Side light bulb - How to replace ?

[smarty5927]

Before I ring the dealer and get my leg lifted, has anybody had to replace the nearside sidelight on a roadster ?

I can just about reach the connector at the back of the bulb, but it doesn't seem to want to come loose. Is it a bayonet type fitting ?

(p.s. I think we could do with another smiley that shows money being thrown down a drain)

[weebl]

nearside light

Hi,
I think the manual says that its a dealer job, but you know what they're like :smile:. I think it may also be bayonet but with a retaining clip so its worth having a feel around it to see if theres a metal u shaped clip holding it in place. If there is then it should be just a case of remove that and then pull.

Have you checked the offside because thats the side where theres more space so maybe you can compare?

Hope it helps

[smarty5927]

Ahhh, I'd never thought that there might be a clip as well.

Thanks, I'll have a dig around.

[weebl]

s'ok - if ya find one, could ya let me know. havent had a chance to look properly and gotta replace the offside glass soon ne way

Ta
D

[smarty5927]

No, didn't find a clip.

So I plucked up the courage to ring Smart Manchester (the supplying dealer). I expected to be told that the side lamp was only a dealer change item and it would cost a squllion quid to do, however, they told me that it was quite possible to change the bulbs myself and would I like to talk to a mechanic about it ?

To cut a long story short, what you need to do is remove the grey plastic headlamp surround, two screws, then remove the headlamp assembly, five screws, carefully lift out the headlamp assembly (it doesn't affect the headlamp alignment, I asked), and you can then reach down to get to the back of the light unit.

The only really tricky bit was actually removing the headlamp surround. As well as the screw fixings, there are also a number of clips. You need to start at the top of the surround and work down to the bumper as the clips on the headlamp surround actually hook into the bumper, so don't try levering from the bottom.

Hope this helps.

John

[weebl]

cool - do you have any pics for a howto?

How long does it take overall?

[smarty5927]

Sorry no Pics, did think about it, but the battery was (and still is) flat in camera and it would have taken longer to put some charge in the cells than it took to do the job.

Took much less than an hour to do, and that included a trip to the local motor factors to get a replacement bulb.

The most nerve racking bit was taking off the grey headlamp surround.

After removing the screws, start at the top of the surround and work down to the bumper. Gently pushing the surround towards the wing will probably help as the surround clips against the black headlamp assembly and not the wing itself. Try not to twist the surround.

The surround hooks into the bumper itself and if you try levering between the surround and the bumper to try and prise them apart you *will* break something.

The headlamp assembly itself is a straight lift once you have got the screws out.

In good old Haynes manual tradition, re-assembly is the reverse of the disassembly.

John

[Bernie Steakouse]

Hope someone can help...

What about the washer bottle, it's in the way?!

(I've just discovered this mid job!).

[Ferrina]

Side Light Bulbs

I'm not sure that's true.

I fitted some airhorns over the weekend, which meant removing the luggage tray. The bulbs are clearly visible and getatable without removing any headlamps or surrounds.

[madDan]

near side takes about five mins, remove boot liner, locate lamp get friendly gynocologist to talk you through probing in the dark! probably top corner of lower light unit and twist one way or another and pull back and thar she blows! reverse to fit

Drivers side is a pain - oh that reminds me I was going to try and knock up a tool to facilitate removal without moving water bottle! or taking front of car off!

as a side note the fog and indicator lamps on both sides are easy to replace it is only the drivers sidelamp that is awkward as right up in corner and can get hands in front of waterbottle to twist it.

coo this subject comes around I remember being accused late 2003 early 2004 of claiming I could do the impossible on thesmartclub until twenty minutes later I posted pictures up on the sight after going out to prove I wasn't lying, one guy was very annoyed as he'd taken it to the dealer and was charged a huge amount of money as their instructions tell them to remove the front panels!

[Bernie Steakouse]

Thanks guys, just went out and did it. Didn't think to remove the luggage tray either, my manual is in the post as it was all messed up (ex-demo Roadster Coupe bought on Sat).

I managed to replace both sidelights and indicators. It was only a little cosmetic job too! Halogen sidelights (brighter, whiter, road legal and don't look blue or a bit "odd" like LEDs can) and clear indicator bulbs!

I assume stuff like tray removal is in the manual (or on here somewhere) for future reference!

As it was I took two bolts off the washer bottle so I could move it a little, and then clipped out the inner wing partially and attacked the sidelight from both ends!

[SlashEMc2k]

I`v given up..
lol tried removing the bolts to see if I could move the washer no luck.
Tried forcing my little finger in through the tiny gap to turn the bulb still no luck.

So off to smart to tell them to use there micro robots to do the work for me..
passanger side was so easy :/