Headlight bulbs

[colVR4]

I m already embarrased about having to ask this and I haven't said anything yet. :$

The drivers side bulb has just gone on my headlights so I had to get a new one. Managed to figure out how to remove the connector at the back, took off the gator and lifted the clip securing the bulb. The bulb and clip came out together. I placed the new bulb into the housing on the plastic adapter and put it back in t'hole. Then went to put clip back in... :dozey:

and thats where the problems began. Where the brinking heck does the clip go on to? I have spent about an hour trying to get the frickin' thing back on and it just won't go. There is hardly any room to see into the back of the fitting and bugger all space to work in.

I am sure that there is a REALLY simple solution to this and I am being completely inept but I can't figure it out.

HELP HELP HELP

[Kieran]

.... The bulb and clip came out together.


THAT is your problem, Col. This happened to me on the GLS.... The Clip should *NOT* come out. It should just swing up out the way. The clip should be anchored in the top of the headlamp housing. If it's loose, forget it. You simply won't get the bloody thing to stay put.

It sounds like the same berk that did the nearside headlamp in on my GLS has had a go at your car in the past Col!!! D'oh!

[SGHOM]

congratulations Col !! 1 hour is probably the quickest yet at changing a bulb !! :rolleyes5 they are a complete pain in the ass to do !!
I've done several, & you have to do it by feel !! there's no room to see what you're doing. a small mirror may help to see where the clip locates, apart from that, It's just luck !! :rolleyes5 :rolleyes5

[Big Ian]

best way is........remove the grill,indicator and then the headlight and sit on yer butt with the light on your lap and you can see what your doing ;)

[wirdy]

The spring steel clip is only held/pivoted on a poxy crosshead screw - any sideways pulling on the clip and it springs out of the recess!

Col- PM me your e-mail & I'll send you a detailed pic of the back of the headlight if you want - it all becomes clear then ;) and will save you the trouble of removing your headlight - you'll need a right angled (tight access) screwdriver though to undo & tighten the screw again.

I put the picture in the my members cars section, but it looks too small to me to be of use - see what U think. or I'll e-mail it to you.

[Brind]

It's one of those things where you struggle, struggle, swear profusely, struggle, struggle, swear profusely yet again and then it pops in like a knife through butter, you then swear profusely wondering why the hell it would not go back in in the first place.

[I-S]

Hmmm... I managed to change all four bulbs on mine (Bosch Xenon Power :-b)without much difficulty at all, but then again, none of the clips came out when I did so... It's fiddly back there (although I imagine worse on the fuller engine bays on the V6 or VR4), so good luck...

[colVR4]

it took 1 hr to figure out that I couldn't fit the "*ç%&ing thing....ahem!

I will have another go tonight though and see if my patience can take the strain. Thanks for all the....helpful advice. I will have to get my vanity mirror out of my handba.....Nicola's handbag and try that.

What great engineering to make a job that should be so easy to one that would rate a 'four spanner' in a Haynes manual :rolleyes5

[pezza]

it took 1 hr to figure out that I couldn't fit the "*ç%&ing thing....ahem!

I will have another go tonight though and see if my patience can take the strain. Thanks for all the....helpful advice. I will have to get my vanity mirror out of my handba.....Nicola's handbag and try that.

What great engineering to make a job that should be so easy to one that would rate a 'four spanner' in a Haynes manual :rolleyes5

Hmm Yep been there too; it sounds like it should be such a routine/easy job.
I have never had the clip disappear, but that sounds like a nitemare if it does
... and its always needs changing on a Sunday afternoon early evening, just b4 Halfords (or similar) is about to close, the light fades and it begins to drizzle..
:sad3:

Good luck Col...

As for haynes manual? Thats a sore subject already!

[lorriman]

I bought 2 Philips Silver Vision bulbs but failed miserably to fit them one Sunday afternoon. I couldn't get at the nearside one at all and the clip fell off the other side, so I patched it up with one headlight shining down at the road and took it along to the local dealer. They fitted them both for nothing but the guy who did it grazed his knuckles 'cos he didn't remove the battery as (apparently) you are supposed to do for the nearside headlight.

It's as if the designer for the front of the car never met the team putting the engine bay together.

[Big Ian]

i'm still sticken by with what i said earlier,It's easier just to take the grill and headlight out to replace the bulb's,a few small clip's round the grill,1 screw on top of the indicator ,4 10mm bolt's hold the H/light and then un-plug the connection plug's (stripped,new bulb's,re-fitted all in less than an hour)

[colVR4]

Oh no... Can you believe that the other bulb has blown now. Hopefully with the battery removed it will give me more space to work with than the other side. At least I know what I am getting myself in for this time so that I can dedicate a weekend to replacing the bulb :(

[Polabear]

congratulations Col !! 1 hour is probably the quickest yet at changing a bulb !! :rolleyes5 they are a complete pain in the ass to do !!
I've done several, & you have to do it by feel !! there's no room to see what you're doing. a small mirror may help to see where the clip locates, apart from that, It's just luck !! :rolleyes5 :rolleyes5


10 mins........ and lifting my a/c pipes out of the way.... :p

[Physician]

i'm still sticken by with what i said earlier,It's easier just to take the grill and headlight out to replace the bulb's,a few small clip's round the grill,1 screw on top of the indicator ,4 10mm bolt's hold the H/light and then un-plug the connection plug's (stripped,new bulb's,re-fitted all in less than an hour)

I agree with you Ian ...... when I first bought my VR4 one of the bulbs had blown and I took it to my garage (NOT Mitsy) and my mechanic immediately took grill off and then headlight unit to replace bulb. He had never done any work on a Galant before ...... but I guess experience told him what to do. I recollect it only took him about 15/20 mins but I may be wrong.

[ritch_w]

had the same greif changing the side light bulb - its worse as you have to squeeze and pull the connector at the same time (with no room to do it!!!)

anyway after an hour of swearing, arse scratching and head scratching, i repeatedly kicked the tyres in a basil faulty style fashion and then removed the battery, still was a bugger to get the connector out!!!!!

with such tight dimensions no wonder its impossible to get a decent feed of cold air into the airbox!!!!!