V70 Body/Trim: V70 Headlight Bulb Changing

[Norfolk Jim]

I got a dab hand at removing the bumper and headlamps. It's very simple and no skin removed from knuckles either. Also did it on my own with a few props/cardboard boxes.

As far as I can remember I got the art down to 30 mins and always did both sides in pairs no matter which bulbs.

Just put cover down and some cardboard boxes (or anything else tall enough) to support bumper when off.

Doing it this way ensures you get at all connections properly and ensure good fixing back.

Just watch out for the little centre pins on connectors - don't push in too far or better still get some from dealer as spares in case one breaks. Never once had any skin off my knuckles.............

[MickyG1982]

Just out of interest, is this any easier with the Audi engined 2.5 tdi? I don't have to change mine yet but I know it's gonna happen sooner rather than later.

[Thanatos]

i thought volvo's were well thought out and mostly easy to work on with the ones i have had are they taking the p155 with these i tried today to replace a blown dip beam in the s60 45 mins later bulb changed and i gave up putting the cover back on theres just no room.

need to take bumper off but when its not raining

[AlanR]

Just had message about dead dip bulb, so dived under bonnet only to discover (as others) that there was no way it was going to happen as per manual - micro fingers or not. A search found this thread and after reading most - accepted the air filter box had to come out.

Not too difficult (esp with 10mm socket tip to close clips) altho no way was the air inlet moulding coming off the box top despite jubilee clip completely off - it rotated freely but was not coming off without risk of damage. However two torx screws easily accessible neaby enabled to whole airflow housing to be detached from box top.

Box out - the rotate to remove cover turned out to be a rubber moulding which easily pulled off revealing connector / spring - and bulb. Bit fiddly with a large cableform getting in the way of access through the hole, but at last the bulb (and it was dead) came out and was duly replaced by a new one.

As one of the earlier posters said - gone are the days of being able to climb in the engine compartment - and I remember bulb changing on my old 740 (rip) was soooooo much easier - but there's so much thats nicer on my V70

Oh - and no blood was shed in the completion of this task!

[Ken Rusby]

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

Very useful, does anyone have equivalent info on this job on an XC 70?

I've just bought the car, I thought changing headlamp bulbs on my previous VW Passat was a pain until I tried the Volvo!

Does the front bumper have to come off?

Regards,

Ken Rusby

[martinrpeachey]

It'll be the same on the XC.


Honestly, the fuss people make over changing bulbs.. I've never struggled changing any bulbs on the V70, not even the foglights. I've not needed to remove any part of the car apart from the cap on the back of the reflector. I've even converted everything to HID with no bother at all.
You want hard, try the dipped bulbs on a Mk3 corsa or the sidelight bulbs on a Accord. They really are hard.

[P Appleyard]

Just changed the nearside dip beam bulb for the umpteenth time, not usually too bad Wife's thin fingers and a mirror. This time was different as I removed the metal bit the glass envelope dropped off inside the front of the lamp and I dropped the metal bit too.

The reason for this post is should it happen to you I found I was able to get the glass bit into the bottom front of the lamp and pull it underneath the "chrome" reflectors to the back of the lamp with some stiff bent wire the pick up with long tweezers.

As the clip for holding the bulb in had come off I decided to remove the air box which is easily achieved as per this Thread to complete the task.

[Simon Jones]

With the post-facelift models being such a pain to change, it is worth fitting decent long lift bulbs such as Osram Ultralife which are guaranteed for 3 years even when used as DRLs. They're pretty cheap (I think I paid about £14) and work as well as fancy bright Philips bulbs I had which lasted less than 3 months.

http://www.osram.com/osram_com/produ...jsp?productId=

[Big feller]

Huge thanks to Alec for the guide. I changed the nearside bulb in short order and then had a crack at the driver's side. I got the bulb out and back in no time just by undoing the electrical connector and moving the ends out of the way, but then failed completely to get the retaining spring back on. After a while it was too painful to push on the spring with my fingertips.

In the end I got a mirror on a stick - about 5cm diameter, but couldn't see what was going on because my fingers were in the way! I then got a length of steel bar about 4mm diameter and 20cm in length. I bent a 90 degree elbow in this half way along its length and filed a vee in one end. If the bent rod was laid down, the notch was vertical.

With the mirror laid horizontally below the access to the headlamp bulb I was able to see to place the vee in the end of the rod on the wire retainer and move it into place.

Having made this, I reckon I can now reliably change the bulb in about 5 minutes.

[JDmac]

Hi to the bloody hands & fingers gang. I have just fitted two new headlights
to my March 2005MY V70. I tried first just pulling the front forward after
removing the t25 torx self tappers from the front under the wing. I could then
see there were 8mm headed bolts holding the lights that were not accessible.
Mine has (plastic) chrome trim which has to be removed the same as the rubber
on earlier cars.Bit apprehensive but no problem to do. This allows access to two
12mm head bolts holding it onto the bumper. At the bottom edge where the front
curls under is a plastic popper type fastener – pop out the center & remove. Along
the top of the front are plastic popper type fasteners which need the center pushing
in to release & then lift out. The front can then be pulled out at each side to release
it from the bracket(out & forward). The front can then be lifted off by one (old) man
& sat on the ground complete with washer hoses etc.
To remove the headlights the panel where the end of the front sat needs to be removed.
Two t25 screws & two 8mm head bolts removed to gain access to the 8mmhead bolt
holding the end of the headlight, then one on the other side, & two on the top. Disconnect
the wiring plugs & remove. Put new bulbs into new lights BEFORE refitting.

It is possible,if only one light has to be removed, to take off one side, one 12mm head
bolt & the poppers along the top & pull the front open which gives enough access to take
off the bracket to gain access to the bolt behind & the bolt at the other side of the light.
It sounds long winded but actually takes longer to write than to do.This is how I will replace
any bulbs in the future & protect my skin.
Cheers,JDmac