C5 headlamp bulb orientation?

[GiveMeABreak]

I was going to look up the headlamp type you have - as the Xenons were part of the 'Vision Pack' in 2008 on Exclusive models and not available on VTR+ models - that's the reason.

[faddy]

I was going to look up the headlamp type you have - as the Xenons were part of the 'Vision Pack' in 2008 on Exclusive models and not available on VTR+ models - that's the reason.

Will probably have to wait for daylight (I don't have the V5 yet)

[GiveMeABreak]

Ok, I was just curious as you don't really want to be spending £100+ on a pair of D1S bulbs if you don't have them (they should be replaced in pairs)

[faddy]

Ok, I was just curious as you don't really want to be spending £100+ on a pair of D1S bulbs if you don't have them (they should be replaced in pairs)

Dipped and main beam on the working side are definitely coming from the same bit of the unit, if that's conclusive?

[GiveMeABreak]

If it is A it is the Xenon Bi-Directional Units
B are the Halogen Units

A

B

[faddy]

Yep, it's A.

[GiveMeABreak]

In that case it will be dipped and main beam as the one projector bulb does both jobs, via a mechanical shutter that raises and lowers depending on dipped or main beam function.

So they will be D1S bulbs and should be replaced in pairs. If changing yourself, be very careful to disconnect the battery terminal first (follow procedure for battery disconnect and connect) and again, after you have disconnected the battery, switch the lighting stalk on to discharge any residual current from the ballast. I also suggest you wear some thin latex gloves so as not to touch the glass.

If changing, I can recommend the Osram Xenarc Nightbreaker unlimited as an upgrade to the stock bulbs.

[faddy]

Apologies Marc, I was wrong on two counts.

1) Dipped and main beams are NOT from same bit of headlamp unit. I must have been looking at quite an angle to have thought that.
2) Headlamp matches your example B. (I had misidentified it from the photo in the eBay listing for the car, just been out to look at the car)

So panic over.

I presumably need to remove the cover which has fastenings like this:
Do I just stick a screwdriver under the middle bit to undo them?

Why does the handbook suggest replacing xenon bulbs in pairs but not halogen bulbs? And why is replacing daylight running lamps (H24 bulbs) suggested to be a dealer job? Is it a bumper off job?

[GiveMeABreak]

No problems, I just thought it odd that your VTR+ had these when not available on the brochure for both those years on the UK.

Back to your questions:
1). Yes use a small flat blade to carefully prise up the middle section. Once lifted slightly, you can pull the whole thing up.

2) Because when one is gone the other is likely to be not far behind and although I have changed my Xenons myself, they recommend in the manual that the garage should replace them because of the potentially very high voltages produced. So in for one bulb at the main dealer is not really cost effective when the other may go shortly after and you would be charged again!

3) DRLs on your model is a dealer bumper off officially as the bulb holders are located underneath the headlamp unit towards the front.

Having said that I have done these myself when I upgraded to long life brighter LEDs, but had to concede the removal part to my dealer. The original bulb holders are very tight if never removed before. So this becomes very difficult to get your hand in with a very thin torx spanner and bit without dropping anything. The bulb holder only turns a quarter turn and then must be carefully pulled down without dropping it. If you do it will be bumper off to try and get to it.

I asked the dealer to remove the old bulb holders for me and grease the thread up. I then did the modification to the holder and replaced the holders with the new LEDs after drilling a hole through the tightening lip and threading a small cable tie into a loop, so if I ever needed to do the job again, I could much more easily put a finger through to secure the removal or fitting in future. Plus I won’t need the bumper off again!

Others have said they managed to do it without removing the bumper, but it will depend on your headlamp type, the room you have and how tight the holders are, and not forgetting a few skin grafts along the way!

I’ll find my post later and drop the link here as an edit.

[faddy]

No problems, I just thought it odd that your VTR+ had these when not available on the brochure for both those years on the UK.

And of course I'm not now feeling utterly stupid

Replied at 01:55, do you ever sleep?

they recommend in the manual that the garage should replace them because of the potentially very high voltages produced.

An academic point for me now, but does disconnecting the battery render it a safe procedure, or are there capacitative charges lurking?

Thanks yet again for your help Marc.

[GiveMeABreak]

I do sleep, but had a lot of sheep to count last night!

Yes, capacitive charges:- power and ballast modules deliver 1 kilovolt to the lamp terminals and this is transformed into 25 kilovolts to get the arc ignited, then it is stabilised at about 85v - toasty fingers (or worse) if not careful!