V70 Body/Trim: V70 Headlight Bulb Changing

[Alec Dawe]

Just had to change the nearside (left) headlight bulb on my 2005 V70 (dipped Beam, which is the outboard one.
Changed the offside one a couple of months ago, and the scars on my hands have just about faded; so decided to see if there was an easier way to do the nearside one.
Ended up taking the complete air filter airbox out of the car, then bulb changing is easy. Taking the filter box out sounds a bit extreme, but its easy, if you have a socket set.
1) you need to disconnect the air hose from the TOP section of the air filter box (jubilee clip).
2) Disconnect the air flow meter plug from the airbox.
3) undo the three plastic clips that hold the airbox in p[lace.. this is the tricky bit. The clips are each a four pronged clip that locates into the three mounting holes in the airbox supports. On first look, there didnt seem to be an easy way to 'close' the clips, but investigation showed that if you have a 10mm 1/2" drive socket, and a long extension drive, then the socket is just the right size to go over each clip, and with a bit of jiggling about, it will close up the clip enough to enable the airbox to be pulled gently off each clip.
4) once all three clips are released, then the airfilter box can be moved out of the way (you may have to disconnect some of the wiring that's attached to the front of the box, by that I mean disconnect the wiring from its associated clips. The intake air pipe needs to be wriggled off its support under the top of the slam panel.
With the airfilter box out of the way, then bulb changing is relatively easy.
Once finished, asssembly, is as they say, the reverse of the disassembly.
I olnly wish the offside/right side of the car could be made easier, but the box containing the ECU modules seems to be immovable, unless anyone knows different?

Alec

[Nunchukhamster]

I thought the normal method to do this is to actually remove the front bumper, then remove the entire headlamp unit from the car?

[Alec Dawe]

Originally Posted by Nunchukhamster

I thought the normal method to do this is to actually remove the front bumper, then remove the entire headlamp unit from the car?

Twas on pre facelift cars. Post 2005 model, the bulbs are 'supposed' to be replaced from inside the bonnet, even the owners manual says so, but doesn't say what a pig of a job it is!

[AlanA]

Ive just done the same job on my 2006 car. I thought it would be quicker to remove the filter housing but then decided to struggle on, it took me almost 2 hours and cost me lots of skin.
Alan

[GMcL]

I went through this pain last year.
I have not figured out how to do it yet but that ECU box the drivers side is in three parts. The top comes off easily and I'm pretty sure if I can get the blade out, the middle section will come out quite easily too.
Having said that, the bulbs went (yes both within a few days of each other - Phillips), the main dealer only had it booked as .2 of an hour so wasn't worth grief of DIY. It was approx. 37€+VAT for genuine Volvo bulbs and fitting.

[GMcL]

just to add to the above, the book time which I paid was quoted at .2 of an hour.
They still had the car 2 hours while I waited but it wasn't my knuckles getting skinned.

[captcaveman]

On my s60 I remove the headlight, pop the front bumper off and the surrounding trim 10/15 mins tops and a doddle to do.
Shout up if you need instructions on how to remove the bumper.

[Rufe]

i know its no help to you really, but on the XC90's and the S40/V50 series the headlamps have a quick release on them (pull out a pin) to get the whole lamp out with ease. Someone with some forward thinking had obviously had an input in their design.

[Alpha206]

Originally Posted by Rufe

i know its no help to you really, but on the XC90's and the S40/V50 series the headlamps have a quick release on them (pull out a pin) to get the whole lamp out with ease. Someone with some forward thinking had obviously had an input in their design.

The problem with the S60 came with the facelift. Pre-facelift, the nose was more vertical and hence there was plenty of space behind the lights to unscrew the cover behind the bulb & get a hand in to change it. The post-facelift cars have a more steeply raked nose by comparison (partly to do with pedestrian impact protection?) and so the lights are set further back so there's less (ie none) room to get into the back of the light to change a bulb. The plastic bits were easy enough to re-mould for the facelift - the structure under the skin is basically the same as on the original cars and it would have probably required substantial costly re-engineering (and crash testing?)to facilitate easier headlamp changes, something that at least could be (and has been) designed into the newer Volvo models.

[thefifeflier]

Originally Posted by Alec Dawe

Just had to change the nearside (left) headlight bulb on my 2005 V70 (dipped Beam, which is the outboard one.
Changed the offside one a couple of months ago, and the scars on my hands have just about faded; so decided to see if there was an easier way to do the nearside one.
Ended up taking the complete air filter airbox out of the car, then bulb changing is easy. Taking the filter box out sounds a bit extreme, but its easy, if you have a socket set.
1) you need to disconnect the air hose from the TOP section of the air filter box (jubilee clip).
2) Disconnect the air flow meter plug from the airbox.
3) undo the three plastic clips that hold the airbox in p[lace.. this is the tricky bit. The clips are each a four pronged clip that locates into the three mounting holes in the airbox supports. On first look, there didnt seem to be an easy way to 'close' the clips, but investigation showed that if you have a 10mm 1/2" drive socket, and a long extension drive, then the socket is just the right size to go over each clip, and with a bit of jiggling about, it will close up the clip enough to enable the airbox to be pulled gently off each clip.
4) once all three clips are released, then the airfilter box can be moved out of the way (you may have to disconnect some of the wiring that's attached to the front of the box, by that I mean disconnect the wiring from its associated clips. The intake air pipe needs to be wriggled off its support under the top of the slam panel.
With the airfilter box out of the way, then bulb changing is relatively easy.
Once finished, asssembly, is as they say, the reverse of the disassembly.
I olnly wish the offside/right side of the car could be made easier, but the box containing the ECU modules seems to be immovable, unless anyone knows different?

Alec

I can now confirm that this is indeed the way to do it! No taking off bumpers etc... I took the car round to my local mechanic and watched while he did it. Charged me a fiver (for the bulb)! He reckoned the o/s might be more tricky though, with the ECM having to come out, although it looked to us it might just be that the outer casing comes away, probably in 3 parts.

Thanks again for your info, Alec.

Cheers, Jim