Changing a headlight bulb on a Ford Ka- JEEESUS!
Discussion
micawrx said:
McSAM,
Have you done a Fiat Stilo?, I once looked at one for a friend and walked away...
Was just curious how to do it.
Near side? Offside isn't too bad, near side I wouldn't like to ever have to do, looks like a whole load of sHave you done a Fiat Stilo?, I once looked at one for a friend and walked away...
Was just curious how to do it.
t has got to come out. (had a stilo previously)My '89 golf was so very simple. Literally bonnet up, unplug bulb, twist pull and then the reverse to put the new one in.
My puma is a longer job but still very simple. Grill off (two bolts), light cluster out (2 bolts and a twisty thing), pull the cluster out and unclip the back and then just take the bulb out and fit the new one. I don't ever want a car that is as hard as some of you lot are saying to do such a little job!
My puma is a longer job but still very simple. Grill off (two bolts), light cluster out (2 bolts and a twisty thing), pull the cluster out and unclip the back and then just take the bulb out and fit the new one. I don't ever want a car that is as hard as some of you lot are saying to do such a little job!
micawrx said:
McSAM,
Have you done a Fiat Stilo?, I once looked at one for a friend and walked away...
Was just curious how to do it.
I honestly can't say for sure. Certainly couldn't tell you how to do it, but it is reputed as being one of the biggest pains in the arse. I remember us having one in for headlight bulbs once, but don't think I went near it and I sadly can't remember whether we achieved the fit or not! I believe that to remove the headlight unit, the bumper needs to come off - whether or not you can get a bulb in without doing so is a different matter. I'll have to ask around!Have you done a Fiat Stilo?, I once looked at one for a friend and walked away...
Was just curious how to do it.
hora said:
How easy is a Focus mk1?
o/s is trivial. n/s is a halfords 'do not attempt'. Involves either removing the battery or taking the wheel off + wheelarch liner. It would be trivial but they had to add a superfluous bolt securing the light from beneath - later a ford service bulletin said dont bother refitting this as it takes too long and is pointless. The new bulb is still in the glovebox...
shouldbworking said:
o/s is trivial. n/s is a halfords 'do not attempt'. Involves either removing the battery or taking the wheel off + wheelarch liner. It would be trivial but they had to add a superfluous bolt securing the light from beneath - later a ford service bulletin said dont bother refitting this as it takes too long and is pointless.
The new bulb is still in the glovebox...
This one, as far as I can remember, is no longer a Do Not Attempt on our system. I can't say for sure because I never look at the thing any more, but I've done maybe a dozen of these. The battery tray is in a very obstructive position, but it is possible to remove the headlight rear cover and, better yet, put it back on again, with it in place. It just takes quite a lot of force, and some engines are harder than others. Five minutes if that if you take a big long flathead screwdriver to give yourself more force when refitting the cover.The new bulb is still in the glovebox...
The headlight units are indeed a right ballache to remove, though!
shouldbworking said:
hora said:
How easy is a Focus mk1?
o/s is trivial. n/s is a halfords 'do not attempt'. Involves either removing the battery or taking the wheel off + wheelarch liner. It would be trivial but they had to add a superfluous bolt securing the light from beneath - later a ford service bulletin said dont bother refitting this as it takes too long and is pointless. The new bulb is still in the glovebox...
I've never known a car to go through so many dipped and sidelight bulbs than my facelift MkI C5 - must have changed them all at least three times in 2.5 years of ownership - is there some kind of greater strain put on them in a car with multiplex wiring I wonder??
Anyways, nearside not so bad because you can take the battery out, but the offside is a living nightmare - only a few cm of space between the power steering reservoir and the access hole for the sidelight, which is barely big enough to squeeze a few fingers through - providing just enough length to tantalisingly touch the bulb holder with the very tips... Then there's trying to replace it without any visibility of the orientation of the bulb...
Just about got it down to about a twenty minute job now, took me three days of cursing and scraping my arms during lunch breaks the first time though!
Anyways, nearside not so bad because you can take the battery out, but the offside is a living nightmare - only a few cm of space between the power steering reservoir and the access hole for the sidelight, which is barely big enough to squeeze a few fingers through - providing just enough length to tantalisingly touch the bulb holder with the very tips... Then there's trying to replace it without any visibility of the orientation of the bulb...
Just about got it down to about a twenty minute job now, took me three days of cursing and scraping my arms during lunch breaks the first time though!
This is an old thread, but it's the first one that came up when wife's Ka needed a new headlamp bulb and I thought I'd better check on how to change one. I found this thread a bit scary, but decided to have a go anyway, with the option of taking the car to my local garage if necessary.
It really doesn't mean taking off the front wheel, or the radiator grille, or the battery, or anything else. It does need a torch and some dexterity!
First, there's a spring clip which holds on the rear cover of the lamp assembly. Pull the clip up to release the cover, and the cover can be lifted out and away.
The bulbs and their connectors can then be seen. To change the dip beam one, I pulled off the connector, then pushed in the retaining spring that holds the bulb in place, moved it to the side to disengage it from the hook, pulled it down, and took out the bulb.
Putting in the replacement bulb was the opposite process. The whole operation took about ten minutes - most of that was working out what to do, looking carefully using the torch to shine onto the area of operation. It would take under five minutes next time.
It really doesn't mean taking off the front wheel, or the radiator grille, or the battery, or anything else. It does need a torch and some dexterity!
First, there's a spring clip which holds on the rear cover of the lamp assembly. Pull the clip up to release the cover, and the cover can be lifted out and away.
The bulbs and their connectors can then be seen. To change the dip beam one, I pulled off the connector, then pushed in the retaining spring that holds the bulb in place, moved it to the side to disengage it from the hook, pulled it down, and took out the bulb.
Putting in the replacement bulb was the opposite process. The whole operation took about ten minutes - most of that was working out what to do, looking carefully using the torch to shine onto the area of operation. It would take under five minutes next time.
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