Hi,

Can any one advise how you replace the offside (drivers side) dipped bulb.

I managed the other side by removing the pipe to the water bottle but now the other one has blown.

I can't even get the black cover off properly , can anyone advise the easiest way to do this without dismantling half the car.

Thanks.

Did this the other week, in the end I took the black plastic shield above the radiator off (held on by what seems like hundreds of torx fasteners but is in reality about ten) and the job was then quite simple.

DoIDon'tI said:

Did this the other week, in the end I took the black plastic shield above the radiator off (held on by what seems like hundreds of torx fasteners but is in reality about ten) and the job was then quite simple.

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I have changed both sides in the last few weeks, I too tried removing the trim you mention, but I found half of the captive nuts were siezed solid :bang: and turning on the plastic (damaging it as well) so I persisted with the struggle as normal. On the RHS I had to remove the airbox to get the round plastic cap off the headlamp. I used a mirror to ensure the bulb was aligned in it's seat properly, there does not seem to be any positive 'notch' location for the bulb to sit in, the first time I tried it without the use of the mirror the beam pattern was way out although the bulb seemed to be seated right by feel and I had to do it again.

I've only ever changed the LHS one (in the dark, in a Little Chef car park), and found the same as above - it did feel like it was sitting properly, but the beam was pointing at the stars. I took it out and fitted it again in the same way and it was fine.

I didn't dismantle anything or use any tools to change the LHS one (as I didn't have any with me), but my hand had several painful red dents in it after. I have quite long, scrawny hands - perhaps people with muscles or shorter fingers would struggle.

Would it be possible to change the RHS one without tools, even with a struggle? If not then I need to improve the onboard tool set.

OK, sorry everyone, confession time - I've just realised it was the full beam light I changed on the driver's side, and the dipped beam on the passenger's. In other words, please disregard what I wrote above as it's not relevant to the subject - sorry

Getting old and have a cold at the moment so my head's full of squiggly lines

Thanks for all your advice.

Will give it a go - just wish these things were designed well in the first place !

potter99 said:

Will give it a go - just wish these things were designed well in the first place !

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I remember very well a work mate who would always take the mickey out of Fiats. When he found out that on my Stilo Abarth a bumper removal was required for headlamp renewal he was jubilent and poking fun for ages.

Volvos would never make such a stupid design error....etc.....etc..

Some months later he is shelling out money to a Volvo dealer to have his front bumper removed to replace the bulb.

Needless to say with a little effort I did my bulb on the drive wihtout removing the bumper. If I remember correctly it was not that easy and I had to remove some other stuff but I got there without shelling money out to a dealer.

Mr Volvo driver paid the price for his belittling of Fiat cars.......

Remember FIAT = FIRST IN AUTO TREE .......

s130 said:

Volvos would never make such a stupid design error....etc.....etc..

.......

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And look at what they produce, not exactly cutting edge styling is it? The back end of the C30 is hideous.

Radlet6 said:

And look at what they produce, not exactly cutting edge styling is it? The back end of the C30 is hideous.

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Probably because it's an S40 with the boot chopped off, which itself is based on a Ford Focus. It was never really designed, just serially fudged!

I love posh-label cars that are crappy bread-and-butter cars under the bling, e.g. a Saab 9-3, which is a Vectra with a Fiat engine, i.e. a Croma. And of course the Jaguar X-Type Mondeo.