(T) Help! Headlights/Sidelights on a MJTD?

Hi, I have an 06 Stilo Sporting 3dr Multi Jet MJTD 120bhp that needs an MOT, but before I can book it I need to sort out two of the bulbs that have gone at the front.

On the passengers side just the Headlight has stopped working and on the drivers side one of the sidelights next to the headlight is not working.

I have read through the guides and all the relevant threads I could find via my searches here, however I still have a few questions unanswered.

1. Is it doable to change these bulbs with out removing the bumper? (One post in one of the guides stated that with JTD it is not possible but petrol you can just about do it. So I am confused with my mjtd)

2. Does anyone know exactly what bulbs I need to buy so that I can have them ready before attempting this?

3. (If it is too difficult for myself) Do Halfords still fit bulbs for customers or would my only option be to take it to a specialist?

Thank you.

It's certainly doable if you go via the wheel arch although still a bit of a pig of a job as even then the intercooler still gets in the ways (just makes removing cover difficult).

I suspect some will argue it's better to remove the bumper since in your case you need access to both side.

I'd strongly recommend using +50% white bulbs and if you do remove the bumper then changing all 4 becomes a doddle

Front sidelight bulbs are W5W although only one of the two on each side blown is not an MOT failure.

If you have filament bulb headlamps:

Main beam bulbs are H1 55W.
Dipped beam bulbs are H7 55W.

If you have gas discharge headlamps, the bulbs are D2R 35W.

It is possible to replace them without removing the bumper, but I always remove it.

It is possible in the 1.6 i know. Its the covers that are difficult to get in and out. I find that if you undo top bolt on the lights that the extra few mm movement is a big help. Also removing the water bottle out of the way is absolutely necessary.
The problem with halfords is you never know if the people are any good or not. They employ anybody to do fitting and arent trained properly so you have to rely on them actually naturally being any good.

i did this over x mass and the bumper off is an extra 10 mins overall believe its so much easier . it is a good idea to change ALL the bulbs . you don't want to repeat the job a week later because the other side bulb blows!

halfods charge £5.00 to change a bulb , once they saw what`s involved , they declined.

Thank you very much for all the information.

I think that I will try and remove the bumper, as it sounds like a better option considering what has been said. Interesting to hear that Halfords declined to do it for you, £5 would have been tempting but as you say they are not trained/read up on the stilo guides.

How do I find out if I have Gas Discharge Bulbs? I assumed mine are filament.

I will try and get those +50% white bulbs and replace both dipped headlights and just the one sidelight while I am at it.

Thank you

If you have gas discharge headlamps, you will also have headlamp washers and you will not have the headlamp beam height adjuster on the foglamp/MODE switch panel.

Ok, thank you, I will double check tomorrow but I am pretty sure that means I do not have gas discharge headlamps.

Hope not.... D2R bulbs are £140 each from Fiat.

OK I have been to Halfords.

Bulbs: I decided on the 90% bulbs as recommended by the Halfords staff member. Hope that is ok, Argonought.

On checkout the lady said: Would you like us to fit these for you? (if only it was that simple I thought?!) Well I was fully prepared to get the car back and commence taking the bumper off so I said: “hmmm, only if you have fitted bulbs in a Stilo before” – a what? she said. A Fiat Stilo. So she turns around and asks the closest staff member. Some discussion later and despite my attempts at telling them of the horror stories I had read on here, they insisted that he was very good, and it was no trouble. I agreed happily, although quite sure I would be returning in the next 5 minutes for a refund. £10(1 for £6, 2 for £10) for the dipped beam headlights and £6 for the sidelights.

A torch, a new bulb(free) to replace one that got dropped during fitting, a lot of fiddling about from above, (not from below which I thought was the more common method?) 30 minutes later I had 2 new dipped headlight bulbs fitted. He tried to do the sidelight as well but it was too tricky to get the old bulb out. I told him that he had saved me a lot of work and that I was VERY pleased to have the main bulbs fitted and that the sidelight is not urgent for MOT. Sidelight fitting fee was refunded.

So all in all I am extremely happy that it is sorted. MOT is booked for Thursday, fingers crossed that should go fine.

Next time I may have a go at it myself via the same method.

I used to work part time at Halfords and they would not normally change these bulbs. Most of the time employees are not trained, even if it was only the battery that needed moving they would not attempt.

You must have got somebody that was willing to give it a go, because their reference book would tell them to leave it alone.

H

Very Interesting. As I said, I insisted it was not an easy job, perhaps the challenge is what they wanted. He seemed to have a lot of experience. I think I was very fortunate.

Sounds good to me

I'm extremely surprised they managed it in 30 minutes unless the mJet is designed differently to the older JTD in the headlight area

I've also done it from the top but it took over 2 hours (not counting having to do it again because one bulb was fitted wrong ). My hands, by this time, were all cut & bleeding too so I swear NEVER again

Yes, the Mjet is slightly different to the old JTD in terms of layout. The battery box is non existant on the passenger side, and on the drivers side the only thing in the way is the washer bottle. Seems they decided to correct some of this design flaw when they added this engine to the range.

Ouch! yes this was not at all as bad as that. I wondered if something was going on, great to know the Mjet is easier. Hopefully other MJet owners can take note of this.

Perhaps a slightly revised section of the guides would help a few people even if all it said was, this guide is not intended for Mjet owners.