Light Bulbs

[Guest kandies]

New to the galaxy,one of my front parking/side lights has blown need to change,but how do u get acces to it.its not from the engine compartment.somebody suggested from the wheel arch but i can not see any entrances there.

Galaxy 2.3 ghia 2001

[Guest fredt]

There is a hatch in the wheel arch liner, its not very big but its there! :D turn the steering wheel till the front edge of the tyre on the side you wish to get at is buried in the arch and have a good look, the hatch slides open and it can be stiff due to being caked with road spray!

[italiastar]

Looking at mine, I think it will be easier to remove then engine to gain access to a blown bulb.

 

I've heard that some car bulbs (Rover) can only be changed by main dealers - methinks we are going backwards!

[Guest nelse]

Definately, apparently the only way to get the clocks out of a facelift galaxy is to totally remove the steering wheel, now if you don't mind playing with your airbag and risking it going off in your face then great, otherwise a simple blown bulb in the clocks means a visit to the dealers.

[MrT]

One of the front foglamps supposedly requires a trip to the dealers to change the bulb.

[Guest OXO2 PUB]

little sliding door in arch lining looks like this when the door is open ;) you then have to turn the plastic handle to unlock the bulb, can be damn fiddly when the plastic handle bends putting it back in ;)

[MrT]

Looking at the picture above the long silver handle is the indicator, the small black one above is the sidelight and it is difficult to reach if you have big hands like me.

[italiastar]

Anyone driving to Italy should note that you must have dippped headlights on a ALL TIMES outside built-up areas (including motorways) - this is ludicrous in a sunny country! - as one Italian said to me, the only benefit of this, is to increase income from fines and spending on replacement bulbs.

[Danny Boy]

I've just replaced the headlight bulbs....what a bloody nightmare, unless you've got hands the size of a 5 year old!!!

 

In the manual it advises you to get these changed by a dealer!!

 

I wonder why!!! :lol:

[Guest fredt]

unless you've got hands the size of a 5 year old!!!

 

Come on Danny you must have at least one in your clan with the right size hands for the job? :lol:

[Danny Boy]

Yeah but at that age no matter how much you try they dont understand how to change a bulb!!! :lol:

[Guest fredt]

Your not training them right! my youngest (3 yrs) knows where my leather man tool's are kept, and brings one of them to me if she needs the battery's changeing in any of her toys! she also knows what battery's go in what toy!

she also tries to carry my tool kit! funny thing is it weighs more than she does :lol: I struggle to carry it as it weighs 3.5/4 stone :o at the last count when we weighed it!

it was weighed for the purposes of a manual lifting course we had to do for work, the trainer asked for a tool box for demonstration purposes and the trainer couldnt pick it up! bless her :D

[Ivor_E_Tower]

she also tries to carry my tool kit! funny thing is it weighs more than she does :lol: I struggle to carry it as it weighs 3.5/4 stone :D at the last count when we weighed it!

Got me thinking - will weigh mine this evening if I ge t time and start a new poll on "How much does your tool kit weigh?" :o

[Guest neil_wiles]

she also tries to carry my tool kit! funny thing is it weighs more than she does  I struggle to carry it as it weighs 3.5/4 stone  at the last count when we weighed it!

 

 

 

Got me thinking - will weigh mine this evening if I ge t time and start a new poll on "How much does your tool kit weigh?" 

 

Mine is so heavy I have it on castors and havent attempted to pick it up for at least two years, and the last time I used an engine hoist to get into the back of a van !!!!!! :lol:

[Ivor_E_Tower]

Just under 3 stone. If it's on castors, it doesn't count :rolleyes: Must be one that you can (do?) carry round the house and out to the cars to do repairs.

[johnb80]

How many ladies hairdressers does it take to change a light bulb ??

 

 

 

 

Five.......

 

One to change the bulb and four to say how nice it looks when it's done. :rolleyes:

[Richmond]

How many ladies hairdressers does it take to change a light bulb ?

 

Five.......

 

One to change the bulb and four to say how nice it looks when it's done. :rolleyes:

There is no place on this forum for hairdresserist humour. If people choose to spend their days running their hands through other people's hair, talking about holiday destinations and driving Toyota RAVs, in exchange for large sums of money from my wife, that is a valid lifestyle choice. There isn't enough money in the world to persude me to drive a Toyota RAV in public, so I take my hat off to them (as long as they promise not to sneer at my bald patch and say that they 'might be able to do something with me, but really, who cut it last time?').

 

That's a red square to JohnB80, I think.

[Guest blatters]

Just changed the sidelights. The small upper plastic stalk is the one. Very difficult to get your hand around and then apply pressure to turn anti-clockwise. This is especially the case with the offside unit as an intrusion from the engine bay restricts room further.

We were able to do it. I shipped in my 12yr old and his friend but, despite their small hands, they were unable to shift it.

We managed it by (1) a pair of long-nosed pliers, (2) peering through the top of the engine compartment (where the seam of the offside wing meets the engine bay) because you can just see into the void underneath and guide your pliers and (3) some good fortune!

It seems to me that if you had a very wide standard end screwdriver one might be able to place this in the middle of the sidelight unit and then turn it. My ones were too small and a metal ruler too big - hence the long-nosed pliers.

