I think people with long thin hands can do it, but my fingers can't get hold of the holder at all.
I can touch it, but not hold it to turn it.
Mick.
Technical 500 1.2 daytime running light issue
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Technical 500 1.2 daytime running light issue
I can touch it, but not hold it to turn it.
Mick.
No long fingers, just regular size fingers and proper technique.
I've never been able to do it without taking the wheel off. [emoji122] to anyone who can do it o e handed and fill at the same time. I always use long nose pliers. The bulb I was referring to with the dodgy connection is the upper one. The big bulb us the DRL light.
They key is to be out the front of the car as shown in the video. If you're at the side of the wheel or behind it and trying to thread your arm around the wheel then you're fighting a losing battle.
Why are people so intent on doing it the hard way?
By doing it this way you can see exactly where he bulb is and don't have to worry about knocking it out of the holder and then having to get a bit of tubing to remove it from the light fitting.
Have a go at it the easy way and if you can't manage it then go ahead and take the wheel off, you've nothing to lose right? It really is so much easier when you can see the business end of the lights.
By doing it this way you can see exactly where he bulb is and don't have to worry about knocking it out of the holder and then having to get a bit of tubing to remove it from the light fitting.
Have a go at it the easy way and if you can't manage it then go ahead and take the wheel off, you've nothing to lose right? It really is so much easier when you can see the business end of the lights.
It can also help when refitting it to look in the outside lens?
That's what I'm saying, yes. If you're looking through the lens you can see through to the other side and know where to put the bulb to get it in.
Trust me, I've got stubby fingers, I wanted to get guitar lessons from a friend and she said my hands were too stubby to be any good!
It's certainly possible with the wheel on.
It's definitely easier with the wheel off, but if you've done it a few times already, not that much easier.
Is it worth taking the wheel off?
Maybe - it depends a lot on how well equipped you are. If you've got a hard level surface to work on, a decent trolley jack and a quality torque wrench, then removing a wheel takes only a few minutes and you can do other useful stuff while you're in there, like checking the brade pad wear level. OTOH, if you need to do it on sloping tarmac using only the tools that came with the car, then I'd recommend you leave the wheel where it is and work around it.
I don't think there's a right or wrong way to do this; some folks prefer to do a bit more dismantling and work with better access, others like to leave as much as possible in place and work around it whenever possible.
Maxi's useful tip to look through the lens from the front to see what you're doing is well worth doing regardless of whether you take the wheel off or leave it in place. Practical hints like this from folks who've actually done the job are much more useful than anything you'll find written in a handbook or workshop manual.
It's definitely easier with the wheel off, but if you've done it a few times already, not that much easier.
Is it worth taking the wheel off?
Maybe - it depends a lot on how well equipped you are. If you've got a hard level surface to work on, a decent trolley jack and a quality torque wrench, then removing a wheel takes only a few minutes and you can do other useful stuff while you're in there, like checking the brade pad wear level. OTOH, if you need to do it on sloping tarmac using only the tools that came with the car, then I'd recommend you leave the wheel where it is and work around it.
I don't think there's a right or wrong way to do this; some folks prefer to do a bit more dismantling and work with better access, others like to leave as much as possible in place and work around it whenever possible.
Maxi's useful tip to look through the lens from the front to see what you're doing is well worth doing regardless of whether you take the wheel off or leave it in place. Practical hints like this from folks who've actually done the job are much more useful than anything you'll find written in a handbook or workshop manual.
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I get that, if you absolutely can't do it because your hands are too big, too arthritic or whatever then that's that.
But as you can see from the video it's not impossible, in fact it's pretty easy and I suspect most people could do it with the pointers that the video gives. I will say that for a right handed person the other side is a bit more problematic but still doable. But if I can do it one handed then with another hand to balance yourself with it can be done even quicker.
Stupidly I was changing that bulb to prove a point to someone that pays Halfords £7 or whatever they charge to change a bulb and disturbing the bulb killed one of the filaments.
You can see why I've been so vocal on the issue.
Less than a minute spent ( 5 or 10 if it's your first time perhaps) without having to jack up a car or jacking a car up, risking it falling down, possibly falling on someone, potential for jacking a car up on the outer sills etc etc.
But as you can see from the video it's not impossible, in fact it's pretty easy and I suspect most people could do it with the pointers that the video gives. I will say that for a right handed person the other side is a bit more problematic but still doable. But if I can do it one handed then with another hand to balance yourself with it can be done even quicker.
Stupidly I was changing that bulb to prove a point to someone that pays Halfords £7 or whatever they charge to change a bulb and disturbing the bulb killed one of the filaments.
