General Changing the passenger side headlight bulb

[T14086]

Re: Anyone Changed a Headlight Bulb???

There are much harder bulbs to change in other makes of car I can assure you of that! Most dealers only charge a nominal fee of £10 to which we do loads cause customers are sent to us from halfords who wont touch them.We do it for free if service is done,other work at same time etc...

 

[chromegrey]

Re: Anyone Changed a Headlight Bulb???

A couple of local dealers wanted 32.50 for labour to change it, I might try removing the battery and batteryhousing and try doing that way

remove the bumper, takes about 10 minutes, both my bulbs changed and bumper back on within 45 minutes

 

[Juego]

Re: Anyone Changed a Headlight Bulb???

Yeh same here, bumper off bulbs changed and bak on in under 45mins

 

[Stu DemonD]

Re: Anyone Changed a Headlight Bulb???

STUPID EFFING MOTHER OF ALL EFFING WEATHER......

So, with my nice new bulbs in hand, I thought I would attempt this - day looked ok, slightly overcast but I needed to start doing this whilst daylight prevailed :idea:

The only bulb that is blown is the passenger dipped BUT thought I would upgrade all 4. Had a quick look, and decided to proceed to each stage at the same time - removed battery cover, removed headlight cover on passenger side, then on drivers side - sorted - both bulbs out, and 2 new ones in, and covers clipped back on - total time like 5 minutes max :chin:

Then the tricky part, the dipped ones This seems to have the large cover over it, hence the issue on the battery side. So in my wisdom, thought I would attempt to do the washer-bottle side first - could I get that dam cover off; in the end, managed to squeeze it through a gap between the cables and hoses, and voila - a new dipped beam bulb in....

....and then the heavens opened :bang: :bang: :bang: :bang: and not talking about a few spots of rain, like a deluge. I was soaking, my Stilo manual [although why I even had that open, who knows ] was soaking, the whole engine bay soaking as I scrabbled around, trying to cover the battery and fuses again.

WHICH left me with this cover to replace - could I fit it back through the hole I got it out of cuts, nicks, blood, in the end I left it hanging, slammed the bonnet down, watch the front grill come loose and came back indoors, soaking

So looks like I will have to finish it off tomorrow - and it has put my plans tonight aside, having been invited out for a meal, and now I don't want to risk going anywhere with the cover missing

/rant

 

[Silver Surfer]

Re: Anyone Changed a Headlight Bulb???

I am new to this site but it is great to know that others have the same problems as me. I had both near side and offside headlights fail within a week of each other. The offside was easier as I had to only move the washer bottle but the nearside was really hard, especially as the spring clip dropped off when taking the old one out. Anyway, the scrapes on my hands have now healed but it was a right pain.

 

[middle1]

Re: Anyone Changed a Headlight Bulb???

Two weeks ago I had my nearside headlight blow (Abarth 2.4 Selespeed 3 door). Research Nuneaton changed all four for me with my supplied +50% bulbs and charged me £36.00.

It took them just under 2 hours but they said there was no way they could charge me that - so settled on the £36.00 Excellent customer service too.

That evening my offside headlight blew (new bulb - go figure..) and they changed that next morning for free - did not even charge me for the bulb. This took them 45 minutes. Wished me a Merry Christmas and said "no charge.

Just thought you guys needed to know that some dealers have fantastic customer service.

 

[Stu DemonD]

Re: Anyone Changed a Headlight Bulb???

Sorted

I went back outside this morning, with a few tasks - first, I had to replace the cover on the washer bottle side - so I removed the top nut to the bottle, which allowed it to be pushed back slightly, and voila, the cover went back on, and the retaining clip clipped back into place.

So with that knowledge, I knew I had to do the same procedure on the battery side. BUT when I came to undo the large retaining clip, I noticed it wasn't there, but resting to one side horizontally Still, one flick and the cover fell off - I could squeeze my hand through, removed the power clip, undid the small metal retaining clips with a long screwdriver, and dipped beam bulb out :woot:

Now the fun part ok, managed to house in the replacement BULB but the stoopid small metail retaining clip had managed to fall on the floor - so this was fun, trying to get it over a hidden top hook, at the same time ensuring the bulb remained seated, and then eventually clipping the bulb into place, phew. All along, my arms and hands being cut to shreds.....

NOW the worst part - putting back the cover, which I had in my hand. A few choices, remove the wheel arch liner, and try and go back in the same way it had fallen out, or somehow squeeze it past the battery box and what seemed like an endless lot of wires. Nearly got it in from the top way, but just so tight. So I decided to remove the battery, hoping to give me extra slack in the battery box, which it did, hehe. Cover replaced, and then a bit of a nightmare trying to put back the retaining clip, which wasn't on initially - 15 minutes later, all sorted, battery replaced, covers back on, and all 4 lights working :slayer:

Oh, and no rain as per the forecast

 

[johns]

Re: Anyone Changed a Headlight Bulb???

What the hell?