Also it appears that the amount of twist required on the bulb unit is quite small - perhaps no more than a quarter of a turn and then it comes out of its housing.

Anyone proposing to tackle this needs to be in a really patient mood and definately don't try it with less than 45mins to dusk!

I wonder whether it might be worth spraying a little WD40 or some other light lubricant on the sliding bit of the inner wheel arch cover as an effort to stop the thing siezing up when you go back in a few years time?

Finally, thanks to everyone else who posted the earlier notes on this subject as it made me realise I was not alone in having a nightmare time with it!

..........Blatters :D

[corskey]

I wonder whether it might be worth spraying a little WD40 or some other light lubricant ....................

No pun intended eh :D :D :D B)

[Guest blatters]

A few years is a long time. But, no, the thought had not crossed my mind!

 

....... Blatters :D

[Guest blatters]

Headlamp Brightness

Someone on the site earlier raised the point about dim headlamps from the Galaxy. Just thought I'd mention that I traded up to the Osram Silver Star H7 & H1 dipped and main beam bulbs. These are the ones that claim to throw out 50% more light than the standard bulbs from Ford. Upon fitting them I would say that the brightness was considerably better.

But there is another factor that then became clear :blink: the dipped beam was quite short even thought the beam adjuster was set to the highest level. So off to the the Ford dealer and they checked it. Verdict was that the lights were set too low and the beam was adjusted up.

The result is ten times better. The beam length is great and the brighter Osram bulbs really do the trick. I don't get flashed by other road users so the beam's not set too high!

I love the quick clear front windscreen but, as someone else said, the element lines embedded within the glass don't help at night. So the bright bulb and the beam length has helped. Frankly, with the old bulbs and beam, other cars seemed to light up the road in place of my own headlamps when passing me. Really quite bad and, before you all suggest I take a trip to the opticians, I was fine with my humble 2001 Vectra until last year when we got the Galaxy (gone to heaven now).

Got the bulbs from Power Bulbs www.powerbulbs.co.uk and they are safe for plastic lenses like the Galaxy - so they say and the manufacturer. Also award winners in the AutoExpress test. They have been in place now for a few weeks and they have been great - see earlier note about nightmare of changing bulbs though.

 

Hope this informs any others thinking of trading up to better bulbs and those wondering if they are going blind now that the nights have drawn in!

 

Regards, Blatters :D

[Masked Marauder]

Is it really that hard to change a sidelight bulb? I need to do one, but the whole front light assembly is only held in with 3 screws.....

[Guest blatters]

I can only comment upon the 2000 facelifted model. The earlier emails in this thread testify to how problematic it can be to perform what should be a 5min job. Some other guys have suggested that it might be easier to remove the whole headlamp unit and then get free access (details somewhere on this site). I haven't tried that but can understand what might drive a person to do so. I try not to take things apart if I can help it due to a history of struggling to reassemble them - this dates from childhood!

Have a go through the wheelarch, be patient and maybe use the long-nosed pliers or something similar. If it works then you've saved yourself the hassle of removing the light unit. Otherwise, other more experienced Galaxy owners will give you some guidance on the headlamp unit if you put out the call, I reckon.

 

Regards, Blatters.

[Guest glpb]

Having failed last weekend (in the growing dusk) to change the front indicator light (but managing to skin my hand) I can now report success.

 

Removing the bulb is fiddly enough (gripping the end with pliers and then twisting anti-clockwise and pulling is the way) but re-installation is definitely a knack and needs to be rehearsed.

 

The key ingredients are:

• Taking the wheel off
  
• Taking the gasket off the light fitting
  

Ian's photo gave me the inspiration to take the wheel off. You then can stick your head under the wheel arch and see what is going on - and in particular how to align the assembly prior to attempting re-insertion.

 

There's a 3mm thick rubber gasket which provides a seal - this has to be compressed on re-insertion. I recommend you first remove this, then rehearse re-insertion to get the alignment and rotations right.

 

Only when you've got used to the amount of push and twist required should you then replace the gasket and try for real. I found I needed pliers again to get enough grip (and to save re-mangling my hand).

 

Presumably Ford garages have a special tool for this? Or maybe they employ a token dwarf?

[Masked Marauder]

It is up to yourselves whether you choose to struggle or do the following:

 

 

Headlamp Removal -Pre Face Lift

 

Remove the indicators and the grille by removing the screws (1) and clips (2)

 

http://trevor.dynip.com/gifs/pflhlr1.gif

 

Unscrew the headlamp retaining screws and withdraw the lamp assembly

 

http://trevor.dynip.com/gifs/pflhlr2.gif

 

Headlamp Removal - Post Face Lift

 

Undo the two lower screws

 

http://trevor.dynip.com/gifs/headlamp_lower_screws.gif

 

Undo the two upper screws and withdraw the headlamp assembly

 

http://trevor.dynip.com/gifs/headlamp_upper_screws.gif

 

Points to note:

 

All alignment, beam hight motors etc are in the headlamp assembly so refitting is as simple as removal.

 

HID bulbs MUST be changed by removing the headlamp assembly.