You can see why I've been so vocal on the issue.
Less than a minute spent ( 5 or 10 if it's your first time perhaps) without having to jack up a car or jacking a car up, risking it falling down, possibly falling on someone, potential for jacking a car up on the outer sills etc etc.
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Well I took all four wheels off but dare not say anything
i refer people to my previous comment.
Apart from my inability to do it with a bare hand, now I've secured the covers with tie-wraps, I need to have good access to fit new tie-wraps. Of course I could snip the existing ones off to get the cover off, but to fit new ones after the cover is back in place, I need better access to thread the ties through the holes.
For some reason, the wheel arch plastic has a bigger hole in one side than the other and the cover drops off and gets lost. At a tenner a time, it's an expensive hobby, so tie-wraps have cured it.
As JR says, if you have access to a flat hard area and a trolley jack, the process of removing and replacing the wheel is done in a jiffy and I reckon it's a very small inconvenience to make the job simple, straightforward and foolproof.
Regards,
Mick
Apart from my inability to do it with a bare hand, now I've secured the covers with tie-wraps, I need to have good access to fit new tie-wraps. Of course I could snip the existing ones off to get the cover off, but to fit new ones after the cover is back in place, I need better access to thread the ties through the holes.
For some reason, the wheel arch plastic has a bigger hole in one side than the other and the cover drops off and gets lost. At a tenner a time, it's an expensive hobby, so tie-wraps have cured it.
As JR says, if you have access to a flat hard area and a trolley jack, the process of removing and replacing the wheel is done in a jiffy and I reckon it's a very small inconvenience to make the job simple, straightforward and foolproof.
Regards,
Mick
I get that you can't do it with the wheel on... I think you've made that point rather clear.
Adding the complication of needing tools, a hard and level surface is not making it simple though. It'll take you longer to get your tools out of the boot than it takes me to do the job as a whole.
Adding the complication of needing tools, a hard and level surface is not making it simple though. It'll take you longer to get your tools out of the boot than it takes me to do the job as a whole.
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And you've made it rather clear that you can do it with the wheel on.
Can we stop this pointless arguing please?
It's a bit frustrating when you try and give people tips and they keep getting told that it's impossible.
Maxi.
At no time have I said that it's impossible.
On all the different threads on this, you have maintained that it can be done, and on on this one, you've actually filmed yourself doing it.
Obviously, it isn't impossible, and I totally agree with you.
However, what I find frustrating, is that you steadfastly seem to refuse to understand that I cannot do it, and I find it impossible.
I've tried every which way to get my fingers in there. Tyre out (like you did) or tyre in. I've been in front looking into the lens, and been at the back too. It's even almost impossible for me to get my arm past the tyre, let alone more than one single finger touching the bulb holder.
The only way I can do it, is to remove the wheel and use long-nosed pliers.
If there are any other folk shaped like me out there, they too won't be able to do it like you can and therefore need to remove the wheel.
Please understand that I find it impossible to do, even though you can, and that we're not all built the same. Please stop getting at me because I'm warning folk about a basic simple job may need a wheel removal to do.
Thanks,
Mick.
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It seems that I'm going to have to do YET ANOTHER DRL bulb change.
We've had the car 2.5years bought secondhand at 3years old at 13,700miles.
She's now done 26,500miles, and I've personally changed the RH DRL three times, and the LH DRL once.
The LH DRL blew this morning.
Some time back, I found a bargain packet of two for £3.99 so bought two packets. The second packet of two is still unopened ........... but I'll be opening it during the week to replace the LH light.
Soon, maybe in the next few months, I'll be buying LED bulbs. Yes, I know they aren't road-approved, but I'll take the risk. Changing these damned things is becoming a joke.
If I fit these, it will be fit and forget.
http://www.autobulbsdirect.co.uk/7443-Twenty20-Cree-LED-12V-580-Canbus-Wedge-Bulb.html
Regards to all,
Mick.
We've had the car 2.5years bought secondhand at 3years old at 13,700miles.
She's now done 26,500miles, and I've personally changed the RH DRL three times, and the LH DRL once.
The LH DRL blew this morning.
Some time back, I found a bargain packet of two for £3.99 so bought two packets. The second packet of two is still unopened ........... but I'll be opening it during the week to replace the LH light.
Soon, maybe in the next few months, I'll be buying LED bulbs. Yes, I know they aren't road-approved, but I'll take the risk. Changing these damned things is becoming a joke.
If I fit these, it will be fit and forget.
http://www.autobulbsdirect.co.uk/7443-Twenty20-Cree-LED-12V-580-Canbus-Wedge-Bulb.html
Regards to all,
Mick.
