SimpleSi Posted December 17, 2009 Posted December 17, 2009 Popped into Halfords to buy replacement bulb for car - lady asked if I'd like it fitted. I laughed and said I was OK thank you and went out to do it. 5 mins later - nipped back inside to see if they had a Haynes manual for a Ford C-MAX - no luck - sneaked past checkout lady - tried again - stil couldn't see how to do it! Got into pm school - googled - found enough info to get the job done :phew: I've changed whole car engines when I was 14 for goodness sake! Chastened Simon PS For ref - unscrew slotted/torx metal screw - press down on piece of plastic down BOTH sides of the assembly (they act as catches) (left one is hidden and needs long screwdriver to press it) then the whole assembly comes out!
IrritableTech Posted December 17, 2009 Posted December 17, 2009 I had a similar situation last year. I was waiting behind a lady at the checkout who was buying a lamp for her car. She asked if they could fit it. This meant they needed to take the reg number for their records, but she couldn't remember it. So she rang her boyfriend to ask the details. He didn't answer, so eventually she went outside to find it. She came back into the shop, and then they had difficulty finding her cars details on the till. All this time I am patiently waiting to be served with my lamp for my car. I was really close to suggesting to the lady that I could fit her lamp - saving her the £2.95 fitting fee, and my time. But I was getting quite cross, and was in risk of snapping at her, even though I was going to make a kind offer. So I kept quiet. Eventually I bought my lamp, and was offered the same fitting fee. I laughed it off. It took me roughly 40 minutes to fit that damn lamp in my car - blooming battery box in the way. All the time chuntering under my breath.
SC-UK Posted December 17, 2009 Posted December 17, 2009 I used to have a Mk1 Ford Focus, which on one side was an awful job to do. Battery box in the way needed taking out, and then if you had wrists bigger than a pencil, forget it! Must be a Ford thing :-)
TwoZeroAlpha Posted December 17, 2009 Posted December 17, 2009 Hehe, yeah must be a ford thing. To change a bulb on mine, or even adjust to continental driving the whole effing headlight assembly needs removing. So, rad grill comes off, unscrew and unplug headlight, take back off headlight, adjust, refit in reverse order.
IrritableTech Posted December 17, 2009 Posted December 17, 2009 Yep, mine was the MkII Focus! Ended up taking the whole headlight out the second time, much easier.
Disaster Posted December 17, 2009 Posted December 17, 2009 my old mondeo was a right bugger when it came to changing headlights! especially this time of year when it's oh so cold. just had snow here. woooooo
Psymon Posted December 17, 2009 Posted December 17, 2009 My old clio was easy to replace bulbs on, especially the rears as it was just twisting a plastic bandle to release the whole thing. Havent had to change a bulb on my last 2 BMW's
sparkeh Posted December 17, 2009 Posted December 17, 2009 Heh had some thing similar yesterday. Did the annual thing of realising my MOT was due on my Fiesta on the day it expired Managed to book it on for the evening and gave it a once over - argh the sidelights have gone! Drove over to Halfords in my lunchbreak, got the bulbs (dismissing the usual offer to fit them), drove home, took the grill off, disassembled the light assembly, put new bulbs in and BANG! they both blew Done this loads of times so don't know what happened but had to reassemble it all and go back to work. After work drove back to Halfords, got new bulbs and shamefully accepted the offer to fit them from the same person. Got outside and went to take the grill off for him to which he said "No need for that mate" and promptly reached round the back of the assembly and pulled the lights straight out and fitted new ones in about 10 seconds :doh:
maniac Posted December 17, 2009 Posted December 17, 2009 Muggins here used to work for Halfrauds, and used to do the fitting on products like bulbs. Used to feel pretty bad taking money for a job which normally only took me a few seconds to do! Some cars can be right pains to do thou, normally find battery trays and washer bottles being in the way are pretty common!
