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Technical K&N filter fitted fine but BULBS WTF!?

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Technical K&N filter fitted fine but BULBS WTF!?

wegi

wegi

aka whitebravo
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Okay so I fitted my K&N replacement filter in about 10 minutes. Easy peasy. (the old one was hideously full of wasps and dirt etc so was worth it) Still to give it a test drive, but I started it up and reved it and it sounds all good.

Then I went onto fitting my new whiter headlight bulbs... and all I can say is... IMPOSSIBLE!!!!!!!!!

Took me about 10 minutes to fathom out how to undo the stupid clip thingy, and then I couldn't get the actual bulb out at all, was just shaking it around and it wouldn't come out. Then, after giving up, spent about 15 minutes trying to get the @!#"ing clip back on! and my finger really hurts now. :(

If I ever meet the person who designed the engine bay and access to the lights, i WILL kill them...
 
It can be done, even by a non mechanic like me :D

The passenger side is the worst, and beware dislodging the earth lead :bang: :bang:

for agro try changing the bulbs on a Panda, the naffing covers are right $%£$%£$^ to put back on !
 
It was the passenger side I was trying to do because it looked hardest, and I think it was the earth lead that was stopping me from pulling the bulb out.

I seriously don't want to have to pay a mechanic to do this for me...
 
I hear ya!!
I had a look out of curiosity after I'd cleaned my egr, couldn't believe how tight it was. My hands came out of the engine bay scratched to fook!! I'm thinking I might be better teaching my 4yr old nephew to do it with his tiny hands.
 
Try to stand on the side of the car and work blind, it is tight but 100 times better than stilo's, those are impossible without taking the whole light unit out. :D
 
I noticed the same thing about the bulbs, but i changed my mind about replacing them until i have too.

Boticed some other stuff, washer bottle filler cap is behind the bulb cover so i couldnt get my hand near it, aslo when i fitted the fog lights - there was no easy way to do it as there are loads of parts in the way - intercooler pipes, air filter holder.
Found it funny that the intercooler pipe blocks the adjuster for the fog light beam!
 
speedy1989 said:
I noticed the same thing about the bulbs, but i changed my mind about replacing them until i have too.

Boticed some other stuff, washer bottle filler cap is behind the bulb cover so i couldnt get my hand near it, aslo when i fitted the fog lights - there was no easy way to do it as there are loads of parts in the way - intercooler pipes, air filter holder.
Found it funny that the intercooler pipe blocks the adjuster for the fog light beam!
Click to expand...

you need to un-clip the washer bottle and move it out of the way. (y)
 
Imo, the bravo is one of the easiest cars to change a headlight bulb on iv'e come across. Brilliant access on both sides (so long as you take the washer bottle filler neck off on the passenger side) and a well designed light housing. I work at Halfords doing their WeFit service, so iv'e changed my fair share of bulbs, and some of them you come across are unbelievable (new shape Corsa and previous shape Megane but to name a few). Iv'e bled more than a few times changing a simple headlight bulb on certain cars!!

With regards to the metal retainer clip, most car headlights use these in one form or another to hold the bulb in place, and once you've got it sussed (push in, push left/right, let go, pull up) its relatively straight forward. Just practice i suppose :)
 
Last edited:
whitebravo said:
It was the passenger side I was trying to do because it looked hardest, and I think it was the earth lead that was stopping me from pulling the bulb out.

I seriously don't want to have to pay a mechanic to do this for me...
Click to expand...

You should have started with the easy side to learn the little tricks and have a look at the mechanism holding the bulb.
 
You should try with the fog lights next to see what difficult means ;) Especially the right fog light - the one behind the air filter. These are marked as "send to the garage" in the manual, but I am happy to say that after trying 4 different sets of "xenon-effect" bulbs until I find the right color, I became guru in changing these! :D It takes me less than 10 seconds for the left bulb and about a minute or so for the right one.

As for the headlights - these are much, much easier. You really should try with the easy one as Tad suggested - not a big deal, only a question of learning the right moves...
 
I know what you mean - just before my HID was fitted (in about 20 minutes or so), there was a guy with a Laguna. The car's entire front was almost completely disassembled, wheels included :) It cost the guy three times my price and about 2-3 hours to fit his HID...
 
lyubohar said:
You should try with the fog lights next to see what difficult means ;) Especially the right fog light - the one behind the air filter. These are marked as "send to the garage" in the manual, but I am happy to say that after trying 4 different sets of "xenon-effect" bulbs until I find the right color, I became guru in changing these! :D It takes me less than 10 seconds for the left bulb and about a minute or so for the right one.

As for the headlights - these are much, much easier. You really should try with the easy one as Tad suggested - not a big deal, only a question of learning the right moves...
Click to expand...

How about telling us how you did it and what Xenon effect bubls you are using, spare some of us the same problem eh? Or you don't like sharing:))
 
i have to say the bravo has the easiest access to the lamps Ive ever seen, and there so simple to get out im surprised they don't fall out!
 
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