While out for a hobble I happened across a 57-reg Vectra taxi with its bonnet open, surrounded by a few drivers.
Using my licence to interfere, I asked what was afoot.
They were trying to change the front driver's side indicator bulb - an orange one.
The bulb sits in a holder which has no trailing wires - the connections are in the base of the holder.
Looks for all the world as if the bulb/holder should sit in the lamp unit and locate by a quarter or half a turn - simple.
But the combined brains trust of me and the taxi drivers couldn't do it.
We could get the bulb/holder into the light unit, but it would not locate properly and connect.
The moment has now passed, but I remain curious as to why we couldn't do it.
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As with most modern cars that now use this arrangement of bulbholders direct into the headlight,you need to find a person with triple jointed hands that can stand upside down under the bonnet.If the bulbholder would not locate ,it is possible that the orientation was out by 180 degrees .There is usually a detent on the holder that prevents it being rotated if wrong.On some cars it is easier to release/remove headlight rather than struggle.hth
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>> As with most modern cars that now use this arrangement of bulbholders direct into the
>> headlight,you need to find a person with triple jointed hands that can stand upside down
>> under the bonnet.If the bulbholder would not locate ,it is possible that the orientation was
>> out by 180 degrees .There is usually a detent on the holder that prevents it
>> being rotated if wrong.On some cars it is easier to release/remove headlight rather than struggle.hth
On many cars today, you have to remove the bumper to remove the headlamp, witch you have to remove to change a bulb.
In a worst case, to remove the headlamp, one has to disconnect wiring, to do that you may have to remove something else, maybe the washer bottle.
A 2 minute job, can take 45..... (at maybe £100 per hour! )
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>> On many cars today, you have to remove the bumper
Yep. Bumper off to access the lower fixing screw for the headlight. The inner wing gets in the way if you try and change the indicator bulb in-situ.
It's not as bad as it sounds though. 10 mins to get the bumper off if you know what you're doing. 8 torx bolts (4 along the top of the bumper that secure it to the bonnet landing panel, and 2 in each wheel arch) (T20 size) and 4 mushroom studs underneath that hold the bumper to the undertray.
>> In a worst case, to remove the headlamp, one has to disconnect wiring, to do
>> that you may have to remove something else, maybe the washer bottle.
To change the nearside headlight bulb, you just pull out the tube that pushes into the washer bottle. The washer bottle itself lives in the inner wing and doesn't get in the way. Offside bulb, you either take out the airfilter box, or bumper off. Personally I prefer the bumper off method as I've lost count of the numer of times I've scratched the back of my hands to hell trying to change an offside bulb with the airbox removed. Lots of jagged edges that the airbox fix to.
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...The inner wing gets in the way if you try and change the indicator bulb in-situ...
Probably why we couldn't do it.
They had the airbox off when I arrived.
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Just another reason why Mondeos are better than Vectras then...
Whistles and strolls off to pop kettle on...
:-)
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Heh Heh ! You bit then Dave ?
:-)
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Surely it wasn't that obvious ;)
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Vauxhall Vectra C - 07 1.9D Changing an indicator bulb - carmalade
