Front headlamp unit bulb replacement...

[toddjb122]

"Carefully lever up the two locking bars" is the only guideance for removing your headlamp unit. Other than a picture in the manual which shows a single screwdriver which I guess is "levering up" HAH! on the two locking bars. What are you supposed to lever against? On the outside, you have the body metal of your fender which bends very easily, everywhere else you have the plastic of what looks to be a *VERY* expensive headlamp unit.

Honestly, I don't think changing my front side lamp could have been more difficult. We're talking $2.38 for a pair of bulbs here and the very real probability of doing hundreds of dollars of damage to get them out!

I'm just griping over a very poor design to an otherwise well thought out unit. Hopefully this post saves someone else some time. If you decide to do it yourself, I found it next to impossible to raise the two metal bars (2 per headlamp unit) and remove the assembly. With a lot of trial and error and a dissying array of screwdrivers and pliers I got the locking bars raised. On the last bar, "the tough one", I found one trick that helped...graphite spray. I sprayed the top of the bar, it worked its way all the way down after a minute or so and the bar was a *little* easier to raise. Once i had the units out I lubricated all the bars so that hopefully this is easier the next time a bulb goes.

BUT, if you want to save yourself some hassle, this isn't a bad task to leave to LR when you're in for service. I consider myself lucky that I didn't break anything or scratch an exposed part. Perhaps mine was a little more glued in from salt spray from driving near the ocean ? ...I don't know. There is no way it should have been this difficult.


The rear lamp unit, for the record, is a completely different story and came out very easy for me last year when I serviced some bulbs.

 

[macrover]

I recently grappled with my Audi A4 Cab turn signal bulb in a similiar fashion. After reading your post and going through the Audi experience I am definitely leaving this one to the Dealer for our LR3. Even an $80 charge would be better than the alternative damage. My best intentions of "simple" car maintenance that I am too thrifty (read cheap) to pay for have often cost me ten times the perceived savings .

Point well taken, thanks for the post. I'll do the rears though!

 

[Houm_WA]

Hmmm....I've changed two bulbs in the rear already (48,000 miles) but no problems in the front. I'm guessing they don't use the same kind of bulbs...?

...or maybe the rears just get used more for braking. ....even though I don't brake much !

 

[aah78]

dipped beam

I understand what toddjb122 went through!

Our family LR3 is now 3 years old.
The driver-side dipped beam light fused a few months ago and was changed by the dealership. I don't know how much they charged - my F.I.L. drives and takes care of her.

I'd borrowed her this week, and the passenger-side dipped beam bulb fused.
Decided to change both bulbs, myself. On reading up a bit found that reviewers found the Philips X-treme Power bulbs ($50/pair) to be better than the SYLVANIA/OSRAM's and OEM's.

The front grille comes off very easily - without you breaking any of the locking tabs.

The "Carefully .... bars" were very tough to move. Eventually had to use a small crow-bar to get to these (locking-bars closer to the fenders).
I did manage to break a small plastic tab (around 1cm x 2cm) but that was easily glued-back on.
The locking-bars closer to the radiator are much easier (relative term) to lever up.

The designers probably meant for the lamp housings to come off easily (no screws / bolts) - but you really don't change bulbs that often, and with all the dust build-up, they jam, and require a lot of initial strength.
Once you get them loose, they're much smoother to lift/lower.

Thankfully, Land Rover hasn't made them plastic - so they don't break off when you're playing Hercules.

Haven't gotten around to testing the light-quality of the new bulbs but they do seem whiter than the originals.

Entire job took around 45 mins or so.
Saved an hours worth of labour charges, I'm guessing ...

 

[Houm_WA]

Are you talking about headlamps...? $50 a pair sounds outrageous for anything else.

Todd has an HSE, so he has Xenons and must be referring to one of the individual bulbs inside of the assembly.

aah78, what are you referring to? The main headlamp on a SE (halogen) ? I don't know what you mean by "dipped-beam bulb."

I don't expect to ever have to replace my Xenon lamps.

 

[nwoods]

I found it easier just to pop off the cap on the back side of the lamps and replace the low beam elements that way. Of course, on the passenger side it's a bit more complicated by the aircleaner, but that removes fairly easily also, allowing infinite room to access the cover plate on the back of the lights.

There is a trick to getting the little metal spring clips on the back of the element, so make sure you get a good look at it before you pop them off, and put a rag over the back of the clips, because when you pry them off, they retain some energy!