Worst Car To Change Headlight Bulbs ? Volvo ?

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I changed headlight bulbs for several cars over 30+ years, some of them were so easy, it took less than 2 minutes to swap the burnt bulb for a new one without remove anything other than the cover.

Some cars may take 4-5 minutes but none take so much time as the Volvo V70. To change the driver side low beam bulb(it's also DRL bulb), the air box and snorkel and some other parts must be removed to gain access to bulb. I didn't try to change it yet but my guess is about 30-35 minutes for driver side and probably more than 45 minutes for passenger side.

Since low beam is also DRL so I expect the bulb life is fairly short, probably no more than 2 years.
 
Mazda3.

The bulbs are held in by wire bails that have to be flipped down to lock the new bulb into place.

Down the bottom of a hole that's about 2.5" wide and 4" deep. I got it done in about 2 hours, after I made a tool to flip the bail.

BSW
 
Make sure you get the LL version of the bulb.

2012 Civic r/f passenger side is pretty difficult if you have large hands, even if you follow the FSM's instructions.
 
I understand on the 1988 monte carlo eurosport whatever edition the whole front bumper cover has to come off.
 
Cadillac SRX, 2004 style/vintage. Front Bumper OR the front tire needs to come off. PITA,got rid of the car. GM blew it.
 
Originally Posted By: HTSS_TR
I changed headlight bulbs for several cars over 30+ years, some of them were so easy, it took less than 2 minutes to swap the burnt bulb for a new one without remove anything other than the cover.

Some cars may take 4-5 minutes but none take so much time as the Volvo V70. To change the driver side low beam bulb(it's also DRL bulb), the air box and snorkel and some other parts must be removed to gain access to bulb. I didn't try to change it yet but my guess is about 30-35 minutes for driver side and probably more than 45 minutes for passenger side.

Since low beam is also DRL so I expect the bulb life is fairly short, probably no more than 2 years.


I managed to get the bulbs changed on my 1999 V70, but I believe I pinched the wires in the weird metal clip. They work fine, just a PITA.

The side "corner" light looks like it requires much disassembly, and I dread that one, since mine are mis-matched.. Will be a process to get those changed, will take a good hour or so, since I have to then go into store and find a double-filament light. (One side is clear the other is amber so. Whatever the bulb looks like vs what it is supposed to be, I mean. The driver side one is not amber and is incorrect, so its turn signal.. is either DF or a diff color.. I will see when it is opened up.. Not by me...)
 
The worst I've done is the NewBeetle. Sometimes the headlamp housing doesn't want to click back in. It'll forever give you problems if it does that. Another example of germans overcomplicating things, and adding precision where it's not needed.
 
DRL'S don't burn out faster, They are on at a reduced output.
My 97 Pontiac went over 13 years still working when I sold it.
 
I changed a drivers side headlight on a 7th generation Accord. The battery has to come out, the air box has to come out, the wheel has to come off and the fender liner has to come out.

What a PITA!

My Cherokee, I changed a head light in about 5 minutes ... and that was because I couldn't find my philips head screwdriver for 3 of them!
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: bsmithwins


The bulbs are held in by wire bails that have to be flipped down to lock the new bulb into place.





That's how the Volvo is.
 
Originally Posted By: Kestas
The worst I've done is the NewBeetle. Sometimes the headlamp housing doesn't want to click back in. It'll forever give you problems if it does that.


I always found the Old New Beetle to be extremely easy to change headlight bulbs as you get to slide the entire headlight out of the body. Only took me about 30 seconds to get the headlight out and then Robert's your Mother's brother to change the bulb on the bench.
 
Originally Posted By: scurvy
Originally Posted By: Kestas
The worst I've done is the NewBeetle. Sometimes the headlamp housing doesn't want to click back in. It'll forever give you problems if it does that.


I always found the Old New Beetle to be extremely easy to change headlight bulbs as you get to slide the entire headlight out of the body. Only took me about 30 seconds to get the headlight out and then Robert's your Mother's brother to change the bulb on the bench.


I was going to say that the Beetle is the most difficult one I remember doing.

The problem is the mechanism VW designed to release the headlights. The ones on my girlfriend's beetle are always stuck the last time I did it I broke the lever on one and had to replace the $30 mechanism.

Good one, VW.
 
Originally Posted By: TechnoLoGs
Originally Posted By: bsmithwins


The bulbs are held in by wire bails that have to be flipped down to lock the new bulb into place.


That's how the Volvo is.


Same with our Honda, which uses HB2 bulbs (dimensionally equivalent to H4). These types of bulbs (and a few others are similar) don't have the plastic retaining ring to "clock" into the housing, so they must be retained mechanically. I'm lucky; I've never owned a vehicle with hard-to-change headlamp bulbs. I can change either of our current vehicles' bulbs, on both sides, in about 90 seconds.
 
Originally Posted By: dons459
DRL'S don't burn out faster, They are on at a reduced output.
My 97 Pontiac went over 13 years still working when I sold it.

Not in 2006 Volvo V70, DRL are at full power.
 
Originally Posted By: DemoFly
Any vehicle where you have to take the entire assembly out to change them. Dodge Dakota/Durango for instance.


My '97 Dakota (which I thought was the same as an '02) didn't require a lamp assembly removal to change the bulbs. You had to stick your hand way in there, sure, but it was doable. Your '02 requires removal of the entire housing?
 
In most of our newer fleet trucks you don't even need a tool to remove the entire headlight housing.

Bulbs are ridiculously easy to swap due to this. Though these days that can be never.

Engineers who do these designs should have to include serviceability in them!
 
Subaru's with HID headlights. Have to take the bumper cover off to get to a light. Our labor guides quote out 1.8 hours for one light. Have had to do a few of them and it's a shock to the customer to tell them a headlight bulb costs them over $100 in labor..
 
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