SteveBentley Posted December 17, 2009 Posted December 17, 2009 Did the annual thing of realising my MOT was due on my Fiesta on the day it expired Yeah, if the DVLA can send you a reminder that your tax is due, why not that your MOT is?
broc Posted December 17, 2009 Posted December 17, 2009 Try this .... To change a lightbulb.... it starts with jack up the car and remove the wheel..... Renault Megane II Owners Club :: Changing the headlight bulb on your megane
rad Posted December 17, 2009 Posted December 17, 2009 I did one in the car park to Halfords before, a police women walked past and commented, something like, "It would be easier in the light to change that" I replied "yes, but you guys may pull me over before then" to which she had no comment to make! Imagine the situation on the side of the road, when the policeman informs you that your headlight is not working, I'd hand it to him and ask him to fit it! Oh my car is a MkII Focus too! I agree its easier to remove headlight!
buzzard Posted December 17, 2009 Posted December 17, 2009 i went in to buy a headlight bulb for my dads passat, the assistant went "Which headlight is it? The one for driving at night or the one you use to flash with?" After a 5 minute discussion on the "one you flash with" i walked out and went to a local independant one for the bulb!
leon999uk Posted December 17, 2009 Posted December 17, 2009 Try this .... To change a lightbulb.... it starts with jack up the car and remove the wheel..... Renault Megane II Owners Club :: Changing the headlight bulb on your megane i believe that you have to do that with a Ford KA to!
plexer Posted December 17, 2009 Posted December 17, 2009 Meriva used to be a bugger particularly side with battery used to be easier to take headlight out. Fabia on the other hand was easy.
SC-UK Posted December 17, 2009 Posted December 17, 2009 Once I had got rid of the Mk1 Focus I spoke about earlier, we had an A4 Cabriolet - the easiest thing in the world to change a headlight bulb on, so much space to work with. Now I have a Volvo V70 (cue the pipe and slipper jokes), but it has Xenon's so have to take it somewhere to have them changed professionally. Not worth the risk of doing it myself as you can potentially mess up an expensive to replace system.
john Posted December 17, 2009 Posted December 17, 2009 MK4 Golf is a bit of a pain as well if you have amply sized hands, its a bumper, grill and lights out job unless you fancy pulling the washer bottle and the battery out (or enlist small children)
SimpleSi Posted December 17, 2009 Author Posted December 17, 2009 Well - I don't feel so bad now Simon
Andrew_C Posted December 17, 2009 Posted December 17, 2009 The number of cars driving around with only one light drives me to distraction; but I have some sympathy for those who have to take wheels off (my Honda Jazz included) to change a lamp. I intend to write to my MP to see if the Construction And Use Regulations can't be changed to require the 10 fundamental lamps to be changeable without tools, by a "normal" driver, at the roadside. I carry a set of lamps, but I'd be stuffed changing some of them!
enjay Posted December 18, 2009 Posted December 18, 2009 It isn't just Ford - on my Vauxhall, the headlight bulbs are removed through a panel in the wheel arch!
sidewinder Posted December 18, 2009 Posted December 18, 2009 I cant understand why any manufacturer would think its a sensible idea to require you to remove the wheel to change a bulb!!
enjay Posted December 18, 2009 Posted December 18, 2009 You don't need to remove the wheel, just turn the steering fully to one side. Still madness though, and really messy.
DAZZD88 Posted December 18, 2009 Posted December 18, 2009 IIRC my Corsa was a piece of pie to replace the bulb, just twist and pop. Haven't tried with the Astra though, hope it's the same.
SteveB_NI Posted December 18, 2009 Posted December 18, 2009 IIRC my Corsa was a piece of pie to replace the bulb, just twist and pop. Haven't tried with the Astra though, hope it's the same. My Astra (2007) requires me to turn the wheel to full lock & gain access through the wheel arch (as already described... isn't it a complete pain?! The country roads round here that I drive on make it such a messy job) Unless you have an older astra, in through the wheel arch you have to go! I'll be paying Halfrauds next time to save me the hassle!
SteveB_NI Posted December 18, 2009 Posted December 18, 2009 Muggins here used to work for Halfrauds, and used to do the fitting on products like bulbs. Used to feel pretty bad taking money for a job which normally only took me a few seconds to do! Some cars can be right pains to do thou, normally find battery trays and washer bottles being in the way are pretty common! Haha just realised it's not just me that calls Halfords Halfrauds... even ex employees do lol!
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