Cost of installing bulb?

Nissan doctor · 02-04-2011 01:23AM

On the corsa D you have remove the fuse box cover, washer funnel and the airfilter housing etc to access the bulbs, they all come out alot easier then removing the bumper IMO

The modus just needs the top retaining screws for the bumper to be removed, it then flexes enough to remove the headlights.

Thats just the way I do them though..others will have their way I guess.

slimjimmc · 02-04-2011 02:00AM

Fishtits wrote: »

Nissan Doctor, Your info is rubbish. Post Acts to prove otherwise... you sir are at this time a spoof.

As to the real mechanics out their that have suffered the customer wrath,

He ain't spoofing. Here's one for example...

S.I. No. 171/2010 which adopts 2008/89/EC (.pdf) which amends 76/756/EEC in order to reflect changes to UN/ECE Regulation No 48 (L135) which says (.pdf):

5.23. Lamps shall be fitted in a vehicle in such a way that the light source can be correctly replaced according to the instructions of the vehicle manufacturer without the use of special tools, other than those provided with the vehicle by the manufacturer. This requirement is not applicable to:
(a) devices approved with a non-replaceable light source;
(b) devices approved with light sources according to Regulation No 99.

Only non-replaceable and Reg 99 (Gas discharge) bulbs are exempt therefore the regulation applies to replaceable bulbs:

Replaceable light source’ means a light source which is designed to be inserted in and removed from the holder of its device without tool;

In other words, you must be able to change bulbs without tools or any tools you need must be supplied with the car. Ergo, you can change your bulb at the road side.

Nissan doctor · 02-04-2011 10:58AM

Cheers slimjim, I wasn't going to bother looking it up but its handy to have on here as a referance.

crosshair1 · 02-04-2011 11:16AM

So basically if the vehicle toolkit contains a torx screwdriver and the front of the car and headlamps come away with 20 torx fasteners then legislation is covered.

slimjimmc · 02-04-2011 12:09PM

crosshair1 wrote: »

So basically if the vehicle toolkit contains a torx screwdriver and the front of the car and headlamps come away with 20 torx fasteners then legislation is covered.

Looks like that's the case, nobody said it had to be easy

harry21 · 02-04-2011 12:26PM

OSI wrote: »

Just count yourself lucky you don't have a Renault Megane

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXCZ2v-nIF4

My OH has one of these and I can tell you that its a ten min job max. No need to take of the wheel, just turn it to one side. You do need patience and have to be able to visualise what your doing, but it not as difficult as made out in the video.

dharn · 02-04-2011 12:27PM

Fishtits wrote: »

Nissan Doctor, Your info is rubbish. Post Acts to prove otherwise... you sir are at this time a spoof.

As to the real mechanics out their that have suffered the customer wrath,

i am not a mechanic, and i find nissandoctors posts very helpful and informative i hate to see post like yours on any forum calling peolpe spoofers esp now that you have been proved wrong

02-04-2011 02:09PM

Fishtits wrote: »

Nissan Doctor, Your info is rubbish. Post Acts to prove otherwise... you sir are at this time a spoof.

As to the real mechanics out their that have suffered the customer wrath,

College lecturer strikes again :pac:

slimjimmc · 02-04-2011 02:41PM

harry21 wrote: »

My OH has one of these and I can tell you that its a ten min job max. No need to take of the wheel, just turn it to one side. You do need patience and have to be able to visualise what your doing, but it not as difficult as made out in the video.

Yeah, sensationalist TV at it's best. Kind of casts doubt over other Fifth Gear "revelations".

Plug · 02-04-2011 06:04PM

Nissan doctor wrote: »

Well done you, have a lollypop.

I don't think any 'real' mechanics out there would be having any problems worth mentioning with changing a bulb!:rolleyes:

Some bulbs are fiddley, yes, none are hard, certainly not for any competant mechanic and in over 10 years in the business so far I've never had to remove any bumper to change a bulb!:rolleyes:

Well fcuking said bud!

Mint Sauce · 02-04-2011 08:26PM

Nissan doctor wrote: »

You never have to take bumpers off to change bulbs. EU directives for car design say that bulbs have to be replacable by the average driver at the side of the road. When all cars had flat fronts and square or round headlights it was the same on every car to change a bulb, on modern with the trend for designer lights they can seem more difficult but there almost always a fairly simple way.

People have mentioned washer bottles in the way, if this is the case the bottle almost always just clips out of the way, many cars that appear to have little of no access to the rear of the light from the engine bay(megane II, astra H etc) will have a panel in the wheel arch which pops out to give access to the lights, other cars(vag, volvo, ford) will have a couple of screws or a clip holding the headlamp in place so it can be removed easily.

Does this apply to all bulbs. I had to replace the rear fog light unit on my 03 corsa. To do so I had to locate several pins inside the wheel arch and underneath the bumper, even after all this I still had to bend my arm in unnatual positions between the bumper and the body work to get at it. Even to get at the bulb its self would have required the same effort. Took a couple of hours in all.

Thankfully the dips and sides was only a five minute job.

slimjimmc · 02-04-2011 10:22PM

irish-stew wrote: »

Does this apply to all bulbs. I had to replace the rear fog light unit on my 03 corsa. To do so I had to locate several pins inside the wheel arch and underneath the bumper, even after all this I still had to bend my arm in unnatual positions between the bumper and the body work to get at it. Even to get at the bulb its self would have required the same effort. Took a couple of hours in all.

Thankfully the dips and sides was only a five minute job.

Rear fog lamp is mandatory so yes you should be able to change the bulb without needing any tools not supplied with the car but that doesn't mean it has to be simple or comfortable. From a quick web search you should be able to get reach in through/behind the wheel liner and feel your way to the bulb (probably lose a bit of knuckle skin on the way).

Nissan doctor · 03-04-2011 12:19AM

irish-stew wrote: »

Does this apply to all bulbs. I had to replace the rear fog light unit on my 03 corsa. To do so I had to locate several pins inside the wheel arch and underneath the bumper, even after all this I still had to bend my arm in unnatual positions between the bumper and the body work to get at it. Even to get at the bulb its self would have required the same effort. Took a couple of hours in all.

Thankfully the dips and sides was only a five minute job.

The problem is that its only a directive, not a law. There are no legal obligation on manufacturers to make bulbs easy to change. Fog lights are also not mandatory in some European countries(Ireland included).

Also saying that the bulbs should be able to be changed 'without special tools' is open to a fair amount of different interpretation, what are considered special tools? Just because something can be changed using only a screw driver doesn't mean it will be easy to change.

Cost of installing bulb?

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