51 Plate, Ford Focus - replacing headlight bulb

Hootie19

Can this actually be done with any ease?? I've only had the car three months, and have to replace a headlamp.

Well, I say *I* - what I really mean is I've sent my husband out to do it! He says it's virtually impossible. From reading the handbook and following the instructions to remove the battery cover to gain access, he says the battery tray is in the way and you can't get access to where the lightbulb goes.

Is he "missing a trick" here, or does he really have to take the battery out in order to replace the bulb? Any hints or tricks gratefully received.

And really - £25 for a headlamp bulb!!!! Heart attack time!! Luckily when he got it to the till at Halford, the assistant said that they were 2 for 1 at the moment, so at least we've got a spare, but still!!!

ijrussell

25 quid seems a bit high. - even for 2.

I had an 02 plate focus and dreaded having to change the bulbs - your husband needs to be prepared to get his hands cut and dirty!

From memory, remove the battery case lid (If it's passenger side). Then there is a metal clasp holding the backing onto the light fitting. Release the clips and the pastic should come off. Remove the power supply block to the bulb. There is another smaller clasp holding the bulb in place. Remove this carefully - it's a real bu**er to get back on if it comes off - as it did the first time I had to do this.

The bulb should then slide out. Replace and re-clasp, reattach the power, reattche the backing and clip in place.

Good luck.

If you google Ford Focus Bulb you'll get a lot of hits!

Hootie19

Thank you ijrussell - wish I'd had the foresight to google for any irritations with the car before I'd bought it!! (Although I suppose all cars have their good and bad points - swings and roundabouts, eh?) What a ridiculous faff to go through just to change a lightbulb!

ijrussell

They're good cars though - had mine from new for 7 years and 100,000 miles and it didn't fail me once.

I know Halfords offer a fitting service for bulbs - but I'm not sure they do Focus ones - they know how difficult they are!

Crabman

Try other search sites as well as Google, you may be surprised at the different results that show up on each respective site

Count yourself lucky you don't have a Renault Megane, their headlight bulbs are incredibly expensive/time intensive to remove!

goldspanners

theres a thread on here about the focus headlight bulb. the off side is very easy to do the near side is a little tighter but still not impossible. some folk really like to make a mountain out of a mole hill.
if you are really struggling then take it to halfords and get them to fit it. i imagine they will do the focus.
some cars need to front bumper taken off to change headlight bulbs apparently,and some require access from under the wheel arch, so think yourself lucky,theres much worse out there than the focus by a mile.

£25 for a set bulbs is a bit steep for run of the mill bulbs, you could have had a set of philips xtreme power for less than that.

flyingscotno1

Yep, changing headlight bulbs is a known nightmare, my current car is the easiest of the lot however I can actually get access! A previous car I couldn't do and I gave up- I actually ended up going to the dealer to ask how they managed it without removing the battery!

£25 sounds expensive for 1 headlight bulb, granted it was 2 for 1. Assuming typical halogen bulbs- I buy mine off eBay or on the net for around £12/15 for 2 (they are H1s however). That is not always brilliant if you need a spare quick over festive period.

Recommend using Osram or Philips too- Osram Nightbreakers and Philips Xtreme are the two that get good reviews.

Freddie_Snowbits

Take the thing to Halfords!

Rallydriver

Most pre facelift Focuses use an H4 bulb (dipped and main in one) while post facelift use separate dipped and main. The change happened on a 51 plate though.

waynedance

A garage should do it for you, we would charge £15+vat to supply and fit the bulb.

goldspanners

Rallydriver wrote: »

Most pre facelift Focuses use an H4 bulb (dipped and main in one) while post facelift use separate dipped and main. The change happened on a 51 plate though.

my 04 uses H7.