Headlamp bulb change

[spot-wobble]

We have a Renault Grand Scenic with a blown dip headlamp bulb.

Managed to pick up a replacement bulb in Bergerac yesterday afternoon.
Today I thought I would change the bulb, simple job surely?
No chance, access is severely limited on the drivers side with the battery and large cable loom close to the back of the headlamp unit.
It is impossible to see how the bulb is kept in place. The drivers handbook was of no help even when I had managed to roughly translate from the French.

I gave up, later looked on Youtube where there was a video on how to change the bulb on this model, the bulb is supposed to be rotated in its housing and then comes out.
Again with such limited access and being unable to see into the back of the unit I was again unable to remove the bulb. I could hardly get any grip to try and rotate the bulb connector.
So tomorrow it is round to garage and pay them to change the bulb - how crazy!
Soon the user won't even be able to do any routine maintenance on modern cars.
Heaven help if the electronic parking brake and/or engine start/stop button stops working....

At least our 1990 VW campervan is easy to work on.

No wonder there are so many cars being driven around with one headlamp out!

A very frustrated Andy!

[AlanBeckett]

Some years ago SWMBO had a Smart Fortwo. The Offside Bulb blew and I had a nightmares changing it but managed it in the end. The Nearside one was right up against the Aircon Unit. Although it was OK I got the Merc Garage to change it at the next Service. I suspect you had to remove the Body Panels to get at it.

Alan

[spot-wobble]

Alan,

Gone are the days of round headlamps and loads of space in the engine compartment.

Andy

[pwdrive]

Note quite, all the bulbs except the interior ones in my Landrover can be changed from the outside of the vehicle, easily, had a near miss once with a cyclops, should be impounded and crushed....

Lawrence.

[Cleggy]

I'd budget for about an hour to fit a new headlamp bulb in my Toyota Celica. A friend (who is a hands-on engineer) who has a Toyota Avensis tells me that he puts it in a garage to get a new bulb fitted. Crazy!

[Craig]

On to the next generation of cars that use LED headlights. Currently only as an option on relatively few and more expensive cars, it will surely trickle down as all new technologies do. Also does auto-dip, where the car senses where approaching lights are and dips the intensity of the LED's that are pointing in that direction and leaves the remaining ones on main beam.

Given the longevity of LED's, there should be no need to change them, ever during the life of the car from cradle to crusher.

But I entirely agree - changing incandescent/halogen/xenon bulbs in any car can be a royal pain.

[Bush Radio]

We had a Nissan Note for a short time. Horrible car ,but very easy to change headlamp bulbs.

Dave

[Murphyv310]

Hi.
The Rover 75 has access panels in the arch liner that enable you to change dip beam and sidelights.
The inner main beams are a different kettle of fish if you have short fingers and big hands then its a bumper off job, only takes 20 mins to take the bumper off though.

[Terry]

Interesting that this thread started with a French car in France.

You used to be told that, for driving in France, if stopped by the police you had to be able to produce a set of spare bulbs and, if a light was defective, replace it at the roadside.

What is the law now?

I had problems with my 02 reg Focus in that I could get at the nearside bulb to remove it - after a struggle - but couldn't get the new one in again. This was also a case of the battery being in the way.

I got my mechanic to fit it when he did the service: the secret, it seems, is a bolt accessible from beneath the wheel arch but, by then, my knees were making it so hard to kneel down that knowing the solution was academic!

I'm sure the handbook for my 61 reg Focus says it is now a garage job - I'll have to re-check that!

[spot-wobble]

Terry,

Still need to carry a spare set along with : hi visibility vest, warning triangle and spare set of glasses (if worn by driver).
I don't know if the Gendarmes/Police require a faulty bulb to be replaced at the roadside.

There were plenty of drivers around with faulty dip beam on our two trips to south of Bergerac over the last two days.

Andy