again.
But piss easy. Undo two bolts on top, there are five but it clearly shows the two that have to come out. It then says push. There is a bit of resistance because of two clips it mentions to line up when refitting.
Light unit comes out, remove rubber cover, twist bulb holder anti-clockwise, out it comes, it then says pull bulb out of holder, again it fails to mention bulb is VERY tight fit, but gently with a screwdriver to lever it out.
Push new bulb in, taking care not to touch glass, reassemble, shove key in ignition to check and everything works.
Things the manual doesn't help with it has instructions for h4 and h7 bulbs but i couldn't see anything that actually told you which, a case of look at bulb in casing look at bulbs on sale and make a choice as to which was right.
When i started losing knuckle skin on car lights i started shelling out the £6 for Halfords to do it. I've saved that in elastoplast easily.
+1 far easier.