I've changed all my headlamp bulbs on my Stilo Abarth at some point. Takes me about 10-15 mins to change a headlamp or foglamp bulb from start to finish . All I do is jack the car up (so you can get the wheel out of the way of the liner screws), unscrew the arch liner and bend it back over the top of the wheel, then I have access. I then take the weather protection cover off the back of the headlamp unit and drop it downwards and then change the bulb of my chosing.
I did the passenger side one in less time than that once as I was at a while-u-wait MoT station and they were about to fail me for the dipped beam not working.

 

[dan-the-man]

Re: Anyone Changed a Headlight Bulb???

I can't get to my passengers side light from underneath the car cos the intercooler is in the way.

 

[johns]

Re: Anyone Changed a Headlight Bulb???

fair comment, forgot about the turbo diesels.

 

[Stu DemonD]

Re: Anyone Changed a Headlight Bulb???

And I didn't want to jack the car up either - my car is not in an ideal parking situation at the moment, plus my boot is jam packed full of stuff with nowhere for it to go hence why I decided to go in the top way I did look at the wheel arch option, even started to undo the screws, lol.

Maybe dealers ought to take heed of this as well - some have taken 2 hours.

 

[johns]

Re: Anyone Changed a Headlight Bulb???

when I did it at the MoT station i did it without jacking up the car, but the clearances aren't so good then.

 

[Stu DemonD]

Re: Anyone Changed a Headlight Bulb???

Tell me about it - as I said, I looked at the gap [I am lowered on Eibachs as well] and even started to remove the screws, but thought I would struggle just as much that way.

 

[Big Black Stilo]

Re: Anyone Changed a Headlight Bulb???

well i went in from the top, took me about 10 minutes to get to it removed battery box cover, battery, unbolted the 3 bolts on the box and lifted it off the strut, got the bulb out only to find out that some muppet got the bulbs wrong and had to go and change it at the shop, so leaving the car in bits, took the bulb back & got the proper one, and spent ages getting it in correctly with the help of an extra set of eyes. then put everything back together.

Only problem as the battery box wouldnt bolt into the car easily, and infact is now only held on by the 2 bolts underneath as the one at the back wont tighten up- thread not stripped and original bolt so dont understand it. I will back it up with washers at a later date.

Without travel time to exchange the bulb and my saturday sandwich- a shade over 2 hours.








Then the leveller stopped working last night.

 

[dan-the-man]

Re: Anyone Changed a Headlight Bulb???

my leveller has stopped working on the passengers side as well :bang: i've put it down to me being too heavy handed with the light after much swearing lol.

 

[Big Black Stilo]

Re: Anyone Changed a Headlight Bulb???

I think i have actually fixed this now- i lifted the bonnet and gave it a few thumps around the headlight and its back to normal. it had stuck in the 3 position and drivers was at 0 so there was a difference.

Its still jerky but works for now so it'll do till the sun comes out and i aint at work!

 

[westi]

Re: Anyone Changed a Headlight Bulb???

Well, after long consideration and reading every post I decided that Halfords was the way forward... And for £20 I got the driver side bulb fitted and a spare bulb for when the other one goes...

The Halfords boy (and I mean boy, looked about 12) had very small hands and managed to fit the new bulb without removing a thing and it only took 15 minutes!

The only niggle was that his supervisor came out and said "what are you doing, we don't touch Fiats!", so I'll have to do the passanger one myself when it comes round to it.

 

[joanthan1972]

Re: Anyone Changed a Headlight Bulb???

Just had my front dipped headlight changed at my local Stoneacre Fiat dealership.....£9.99 all in! the halogen bulb was £8.50 plus VAT, fitting was free...plus they changed the repeater bulb for £2.50 plus VAT....it was the drivers side, so not that difficult for them.....I asked if the cost would be more if it were the passenger side...but they said no, the same £9.99! hardly seems worth trying to change them yourself!

Basically seems that Fiat have accepted that this is a design flaw hence the free labour.

Fiat Stilo Dynamic 5 Door 2004

 

[kwei]

Re: Anyone Changed a Headlight Bulb???

Just changed the 2 main headlamps. Stilo 1.9 jtd.

well what a pain in the proverbial backside,
you really required someone with very small hands to do this , recommend buying a better designed car, like a lada or summit. Was fun but i don't want to do it again any time soon.

Used a small adjustable spanner to take out bolt holding the water bottle...(driver side) to give access to bulbs...small hand required and a fair bit of messing about to get the new bulb in the right way round (the grove on the bulb is sort of at the top)..you need to look at the same time to see if it's sitting right.

The passenger side is way awful....took off battery cover to loosen battery so it would move back a bit. Again small hands needed to get the new bulb in without having the damn silly clips getting in the way.

To do both again would take under an hour give or take a bit...It's all luck how easy it is..

Maybe best to change all the bulbs at the same time although the indicators look as though they would be a nightmare.:bang:

 

[twincamms]

Re: Anyone Changed a Headlight Bulb???

No don't!

It's easy, the driver side one takes about 30 minutes, just take of the wind washer bottle, then you've got access to the bulb, the passenger side one is just as easy, takes about 30 minutes too, just take out the battery, instant access, job done!