Technical Removing a headlamp unit - easy/hard/daft question?

[Bonefish Blues]

The blessed Panda has done another eccentric thing. It's only gone and semi-melted one of its H4 bulb connector blocks such that only main beam works! Bulb's fine, both filaments are good.

Given it's a billionty-seven degrees below absolute zero (well a bit parky, anyway) I really don't want to be faffing in the driveway. Is the removal of the whole unit quite easy so I can do indoor faffing? I can find 169 videos but not for ours. Advice appreciated, as always.

 

[Herts Hillhopper]

The blessed Panda has done another eccentric thing. It's only gone and semi-melted one of its H4 bulb connector blocks such that only main beam works! Bulb's fine, both filaments are good.

Given it's a billionty-seven degrees below absolute zero (well a bit parky, anyway) I really don't want to be faffing in the driveway. Is the removal of the whole unit quite easy so I can do indoor faffing? I can find 169 videos but not for ours. Advice appreciated, as always.

I suspect the short answer is ‘no, not easy’ - I think you will need to take the bumper off as the lower screws are behind it (same with every modern car, before anyone says ‘typical Fiat’)

However, having had the same issue with a previous Panda, there’s an easy fix with light unit still on the car. You can buy a replacement plug which comes with short bits of wire attached and three crimp connectors. Simply cut the old plug off (leaving as much wire as you can ) and then crimp the new one on. Take care to join the wires correctly, of course, as the colours won’t match.

The problem is caused by the bulb, not the connector, if the soldering the joins the connector tab to the bulb is poor, or cracks loose owing to potholes. This then tries to draw a lot of amps through a duff connection and gets hot.

Plug: https://www.halfords.com/motoring/t...s/halfords-h4-bulb-holder-elec179-723646.html

Crimps — but note you need the RED ones which are for thinner wires https://www.halfords.com/technology...utoleads-in-line-crimp-connectors-576980.html

 

[varesecrazy]

I had a DRL fail yesterday,

Researching access today.. Somebody said:
"I've removed every visible bolt.. And the headlamp still won't budge"

Sounds like a job for better weather

 

[Bonefish Blues]

I suspect the short answer is ‘no, not easy’ - I think you will need to take the bumper off as the lower screws are behind it (same with every modern car, before anyone says ‘typical Fiat’)

However, having had the same issue with a previous Panda, there’s an easy fix with light unit still on the car. You can buy a replacement plug which comes with short bits of wire attached and three crimp connectors. Simply cut the old plug off (leaving as much wire as you can ) and then crimp the new one on. Take care to join the wires correctly, of course, as the colours won’t match.

The problem is caused by the bulb, not the connector, if the soldering the joins the connector tab to the bulb is poor, or cracks loose owing to potholes. This then tries to draw a lot of amps through a duff connection and gets hot.

Plug: https://www.halfords.com/motoring/t...s/halfords-h4-bulb-holder-elec179-723646.html

Crimps — but note you need the RED ones which are for thinner wires https://www.halfords.com/technology...utoleads-in-line-crimp-connectors-576980.html

Thanks - I've been spoiled by other designs like P3 Volvos and others where the entire unit is easy to remove & work on as needed.

I'd looked at the connector blocks, but really didn't want to be working on it on the drive in these conditions. There's word that it might be a heady 7 degrees tomorrow so that may be the day. Or not - but I hate driving around with anything defective on a car.

 

[Bonefish Blues]

I had a DRL fail yesterday,

Researching access today.. Somebody said:
"I've removed every visible bolt.. And the headlamp still won't budge"

Sounds like a job for better weather

Yes, but then the back of the car fell off, didn't it?

 

[Jamie KC]

I suspect the short answer is ‘no, not easy’ - I think you will need to take the bumper off as the lower screws are behind it (same with every modern car, before anyone says ‘typical Fiat’)

Can confirm “no, not easy” is accurate. I did manage to give the headlamp a reach around and remove every bolt/screw shown on EPS, even that last one tucked into the bumper/wing area. But headlamp lip still trapped by bumper, no way to remove it. Which is just silly.

Can confirm same with every modern car is NOT true.

Last night in the dark I decided to change headlamp bulbs on the 2012 S Max. It holds the indicator, the H1 high beam, an H1 cornering lamp, and a D2S Xenon. Ballast also attached to then unit, and a continuously adjusting self levelling mechanism for the dip beam.

Two screws per lamp, right on top. One plug then lift up and back.

Two minutes work and they are both out!

Fiat are just being awkward. I mean 7 bolts/screws to hold small glove box in place!

 

[Herts Hillhopper]

At least you can change the bulb without taking the bumper off. The early/mid 2000's Vauxhall Corsa is built so that you can't remove the back of the passenger side light because various underbonnet things (expansion bottle, air filter housing and so on) are all in the way. So you have to remove the lamp unit, and that means removing the bumper. Been there, done that. (It's one of teh cars Halfords won't fit the bulb to fir you... that tells you something). By comparison, my 2010 Volvo V50 had a single metal retaining bar you pulled up and out and then the whole unit slid out, like your Galaxy. No screws/bolts at all. You had to do that to access the power steering fluid reservoir that was underneath it! By 'modern' I meant in the last fewyears... the Panda is a 13 year old design now.

 

[The Panda Nut]

At least you can change the bulb without taking the bumper off. The early/mid 2000's Vauxhall Corsa is built so that you can't remove the back of the passenger side light because various underbonnet things (expansion bottle, air filter housing and so on) are all in the way. So you have to remove the lamp unit, and that means removing the bumper. Been there, done that. (It's one of teh cars Halfords won't fit the bulb to fir you... that tells you something). By comparison, my 2010 Volvo V50 had a single metal retaining bar you pulled up and out and then the whole unit slid out, like your Galaxy. No screws/bolts at all. You had to do that to access the power steering fluid reservoir that was underneath it! By 'modern' I meant in the last fewyears... the Panda is a 13 year old design now.

Mind you, Halfords in Norwich wouldnt do my company Astra bulb either so I had to drive 50 miles to the nearest place work had under contract to get them to do it. The blocke there turned teh steering wheel whipped out the acces plate, replaced the bulb, stood up and said 'All done mate, nothing to sign, cheerio' What can you say..... I had a Smart a few years back and one side was an easy job but the other turned theair acrossthe whole of East Anglia blue. Its pretty poor design but I suppose the conealed lamp edges is styling. On the 169 is was an easy job apart from teh seized bumper fixings. Not great in the open air though.

 

[lunchbeers]

I've done this and no it wasn't easy, there is a large bolt behind the corner of the bumper, which you can't see, and have to work blind. - see the mounting bottom right on the pic below.

Remove the 2 top bolts, remove the fixings at the top of the bumper and pull the grille part out to make room

Below the headlamp are 2 screws which remove the bracket clipping the lamp to the bumper, these are a pain to get back on, you can't remove the lamp without releasing the brackets and you have to sit them in place to refit.

Don't be tempted to adjust the large silver bolt heads under the top mountings on the headlamp as they are adjusters and will most probably knacker your alignment.

First time took me about an hour... I could probably do it in under 15mins now.