General light bulb change on 1.9 jtd
- Thread starter steaker
- Start date
Currently reading:
General light bulb change on 1.9 jtd
Attempt it if you wish, but it will take you a while 
I tried mine on a lunch hour but to no avail, and wripped my hands to shreds
Some have removed there bumper.
I waited till a quite spot at work then drive round to the stores, where i removed the battery at passenger side, and washer bottle at driver side. then its a case of the power of 2, whilst one holds the leads and cover out of the way, the other changes the bulb (its a tricky job for one person), took me 20 minutes for both sides or so (with 2 people).
i have skinny hands as well which helped
I tried mine on a lunch hour but to no avail, and wripped my hands to shreds
Some have removed there bumper
. I waited till a quite spot at work then drive round to the stores, where i removed the battery at passenger side, and washer bottle at driver side. then its a case of the power of 2
, whilst one holds the leads and cover out of the way, the other changes the bulb (its a tricky job for one person), took me 20 minutes for both sides or so (with 2 people).i have skinny hands as well which helped
Josh, I don't know how you found it easier with 2 of you in there, there's barely enough room for 1 hand, let alone 4!
I am one of the 'drop the bumper off' crowd, although the first time I changed my bulbs (for upgrade ones) I did them without removing the bumper. It's possible, but very fiddly, doing it with the cluster in situ. It's been covered plenty over the years, so have a go at searching the forum. There's loads of stuff on it, and you're bound to find the info you need. The only advice I'll give here is that if you're ever changing sidelight bulbs, be very very very careful with the little black plastic extractors that hold the bulbs in place. They're very brittle and snap very easily. I've already snapped one of mine trying to do it with the cluster in situ, hence why I now droip the bumper off and remove the cluster to do any bulb changes on the bench.
I am one of the 'drop the bumper off' crowd, although the first time I changed my bulbs (for upgrade ones) I did them without removing the bumper. It's possible, but very fiddly, doing it with the cluster in situ. It's been covered plenty over the years, so have a go at searching the forum. There's loads of stuff on it, and you're bound to find the info you need. The only advice I'll give here is that if you're ever changing sidelight bulbs, be very very very careful with the little black plastic extractors that hold the bulbs in place. They're very brittle and snap very easily. I've already snapped one of mine trying to do it with the cluster in situ, hence why I now droip the bumper off and remove the cluster to do any bulb changes on the bench.
Do the lot while your in there (side lights, dipbeam, mainbeam, fogs). You will never want to do one again!
Sell the car and get one with working headlight bulbs, it's a lot bloody easier.
I've just changed my n/s/f dipped beam bulb on my jtd stilo- very difficult.I took the battery out,but even bending back the plastic battery tray you still cannot get the bulb cover open far enough.Next[you might not want to do this] I took a heated stanley knife blade to the corners of the battery tray and slice downwards so that I could push the sides of the tray back further,but you still can't open the bulb cover far enough because it fouls the base of the battery tray.Next I got a bit violent with the bulb cover [this is where you graize your knuckles] and I pulled the cover off. Then I could change the bulb, and the next difficult bit is getting the bulb cover back on.What I did was jack the car up, take the n/s/f wheel off and remove the four phillips screws inside the wheelarch and pulled back the wheelarch liner. With my head inside I could see what I was doing with the bulb cover, and clipped it back in place.If only they had made it easy to take out the battery tray you wouldn't have to do all this. It's a hell of a lot of trouble just to change a bulb. I think [and hope] the o/s might be a bit easier,you only have the waher bottle in the way, but I've yet to find out. I hope my bulbs are longlife.I hope this helps,best of luck to anyone who tries this job.I was only spurred on to persist in doing this job because my local Fiat dealer[ Burgess of Sittingbourne] wanted £33 to do the job.They told me it would be difficult.
It can be done from above, without removing bumpers etc, but it's a horrible job. Take care to move all obstructing cables etc out of the way, get a good light (Petzl headlamp is ace), and some long pliers or forceps.
Roll your sleeves up and be prepared to spend 30 mins per side, repeatedly forcing your wrist in and out of twisted, sharp spaces, repeatedly fumbling the bulb and having to start again,etc. It really is a crap job....
Yeah I had the same problem. Managed to change them eventually but it is very easy to end up with your bulbs pointing all over the place. You think you've put them in straight but it is very difficult to tell when your hand is severely twisted and you can't see a bloody thing!
Best to get them checked after.
This kind of design stupidity should be made illegal.
Best to get them checked after.
This kind of design stupidity should be made illegal.
NumanR
Established member
Why dont you just use the access hatch for the bulbs behind the radiator?
All stilos have access hatches and the bulbs slide out on a carrier which runs on bearings so the alignment is never compromised. Replace bulb and slide sideways back in.
All stilos have access hatches and the bulbs slide out on a carrier which runs on bearings so the alignment is never compromised. Replace bulb and slide sideways back in.
Why dont you just use the access hatch for the bulbs behind the radiator?
All stilos have access hatches and the bulbs slide out on a carrier which runs on bearings so the alignment is never compromised. Replace bulb and slide sideways back in.
you need to have quite small hands as its quite a tight space
Please, please , please explain this with photgraphs mateWhy dont you just use the access hatch for the bulbs behind the radiator?
All stilos have access hatches and the bulbs slide out on a carrier which runs on bearings so the alignment is never compromised. Replace bulb and slide sideways back in.
NumanR
Established member
Got you there decks didnt I?
Nope the easiest way to do the outer bulbs is from under the car believe it or not, pull the wheel arch liner down and reach up from under the car, you will be amazed at how much room there is under there. Sorry to tease you mate.:worship:
Nope the easiest way to do the outer bulbs is from under the car believe it or not, pull the wheel arch liner down and reach up from under the car, you will be amazed at how much room there is under there. Sorry to tease you mate.:worship:
I thought i was teasing you? I've been in there enough times lately
Am i the only one that can do them -both sides- without removing anything other than the battery cover and the light bulb cover then?
We'll have to get a competition going
Am i the only one that can do them -both sides- without removing anything other than the battery cover and the light bulb cover then?
We'll have to get a competition going
Last edited:
- Joined
- Sep 12, 2003
- Messages
- 46,073
- Points
- 7,134
That is what I did, although I also moved back the washer bottle slightly.
I've had two passenger side (bloody Halfords bulbs) and one driver's side in the last month so I've had my initiation ceremony
I thought i was teasing you? I've been in there enough times lately
Am i the only one that can do them -both sides- without removing anything other than the battery cover and the light bulb cover then?
We'll have to get a competition going
nope
Now I knew you'd have the stamina
My tip would be to have the bulb connector off before releasing the clips when removing the bulb but have the connector already on when reinstalling the bulb
My tip would be to have the bulb connector off before releasing the clips when removing the bulb but have the connector already on when reinstalling the bulb
I can do it without removing the battery cover
Of course it means taking a club hammer to the front of the clusters....and I've been close to it before lmao
Of course it means taking a club hammer to the front of the clusters....and I've been close to it before lmao
A competition sounds good....
Not saying that im competative!!
Not saying that im competative!!
