changing a Honda headlight

[Adam Funk]

I went out to change the blown lamp in the headlight today --- of course it was the RH one again, which is less accessible because of the filling tube for the windscreen washer.

I took the old one out, thinking to myself, why the heck can't they make this easier to get into? Just making the filling tube fold out of the way would help. Grumble grumble. Especially since there are 2 points on the tube that look like the joints in bendy straws. Hey, does that clip move? (You can see where this is going.)

Anyway, yes, the filling tube can be unclipped & folded out of the way, & it makes putting everything back together a lot easier. I wish I'd discovered this years ago. Next time, I'll find out how much easier it makes removing the blown lamp too.

[harryagain]

It will never blow again. (Sod's law)

Don't get your lamps from Halfords. Get them from the dealer, they lastmuch longer.

[ARW]

Dunno that that is true, but a 9.99 for an H7 from Hafords I am mnot going there. They are 4 at the local motor factors. And yes my headlight bulb blew this morning:-(

[dennis]

A complete emergency set of bulbs was cheaper at the main dealer than one headlamp bulb from halfords. That was before trade.

[Adam Funk]

I won't complain about that.

I get them from a branch of Bullseye (I think).

[Jethro_uk]

Some cars need to be jacked up and have the wheel arch liner removed to get to the front bulbs. It's intended to be a main dealer job.

I wonder what happens in France, where cops have been known to make a motorist change a blown bulb before letting him go again ?

[Tim Streater]

This is a very good point - I tried to replace one on our 2008 C4 and failed - can't get your hand in there - had to take it to the dealer.

[Adam Funk]

Wow, what a swindle.

The French appreciate it when visitors try to speak French. I guess you practice "Monsieur, pouvez-vous m'emprunter un cric, s'il vous plaît?" before you go, if you have kind of car. (Sir, can you please lend me a jack?)

[Jethro_uk]

Certainly a 2005 Renault Megane, since that's what my boss had, when I learned this ...

My experience is limited to Paris, where any attempt to speak French is either met with contempt and a sudden inability for the French to speak French, or a reply in English more fluent than most places in the UK.

And Parisiens are *cute*. They can pick up the difference between an English person speaking French, and a Scottish person. If you want proof positive the Auld Alliance is alive and well, go for a drink with a Scottish friend, and take it in turns to order ....

[Adam Funk]

Oops, that should be "me prêter un cric" ("emprunter" means "borrow"). But it would probably help anyway.

[Vir Campestris]

My French is ... merde. And I've never had any trouble, except in one resort known as Paris-plage, where they were all snooty about it. I think it may be the Parisians rather than the French in general.

Andy

[Huge]

Spot on. Even the French don't like Parisians.

[Chris J Dixon]

Many years ago, after reports of a hairdryer making odd noises when plugged into a socket at a French camp site, I checked with my multimeter. Both conductors measured 220 V to the earth pin, 380 V between conductors. They had actually connected two phases to the same socket outlets. Fortunately there were some outlets without earth pins which were OK.

I decided that my technical French was probably about as good as the camp proprietor's grasp of three-phase vector theory, and kept quiet.

Chris

[Jethro_uk]

Maybe Adam is from the Midlands ...

[Scion]

Jethro_uk put finger to keyboard:

And on my Mondeo, I open the bonnet, lift up two metal lugs and the entire headlight unit slides out forwards. Lamp changed in less than sixty seconds. Why can't they all be as simple as this?

[Jethro_uk]

The MK1 FIAT Uno's headlamps had plastic sockets which popped onto a rounded ball. Given they were about £50, it wasn't uncommon to find people nicking them - all you needed was a hooked tool to go in between the grille and the light; one good tug, and voila ! Free headlamp, without needing to open the bonnet.

After a while they started fitting a metal bracket which went behind the socket and hooked over the back of the stud so you needed to open the bonnet to remove the unit.

Now I come to recall it was also possible to remove the rear lens without opening the boot ...

[Adam Funk]

Not even close, but good one!

[Jethro_uk]

Oh well ...

shortly after moving to the Midlands we had a visit from a mortgage adviser. It was all I could do to hear her going on about how much she could "borrow us". I caught our lad saying once, and hit the roof.

Yowright ? Shewer ?

[djc]

Changing the bulbs on my Citroën C2 is easy enough. But changing the headlamo unit would mean taking off the front bumper and arch liner. Which is a pity as otherwise I could swap back to the original LHD set of lamps when I go to Italy in the summer and the RHD set for the rest of the year.

[Chris J Dixon]

Whereas in Yorkshire somebody might ask if they could "lend" your . The response "To whom?" invariably produced an uncomprehending stare.

Chris