Technical How Do You Change the headlights on Fiat Ducato 1994-2002

[Milomax]

REF: How Do You Change the headlights on Fiat Ducato 1994-2002?

Hi,
Failing to find manuals anywhere or videos on Youtube, Does anyone have instructions on/or have a manual for "How Do You Change the headlights on Fiat Ducato 1994-2002". Mine is a 1998 Ducato 2.5JTD, but for changing the headlights I am not sure if engine size makes a big difference, other than that different spec Ducatos if this age have different part number headlights (and have differing levels of functionality (e.g. servo or hydraulic levelling/alignment

Here attached are photos of the old light and the new one, so you can see the difference. I have two questions:

1. How do you change the headlight when it is one that has the thin approx 2mm-3mm tube feeding in to it, which seems to have a blue'ish liquid in it (being blue in colour I assume it is not hydraulic and if it is a headlight washing fluid, it is weird that it feeds "into", i.e. inside the light unit???) - Manual or instructions on changing the headlight would be great.

2. There seems to be a "frame" for fitting the above feature to which the tube runs to, which is attached to the old one, but do I take the whole piece from one light to put to the other, or being old and probably not working, can I just leave that off and do I have to bung up the pipe?

3. There is a white "bracket" there. Does that come off before fitting?


Thank you if you can help.

 

[Communicator]

I did own a 1990 Talbot Express for many years, and as far as I can remember, the headlights looked similar. However what follows is mainly deduction.

1. The thin hose with blue fluid in it will be for headlight levelling. Do not fall into trap of always thinking brake fluid, when hydraulics are mentioned.

2. I think that I have read somewhere that if fitted, levelling devices must function. Perhaps others can either confirm or refute this. More research into vehicle regs needed?


3. Your photo of the new unit seems to be inverted. I believe that the white bracket is part of the adjusting mechanism, and as such is necessary. The adjusting screws are are the two black plastic cross headed screws. The upper (nearest) one for vertical adjustment and the second one for horizontal. (That bit I can dimly remember.) It follows that the lamp unit must pivot at the lower end of the white plastic bracket. (The original units seem to have a black bracket instead.)

I hope that at least some of the above helps.

 

[Milomax]

Wonderful! That has raised another question I had. Thank you Communicator. Very helpful indeed. So...

Regarding the device/part/section "unit" that the thin tube, carrying blue liquid, goes into/is attached to, does this "unit" come off the bracket that it is attached to and then reattach to the bracket on the new headlight? (If so is there an internal connection to another internal part it is levelling that needs "connecting" or does it just push a rod into the receptacle of the white bracket?
(i.e. I noticed on the new headlight assembly that there is not a hydraulic device unit to which a tube would slide onto).

Sub-note: The new unit "inverted" - I checked left and right units ad they are of the same configuration. (I ordered this part number for a change from RHD to LHD for driving in Europe). They do look exactly the same.

Oh, on that point about part numbers, when I looked for the LHD version of the headlights, the original Fiat Headlights available had the SAME part number as the ones I have now (i.e. RHD version). I was told by a mechanic that the headlights cannot become LHD legal by use of the alignment adjusting screws. I was always suspicious when I was told this. I am now even more so. Can these alignment adjusting screws be used to do this (before I start dismantling pipes and such)?

 

[Communicator]

Sub-note: The new unit "inverted" - I checked left and right units ad they are of the same configuration. (I ordered this part number for a change from RHD to LHD for driving in Europe). They do look exactly the same.

Sorry, all that I meant to convey was that the top of the new lamp unit (in carton) was at the bottom of the picture. This has an effect on my description of adjuster positions. Perhaps I was wrong?

 

[Communicator]

Oh, on that point about part numbers, when I looked for the LHD version of the headlights, the original Fiat Headlights available had the SAME part number as the ones I have now (i.e. RHD version). I was told by a mechanic that the headlights cannot become LHD legal by use of the alignment adjusting screws. I was always suspicious when I was told this. I am now even more so. Can these alignment adjusting screws be used to do this (before I start dismantling pipes and such)?

I have never tried to do this, and would be very sceptical. RHD headlamps have an beam pattern which angles upwards at the LHS. I cannot think that you could adjust this away, and in an LHD situation it would be into the eyes of an oncoming driver. I recall reading about adjustable headlamps which could be set to LHD or RHD, by moving either the bulb holder or reflector.

Perhaps the best advice that I can give you would be to sign up to the "outandaboutlive" forum (free) and raise the matter there, but I am sure that there are members of this forum who have ventured into Europe.

 

[Communicator]

Regarding the device/part/section "unit" that the thin tube, carrying blue liquid, goes into/is attached to, does this "unit" come off the bracket that it is attached to and then reattach to the bracket on the new headlight? (If so is there an internal connection to another internal part it is levelling that needs "connecting" or does it just push a rod into the receptacle of the white bracket? (i.e. I noticed on the new headlight assembly that there is not a hydraulic device unit to which a tube would slide onto).

Sorry, I cannot help with this question in any detail. Perhaps a careful examination will reveal something. Be cautious about disconnecting the hydraulic tube. How would you fill it again to the correct level?

 

[Davren]

Be cautious about disconnecting the hydraulic tube. How would you fill it again to the correct level?

The hydraulic adjuster system is not refillable. It appears to be supplied as a pre-filled system comprising the two actuators that fit in the back of the headlamps, and a control cylinder that fits in the dashboard and is controlled by a rotary knob.
.

 

[Milomax]

Sorry, all that I meant to convey was that the top of the new lamp unit (in carton) was at the bottom of the picture. This has an effect on my description of adjuster positions. Perhaps I was wrong?

Oh please do not apologise. You prompted me it to check it and I am glad I did.

 

[Milomax]

The hydraulic adjuster system is not refillable. It appears to be supplied as a pre-filled system comprising the two actuators that fit in the back of the headlamps, and a control cylinder that fits in the dashboard and is controlled by a rotary knob.
.

Ah thank you. So, you might therefore know about the device/part/section "unit" that the thin tube, carrying blue liquid, is attached to? Is this whole "unit" (which looks to be screwed to the bracket, which is more visible if you look at my photo of the new headlight), removable to then reattach to the bracket on the new headlight? Does it have push a rod that seats into the receptacle/recess of the white bracket that then adjusts the height adjuster?
If the above is so, then I will not have to disconnect any hydraulic lines and will make the job a great deal easier.

 

[Milomax]

I have never tried to do this, and would be very sceptical. RHD headlamps have an beam pattern which angles upwards at the LHS. I cannot think that you could adjust this away, and in an LHD situation it would be into the eyes of an oncoming driver. I recall reading about adjustable headlamps which could be set to LHD or RHD, by moving either the bulb holder or reflector.

Perhaps the best advice that I can give you would be to sign up to the "outandaboutlive" forum (free) and raise the matter there, but I am sure that there are members of this forum who have ventured into Europe.

Yes, makes absolute sense. I had heard that about the rear lens pointing the light from the opposite side of the light (i.e. for LHD the right side of the mirror deflector points to the light to the left side of the road.

 

[Davren]

Ah thank you. So, you might therefore know about the device/part/section "unit" that the thin tube, carrying blue liquid, is attached to?

I've never worked on one; I just looked for the part in the parts list.

I suspect the two actuators will have a ball on them that pushes into each of the split holes in the white plastic parts in the back of each headlamp.

The small cut-out in the metal parts suggest that the actuators fit into the metal parts with a twist and turn action.
.

 

[Milomax]

The small cut-out in the metal parts suggest that the actuators fit into the metal parts with a twist and turn action.
.

Brilliant! thank you, I suspected as much.