Need a rant

[GTI_UK]

Not sure what this is going to achieve but might make me feel a bit better...

Why on earth are headlights designed in a way that anyone old enough to own a car has too big hands/ fingers to change a bulb?!

Last night I was trying to change the bulb on my Xenon headlights and some how managed to drop the indicator bulb inside the light.

I'm thinking small pipe on a vacuum or some sort of flexible magnet? Failing both of these will have to be a bumper off job.... Grrrr!!

Any advice welcome

[DaveB@Vagbremtechnic]

We've got some up scaling H7 bulbs for the rally boys at the office great I thought £30 I'll stick em in.


I sh1t u not its a bumper off job just to fit them in a corsa van..

[phil1975]

Rant away thats what we're here for

Feeling your pain, had to change a headlight bulb in the works van the other night, didn't matter that it was dark because there was no room to see anything anyway, it was all done by touch!! and the grazing of knuckles

[GTI_UK]

I remember on my S2000 the manual actually showed changing a bulb meant jacking the car up, removing the wheel, the wheel arch liner to get to the back of the light. Unless ofcourse you have hands of a 1 year old...

Has anyone managed to drop an indicator bulb and then get it without having to remove the headlight?

[RobboGTI]

I done it with a sidelight bulb. Just forced a folded long piece of duct tape inside the headlight, it stuck to the bulb easily and I just slowly pulled it out again

[rich83]

It can be done (i dont have small hands) but you need to intimately know the inside of the headlight unit so you can do it blind.

Alternatively get some xenons... mine have been going the best part of 3/4 years and are still going strong. 

[GTI_UK]

I may try the duck take thing but it's such an akward part to get to!!


I have xenons!! it's the indicator bulb that dropped in 

... I foolishly fitted the (brand new) xenon headlights without the bulbs (as the bulbs aren't the 'standard indicator' types) thinking I can buy and fit them later. Regretting that decision!! Fiddly, difficult to get to and a million wires in the way!! 

I think I'm going to try:
1) small pipe taped to a vacuum
2) telescopic magnet/ tape on a coat hanger
3) remove light - really hoping I don't get down this far... 

[apples12]

Remove the light...
I did this on my xenon lights too except with the sidelight bulb.right pain to get out with a pair of tweezers.

Good luck!

[Luka]

I've done the same. My orange lense inside the light also popped out so when the indicator was on it was just flashing white. Managed to get the headlight out without taking the bumper off, access through the washer jet/bumper covers. Pulling the orange lense back in place was a nightmare though!

[rich83]

I may try the duck take thing but it's such an akward part to get to!!


I have xenons!! it's the indicator bulb that dropped in 

... I foolishly fitted the (brand new) xenon headlights without the bulbs (as the bulbs aren't the 'standard indicator' types) thinking I can buy and fit them later. Regretting that decision!! Fiddly, difficult to get to and a million wires in the way!! 

I think I'm going to try:
1) small pipe taped to a vacuum
2) telescopic magnet/ tape on a coat hanger
3) remove light - really hoping I don't get down this far... 

Ahh.. yeah they are a ball ache. I would Bumper off and take all the lights out and change all the bulbs all at the same time. 

[MC71]

Remove the light...
I did this on my xenon lights too except with the sidelight bulb.right pain to get out with a pair of tweezers.

Good luck!

Yeap, remove the light IMO. May seem like a lot of work but its quicker than dropping a bulb then trying to retrieve it. Great vid on YouTube (somewhere) about headlight swap on a Mk5 and works a treat. Nice you've done it once, or twice, its no biggy!

 

[GTI_UK]

I know whats involved in the light out job - have done it twice now but a the cold wet nights draw in, I was hoping it would be a bit of fiddling with the buld rather than the whole lamp off job... of well...

[stealthwolf]

I feel your pain. Recently, my dipped beams failed, so I swapped them with the mains. When it came to replacing the mains, the clip holding the bulb fell out. Ended up being sorted by Alex and even then it took a few goes. A few months down the line and the dipped beam on one side failed, so I tried to replace it. Except it fell down the engine bay on to the engine bay cover. I had to wait until the engine had adequately cooled down and then fished for the bulb. Not fun.

[56OctyVRS]

It makes me wonder why VW didnt make the headlight like on my Octavia. I just unscrew a nut, pull a lever and the headlight unit comes out. Makes it a lot easier to change bulbs.

[stealthwolf]

To be fair, the halogen dipped ones are easy. Unscrew the cover off the back of the headlamp, twist to unlock the holder for the bulb, remove, pop out bulb and replace, place holder back in and twist, screw on headlamp cover. The main and side lights should have been dealt with in a similar fashion IMO.