Member Since: 11 Dec 2012
Location: The Middle!
Posts: 122
changing a light bulb
who the had that idea you had to take the front end off or have tiny hands and a double jointed wrist to change a bulb??? nice hour and a half trying to replace a bulb in halfords car park!!
17th Jan 2013 10:11 pm
RichardB
Member Since: 03 May 2010
Location: Hants
Posts: 485
Bit weird, granted. But it's pretty easy to pop off the grill and then remove the light cluster (pliers help to lift the strip things). Should only take five mins.
Tried fixing a headlight build in our Focus and the air was blue. Bust the clip in the end and had to replace the unit. Grrrrr.
Pop bonnet. 10 seconds.
Remove grille. 30 seconds.
Remove headlight unit. One minute or maybe a bit more if the clips are stiff
Twist and remove bulb holder. 10 sec
Replace bulb and refit. 30 sec
Replace headlight and push clips down 1 min
Replace grille. 15 sec
Slam bonnet.
Call it 5 minutes.
Whatever were you trying to do?____
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17th Jan 2013 10:48 pm
Nasher
Member Since: 07 Mar 2009
Location: Clanfield, North of Pompey - UK
Posts: 2811
Mmm yes.
The D3 is probably the easiest car I've changed a front bulb on in the last 10 years.
It's slightly more difficult with front guards fitted, but even that is only another 30 seconds per side.
5 mins is more than enough to do both sides.
I'm sorry to say it, but I bet you made the day of the Halfords staff watching from inside the shop.
Nasher.Heaven doesn't want me, and hell is afraid I'll take over.
17th Jan 2013 11:06 pm
MarkOne
Member Since: 23 Jul 2011
Location: County Antrim
Posts: 3345
Has be one of the easiest cars ever owned to change front bulbs. You where just doing it completely wrong which made it very hard for you, you will know better the next time.
Maybe the OP tried to change the bulb without removing the unit, then gave in read the manual and completed the change?Altox GSM FBH controller thread
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17th Jan 2013 11:17 pm
kav1187
Member Since: 30 Sep 2012
Location: SX
Posts: 149
Headlight Removal
17th Jan 2013 11:18 pm
blowpipe
Member Since: 07 May 2009
Location: lightwater
Posts: 1111
Discoveries? Lovely. Try a 07 Corsa. I actually now pay the poor sods at Halfords £7 to fit a headlight bulb as I've had it with this car. Not only do you need the hands of a five year old and the dexterity of Yehudi Menuhin, but I can't believe how often bulbs go pop.
Top tip with a Disco - squirt some WD40 down the headlamp assembly release bar, go away and have a cuppa. Come back, easy.
RTFM
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Bit if the OP had a A bar, then it might have taken longer ?Mark.
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18th Jan 2013 7:07 am
Robbie
Member Since: 05 Feb 2006
Location: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Posts: 17932
Yes once there is some lithium grease on the slides and/or some loops installed to pull them up this becomes the easiest job known.
The bloke facing me on the ferry to France was amazed at the speed my wife and I jumped out of the car, popped the bonner, removed grill, removed and set a headlight each and put everything back in and shut the doors. He applauded and said we should both work for Maclaren.Land Rover - Turning Drivers into Mechanics Since 1948
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D4 & RRS style D3 grilles made to order
18th Jan 2013 8:47 am
rockcrawler
Member Since: 31 Oct 2012
Location: Ferring
Posts: 2884
A1GSS wrote:
Um. 90 minutes?
Pop bonnet. 10 seconds.
Remove grille. 30 seconds.
Remove headlight unit. One minute or maybe a bit more if the clips are stiff
Twist and remove bulb holder. 10 sec
Replace bulb and refit. 30 sec
Replace headlight and push clips down 1 min
Replace grille. 15 sec
Slam bonnet.
Call it 5 minutes.
Whatever were you trying to do?
Reckon I can do it in 4D3 Metropolis Bonatti Grey-Alpaca Leather-adaptive headlights-fridge-EGR blanking kit-Harmen Karden-Cruise-4x4 info enabled-Tinted Windows-Heated F&R Seats-Rosen rear Entertainment-LED'S everywhere -Smoked Side Repeaters-Rear Aircon-Vredestein Wintrac 4 Extreme-Puddle and Footwell Lamps-Stainless Steel Side Protection Tubes- NEW ASHTRAY ( thanks to dsd1036 )
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18th Jan 2013 10:54 am
RogerP
Member Since: 28 Dec 2012
Location: Midlands
Posts: 13
you should try changing one on an Merc. I had a ML320 last year and its was very nearly a dealer job to get done , not even one of my technical engineers at work could find an easy way to do it.
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had that idea you had to take the front end off or have tiny hands and a double jointed wrist to change a bulb??? nice hour and a half trying to replace a bulb in halfords car park!! 
