Help, I'm an idiot!

[Bluejmc2005]

Hi all,

Anyone able to help? 2014 astra, my wife says do me a favour and change the daylight running lamp. I'm full of cold, eyes watering the lot but think done I can do that! Simple, not paying Halfords £18 for that! So, seems I need to disconnect the air filter housing to get access, fine, do that, hose disconnected from manifold get to bulb, remove bulb, bulb Halfords give me is wrong size. Get the right bulb, does it go straight in? No! And what happens next? I mange to drop both bulbs down where the air filter house hose connects, inlet? As pictured. Can't reach them with my man sized hands, can just see them down the bottom. Any ideas to get them out? I'm an idiot, should never had done this when not well

[Bluejmc2005]

[Bluejmc2005]

[ajprice]

Magnet on a string down the pipe? (If the metal parts of the bulbs are magnetic)

[Speed Badger]

Oh dear, I'm sure changing a bulb on a 2014 Astra is an engine out job isn't it?!

What about strong double sided tape stuck around the end of a pokey stick?

[Bluejmc2005]

Everything I do today is a mess!! What an absolute disaster, I have to try and laugh but it's hard. It's started to rain now too, of course.

[Bluejmc2005]

Thanks for the suggestions chaps, I think it's best I walk away from it for today and approach it tomorrow as I'm likely to end up more damage!

[Rough101]

I’ve a small hose thing that goes into a hoover hose for such emergencies

[GregK2]

Wouldn't just popping the top half of the airbox have given you clearance you need to access bulb? Hindsight now but still.

[Bluejmc2005]

GregK2 said:

Wouldn't just popping the top half of the airbox have given you clearance you need to access bulb? Hindsight now but still.

Yes, ample. But as title says, I'm an idiot!

[Bluejmc2005]

Rough101 said:

I’ve a small hose thing that goes into a hoover hose for such emergencies

Please tell me more....

[swisstoni]

Can’t you just leave the dropped bulbs, buy a new one and fit it and forget it ever happened?

[Bluejmc2005]

I was under the assumption that they would do damage where they are?

[SlimJim16v]

Working on modern tightly packed engine compartments you must have,

a magnet on a stick -

https://www.amazon.co.uk/SHINE-MAGNETIC-TELESCOPIC...

and a long grabby thing -

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Housolution-Magnetic-Four...

[Bluejmc2005]

SlimJim16v said:

Working on modern tightly packed engine compartments you must have,

a magnet on a stick -

https://www.amazon.co.uk/SHINE-MAGNETIC-TELESCOPIC...

and a long grabby thing -

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Housolution-Magnetic-Four...

Both ordered! Will the bulbs do any harm where they are?

[Bluejmc2005]

swisstoni said:

Can’t you just leave the dropped bulbs, buy a new one and fit it and forget it ever happened?

I was under the assumption that they would do damage where they are

[SlimJim16v]

Bluejmc2005 said:

Both ordered! Will the bulbs do any harm where they are?

It depends if they're before or after the filter and how much risk there is of getting into the engine.

[Bluejmc2005]

They have fallen down the part on the engine bay, where the hose attaches. I can just about see the bottom end of one of them.

[Bluejmc2005]

The bit that seems to lead somewhere under the wheel arch

[Bluejmc2005]

I'm sorry my explaining is so bad today, really am feeling quite unwell! They have fallen down the bit marked on this pic, where the hose from the air filter housing attaches