Problem Changing Headlight Bulb?

[in_the_no]

x

[Fitter]

hi all,

I'm having some problems changing the dipped headlight bulb. i have the T-3x Diesel model.

I took off the engine coompartment plastic front, but because the washer funnel to the left of the engine is right in front of the headlight unit box, tere is very little space to open it up and remove the bulb. I don't see how I can get this unit open without having force the Windscreen washer funnel back, and i really don't want to screw up a 4 month old car already!!!

Could anyone give me some advice on how to do this.

Thanks

Martin

You can remove the headlamp cover by turning it with a pair of long nosed pliers on the tab. Then bend the filler tube gently backwards just enough to clear. Note the position of the cover after turning it and before removing it to make the replacement easier. Gently lever the connector off the bulb with a flat bladed screwdriver and use the pliers to remove the retaining spring and then the bulb.

Fitter

[carozaco]

The nearside headlight bulb on my 2002 1.8vv Avensis hatchback has just blown and I've ordered a replacement bulb from Halfords. Reading the FAQ's on the Halford site, it seems they will fit the new bulb for a fiver.

Judging from some of the comments on this site, I think I'll risk the fiver, just to see what Halfords expert makes of fitting an Avensis headlight bulb - never know, I might pick up a few new swear words in the process! (I'll put a stop watch on him/her and see how long it takes!)

[carozaco]

Just returned from Halford's : they replaced both headlight bulbs and checked they were working : total time 10 minutes!

How about that!

[hawaythelads]

Had to take my car into Minories Durham (Excellent Dealership - been using for ten years) today to have main bulb replaced today. Damned near impossible to change myself. Even the mechanics drop the bumper to give themselves more room to get access.

Changing front bulbs on Avensises are pain in the backside - they were very difficult in my Avensis GS (02) 1.8 but in the T3-X onwards is virtually impossible and difficult for it to be justified to be DIY maintenance. Had a chat with Toyota UK's PR department on Friday on twitter as he was commenting on Toyota's great sales this year and I mentioned the fact the designers should think of the motorists who need to be able to complete this type of maintenance on the roadside easily (in parts of Europe it's Law). He wasn't aware of the issue having never had to do it himself, however when he spoke to the technicians at Toyota UK they gave him a "knowing look" and said I should go back to dealer 'cos the mechanics will lower the bumper!

I'm looking at changing my car in the next couple of months as I do a lot of miles and really need to move to a diesel. I am considering a 1 year old Avensis TR 2.0 D4D but things like this are making me think twice, yes it's a small thing but it's a pain. I've been driving Avensises for over 7 years both as personal and company cars and have been very happy with them and Toyota but am starting to look elsewhere for options and DIY maintenance is certainly one of those things I look into carefully as I'd prefer to be able to do it myself.

Has anyone looked at the engine bay on the new Avensis? Is changing bulbs as much of a pain on the new models?

btw if you use twitter and are interested in following Toyota PR his page is http://twitter.com/toyotapr

[hawaythelads]

Had to take my car into Minories Durham (Excellent Dealership - been using for ten years) today to have main bulb replaced today. Damned near impossible to change myself. Even the mechanics drop the bumper to give themselves more room to get access.

Changing front bulbs on Avensises are pain in the backside - they were very difficult in my Avensis GS (02) 1.8 but in the T3-X onwards is virtually impossible and difficult for it to be justified to be DIY maintenance. Had a chat with Toyota UK's PR department on Friday on twitter as he was commenting on Toyota's great sales this year and I mentioned the fact the designers should think of the motorists who need to be able to complete this type of maintenance on the roadside easily (in parts of Europe it's Law). He wasn't aware of the issue having never had to do it himself, however when he spoke to the technicians at Toyota UK they gave him a "knowing look" and said I should go back to dealer 'cos the mechanics will lower the bumper!

I'm looking at changing my car in the next couple of months as I do a lot of miles and really need to move to a diesel. I am considering a 1 year old Avensis TR 2.0 D4D but things like this are making me think twice, yes it's a small thing but it's a pain. I've been driving Avensises for over 7 years both as personal and company cars and have been very happy with them and Toyota but am starting to look elsewhere for options and DIY maintenance is certainly one of those things I look into carefully as I'd prefer to be able to do it myself.

Has anyone looked at the engine bay on the new Avensis? Is changing bulbs as much of a pain on the new models?

btw if you use twitter and are interested in following Toyota PR his page is http://twitter.com/toyotapr

Just asked the question of ToyotaPR and advance warning the story for changing bulbs in the 2009 Avensis is a similar story apparently :-/

[gcstar]

Sounds to me like even the dealer removed the washer bottle to change a bulb! Hence the ridiculous price. just my opinion BTW. ;)

just for those who landed here recently, yes, you can change this bulb yourself. The trick is to unclip the back cover, swing out as far as possible (pushing the Battery out the way or flexing the screen wash tube out the way) then pull towards the centre the engine bay to lift it off.

Then change the bulbs.

Then, look long and hard at the cover piece, understand how it works. Then using a strong light placed behind your head, feed the tongue tab into the slot on the outside of the light fitting, then swing the cover out, to allow the tiny 'annoying guidance tabs' to sit outside the water seal, THEN once with the tiny 'annoying tabs' are outside the water seal, hinge the cover back into place.

The secret for me was the strong light, I could see under the cover all the time (usually its too dark to see) in order to thread the tongue tab on the cover into its receiver on the light housing (around 5-10mm of space to see behind the cover, but it's enough) and from there the rest was easy.

So heres the vital sequence for putting the cover back on (ie the hard bit)

1. slide tongue tab on cover into receiver for the tab on light housing. Push as far as you can till the 'annoying tabs' hit. I needed a strong light behind my head looking under the cover to see where the tongue tab is being slotted.

2. Swing cover out, towards back of car, to allow annoying tabs to clear the housing water seal and push home the tongue tab into place into the receiver for the tab on light housing.

3. Swing cover back into place and clip back into housing

The charge in Finland is 70 euro to do this including the bulb. I think that they don't need to charge that much if they just do what I've done above. It really isn't that hard.

My offside bulb needed changing...followed these instructions..had it all done in under 10 mins....thanks for the help!!!

[freddy jones]

ld like to change the headlight bulbs for some brighter ones ..Not unless I have to ..I am going to try driving with the beam adjuster instead of the dipped and full head switch and see what happens