Finding the chase and cutting to it

On our recent ski trip we discovered we’d lost the driver’s side dipped beam lamp.   Which is not exactly a legal position to be in but we were heading home and didn’t have a spare bulb – plus, I think I saw it go when we checked the orientation of the bulbs on our return from main land Europe.

Thankfully, we don’t need to use the car very much so my husband had a good look and declared the bulb was fine!

I love the fact I studied diagnostics as part of my HNC back in the early 90’s (1990s not any earlier than that ;)) and having researched what replacing the wiring or headlight unit ($435.44 plus VAT), I thought that with a few unallocated hours on my hands, I might check we were in that position (a diagnostic by the dealership is £168).

I looked in the handbook, took my volt meter and checked the wiring.  My headlamp unit is not a sealed unit: I went for the halogen bulbs back when I bought the car.  I can also switch on the headlamps from the keyfob.  Taking my volt meter and by passing the bulb, it was obvious everything else was working, just not the bulb.

Great, take the bulb out and check it’s not the bulb holder.  Only I can’t remove the bulb.  Check the user manual again and a couple of You-Tube videos.  I am doing the right thing.  I head back to the car.

It still won’t budge.  OK, let’s leave it all alone and get a spare bulb as everything else seems to be OK.  I head to the dealer ship.

Bulb kit

I bought my car in 2010, I have the option to buy a bulb kit which is a complete set of user changeable bulbs.  Even in my ancient car, some of these are sealed units so if a bulb goes you need a complete light unit 😮  Remember the £435 +VAT quote…

Anyway, I make the request.  The lady servicing the service desk hands me off quickly – I may look a bit of a mess, I dropped the roof on the car I drove over and I’m wearing trainers and a jean jacket.  I look like I paid cash for my car in 2010, you can tell – it’s actually one of the reasons I bought the car, the salesman treated me like a lady even though I had turned up to the dealership on a hyperbike: George treated me like I was a human being interested in buying an interesting car not a girl who was looking for her husband.

Anyway, a young gentleman from parts came out and did not understand the term bulb kit.  I explained that for some countries, especially in mainland europe, it’s a legal requirement to carry a full set of spares.  If you are pulled over with a dead bulb (this happened to me once in the UK and I bought and fitted a bulb in the next service station proving why you know how to do that, althought to be fair, in the dark, I did put the single bulb in 180º the wrong way round way) it’s a good to have, helps the police understand you’re a diligent and caring driver.

Anyway, after some wrangling and explaining, we get the right part ordered, although “there’s no guarantees they will work!”.  My car is completely standard, so I’m not that worried.  The bulb kit is turning up on Saturday.

So I head over to Halfords and buy a pair of H7 55W 12V bulbs.

Back to the car.

For the life of me, I cannot pull out the old bulb – while the fuse survived (and I do have a pair of them turning up on Saturday, just in case) I am increasingly thinking the bulb has over heated and bonded to the holder, not terminally welded but definitely a small ionic bong.  A simple jolt might be enough to break the bond, so along with the socket sets for removing the headlight unit, I fetch a large flat head screwdriver.  I am going to use that to prise and wiggle the unit.

Very gently prising and wiggling, it begins to shift and when it does, I ditch the tools and yank that baby out!

Fitting is the reversal of removal, I push in the new bulb and put back the fuse and switch on the circuit in the car and press the button on the key.

Success.  Turn off the circuit and refit the unit retest and I deem that a success.

To wit, my husband said the above 😀  He could buy me a good meal and a piece of jewelery 😉  That seems to be my going rate 😀

Equipment necessary

1. 10mm socket set, preferably magnetic (for removing the bolts holding the headlamp unit in place)
2. 10mm torque set with a small head and angled for the wheel arch bolt.
3. Head touch (in case you’re doing this in the dark)
4. Optional – large flat head screwdriver
5. Gloves to keep your grease off the halogen bulb (leather or plastic preferred, washing up gloves are ideal).

Method

1. Drive the car forward with full lock on away from the side you are changing.
2. Undo the bolts, including the wheel arch one.  That will stay in place the top ones have a habit of dropping so use a magnetic socket to ensure that doesn’t happen.  You will feel daft losing one and it embedding in your tire.
3. Wiggle out the unit and undo the dipped beam back cover.
4. Twist the lamp holder out and prise out the bulb.
5. Push in the new one and rotate back the lamp holder into its home.
6. Replace the back cover and carefully refit the headlamp unit.
7. Replace and tighten the bolts.
8. Retest the lamp.
9. When working, close the bonnet.

Should take 10 minutes.