c5 headlamp bulb

[thefrenchconnection]

took car for oil change today and the garage noticed the nsf headlamp main beam bulb had blown well they said they replace the bulb for £15 i tried to explain you have to take the front bumper off to take the headlight out there like no you dont well it was near closing time so i thought blow i do it myself.does the full bumper have to come off or can i just drop the ns?

marc
2001 c5 2.0hdi 110 sx

[oneday]

you can get the bulb in without removing the bumper but it is tight. its as easy to remove the full bumper as try to do it with one side handing off.

make sure you get the correct bulbs with quartz glass or the uv will eventualy fog your headlamp glass. phillips or osram bulbs

[boristhespie]

I had that. Paid £70 to dealer once just to change bulb. It's all nonesense. Driver side is much tighter but still able to be changed. Unscrew cap, pull wires out, push spring clip to side and replace. Put back in same order and Scooby do. I did it last week using Halfords two for one for 20 squid. I go through bulbs like there's no ttomorrow if I had to take to dealer to get bumper off each time I would have had to pay so so much.

[thefrenchconnection]

got a osram h4 bulb,never had a car where you had to take the front bumper off, my last car a mk3 mondeo you pulled two metal tabs out and the headlamp pops off 2min job.

marc
2001 c5 2.0hdi 110 sx

[oneday]

welcome to the world of citroen nothing is what you think

[den169]

Iv'e changed bulbs a few times on both sides of my c5 2003 estate ,Never had a big problem bit awkward but can be done and iv'e biggish hands.Took the battery out made that side easier.

[myglaren]

Changed mine a few times now.
Lost the clip the first time - I have some spares here now.
The next time I let Halfords do it, which they did in just a few minutes so I reckoned if they could do it, so could I and have done since without having to remove the bumper or battery except for just before Christmas when I replaced the standard bulbs with Philips X-Treme vision 100%, at just short of £20 well worth it, especially if they last a while.
The only reason for removing the bumper was that the nearside indicator didn't work as the connector lug in the lamp unit had burned through.

[JohnD]

Reading these posts, I notice that everyone who says it can be done without removing the bumper is driving a Mk1 C5. I've tried to change a sidelight bulb in my Mk2 and I found it impossible to do. Also Halfords said they couldn't do it either. Is it possible that Mk1 are easier to do than Mk2s? I've had the bumper off so many times for new sidelight bulbs, I've fitted LED bulbs.

[thefrenchconnection]

took battery out took me 45 minutes and a lot of swearing if i had a swear job i probaly had enough to buy a new headlamp.

marc
2001 c5 2.0hdi sx 110

[myglaren]

One of the lads at work was telling me this morning that his sister's boyfriend had been asked for £60 to change a Focus headlight bulb - got it done in a backstreet garage for a fiver.
But to top that, another colleague received a phone call about the cost of replacing a C5 headlight bulb, said the garage had his car up on a four post lift and were going to charge him £90! (plus the cost of the bulb)

[Citroenmad]

Replacing the headlight bulbs on the facelift C5s is quite a bit harder than the original shape C5s. However, even they can be done with the bumper in place.

[stu9]

make sure you get the correct bulbs with quartz glass or the uv will eventualy fog your headlamp glass. phillips or osram bulbs

I wonder if that's what's wrong with mine (03 C5) it's bloody terrible, I'm driving with the fogs on (as their inside the same lamp) it's the only way i can see at night, especially on country rds, which I'm on quite alot. I've tried cleaning the glass though, with Autosol ect and did bugger all

[dnsey]

A tip for replacing C5 Mk 2 sidelights: push a short length of rubber tubing onto the lampholder. This enables you to manoevre it into its housing from outside the headlamp shell, which is much easier than trying to get your fingers in as well. If using LED replacements, they can be illuminated during the process, so the housing can be easily sighted.

[Jeff]

TRY THIS TIP

Before starting get a small compact / handbag mirror and using a torch if need be, use the mirror to see where everything is positioned, where the spring clip is etc. Then when you start fiddling unsighted you can feel with your fingers what you've just seen.

Remove the wires to the bulb first and position to the side out of the way then unclip the spring and remove/replace bulb, replace clip and reconnect wires.

And even then it can be frustrating and a bit rough on the fingers but at least you know what to do....especially if its your first time..

HOPE THIS HELPS IF EVEN A BIT.

[myglaren]

A small digital camera or decent phone cam that will focus closely or take makro* shots is another option to using a mirror.

*usually a menu option showing a tulip.


I had a terrible time doing my youngest's Clio until I found how to do it. So simple it was difficult as I was expecting it to be the same as most other recent cars. When you know how it take less than a minute from popping the bonnet.
why can't they all be like that?