Rage! Focus n/s headlight replacement
Rage! Focus n/s headlight replacement
Author
Discussion

shouldbworking

Original Poster:

4,799 posts

238 months

Monday 3rd January 2011
quotequote all
What utter fking wipe tossbag of an assfking st eater designed this woeful bag of wk?

The manual is a fking dickensian work of fiction, correct only in that you have to remove the headlamp itself. It helpfully reads 'undo the screw on top, release the plugs on the rear, and remove the headlamp. Reinstallation is the reverse of removal'.

Bullst. 1 - there is no screw, there are 2 bolts. 2 - there is only one plug where the manual depicts 2, 3 - you cant just remove the headlamp, as there appears to be some fking retaining screw located somewhere in the fking wheelarch!

In the fking wheelarch? WHAT THE fk WHO THE fk THOUGHT THIS WAS A GOOD IDEA?

Lets see now we are designing what will probably be one of the most mass produced cars of the fking decade, so lets make it entirely fking impossible to perform a simple fking task. Also, you know what, lets supply an incorrect manual with the car! thatll fkING help wont it! LOLS off to the pub now seeing as its nearly lunchtime!

Found the ford service manual diagrams online - also shows removal of the grille as well as gettign under the wheelarch. Utterly fking astounding. The best part? 'we advise not reinstalling the lower retaining bolt so the job will be much quicker next time'

Utter wkstains.

ps. 2002 focus tdci - now to decide if i can be fked dealing with removing the battery and st behind the light instead as im sure as fk not jacking it up and taking the wheel off.

mk2 24v

730 posts

190 months

Monday 3rd January 2011
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is that the facelift mk1 shape?

if so, the battery can stay in place. the cover on the back of the headlight does come off and out the gap thats there biggrin

the trouble comes when trying to refit it and getting the top two lugs in place frown
just very carefully file them down until they are an easy fit and still locate the cover tighly tho tongue out

Dogwatch

6,373 posts

248 months

Monday 3rd January 2011
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Gave up trying to refit the n/s access cover from above. Now I just get straight on with undoing the three holding bolts for the lamp unit. Yes, there is one under the wing but on my '04 model there is a space between the rear of the bumper and the front of the mudguard liner which is sufficient for an arm with a ratchet and socket. No need to disturb the liner.
At least I kept my temper which quickly evaporated when I tried working blind in the space between the battery and the back of the headlamp unit.

Or, if you have a power pack and can keep the ECU supplied with juice you could take out the battery......

shouldbworking

Original Poster:

4,799 posts

238 months

Monday 3rd January 2011
quotequote all
Tis indeed the facelift mk1 shape.

I left it to be and decided to deal with the dead reversing light, which turned out to be half full of water with the bulb holder corroded to uselessness. Not clear on how to remove the unit to empty the water out either, as the manual lies horribly with that one as well.

BRISTOL86

545 posts

190 months

Wednesday 5th January 2011
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Don't Halfrauds fit bulbs for £1.99?

I think you've easily taken £1.99's worth of life off of your expectancy due to the rage wink

mike80

2,407 posts

242 months

Thursday 6th January 2011
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Just leave it, drive around with your foglights on to compensate...

Roop

6,018 posts

310 months

Thursday 6th January 2011
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Bizarre. It took me about 3 minutes flat to get the headlamp assembly out of both the Focuses (Foci) we've had. Maybe they changed the design or something...?