Replacing left front indicator bulb

greeny12

Junior Member
Messages
232
My left front indicator bulb has just given up the ghost.

Read through the owner's handbook where it says to take the wheel arch lining off to get at it, but when I did this I was faced with a small radiator completely blocking access to the indicator set, which I definitely don't feel skilled enough to try and remove.

Done a search on the technical fixes thread of this forum are there doesn't seem to be a how-to guide to this bulb change. Am I really going to have to take her to a specialist just to get a bl00dy bulb changed??!!
 

safrane

Member
Messages
16,749
Under tray off and you should be able to access the bolt that holds the front fog and side light unit in place push the unit out towards the front of the car and replace.
Mask around the apature so you do not scratch the paintwork when taking it out or putting back in.
 

greeny12

Junior Member
Messages
232
Thanks, but the words "under tray off" take it beyond my means at home. I only have a heavy-duty jack to call upon, which won't be any use for that sort of job.

However, the relative ease of doing it this way for a garage with an inspection lift does mean I should be able to use a local firm and not have to traipse miles to a specialist, so I appreciate your input.
 

SteveM

Member
Messages
540
Its only the small bib tray that Pete refers to - a series of small screws onto the bumper, 4 or 5 small nuts at the back of the tray onto threaded rods that drop down from cross member and possibly a couple of screws to the arch liner from memory. I think you can then get to bolt at back of indicator light cluster and pull unit forward. Be confident to pull bib tray down and forwards as the brake ducts hook over intercooler pipes (they are not fixed - they just slot into the next section of brake duct)

Having had headlights out a few times I prefer this route of taking out indicator to remove headlight to access the bolt that holds the underside of headlight unit (you can access it with a very long extension piece) between chassis and where the brake duct attached to the front bib is normally located. Use a torch and you will see what I mean. For the headlight you will also need to remove air filter to get to the inner wing bolt on headlight and then remove rear bolt once you have removed front half of arch liner.
Tape paintwork as Peter suggests.

I have done this all on my back with trolly jack and axle stands and any local garage should be able to this. You certainly dont need to take intercooler/rad off. I would also get them to replace side light bulbs while doing indicator bulb - you dont want to pay them twice. I would also do both sides while at it - my ndicators had a MOT advisory that all the orange paint had flaked off
 

CatmanV2

Member
Messages
48,552
You can take the undertray off without any sort of lifting. You'll be lying on you back, for sure, but it's really simple. No need to panic

C
 

davy83

Member
Messages
2,809
i also think with the wheel arch cover off you can actually get your hands into the back of the indicator without removing the intercooler radiator? That might be the headlight i am thinking of, cant remember. Depends how big your arms are maybe :)
 

greeny12

Junior Member
Messages
232
Guys, I really need a bit of help here.

I've followed the instructions that SteveM gave, and have got the front bib off. Now I'm looking upwards from under the car and I can't really see what bolt I'm supposed to be removing to get the indicator light cluster out!

It can't be the one I've highlighted in the photo below can it? I'm guessing not, since that can be accessed from under the bonnet.

DSCN4817 marked.jpg
 

SteveM

Member
Messages
540
Really struggling to work out where that photo is taken but your right its not that plastic piece - I would try and follow wires- I recall bolt or nut is on back of indicator cluster.
 

greeny12

Junior Member
Messages
232
Pic was taken looking directly up toward the back of the light cluster.

It's just a smallish nut I'm looking for then?

Gonna have another try tomorrow.
 

SteveM

Member
Messages
540
Before you attempt to take indicator unit out if you can access that plastic 4 sided nut then the indicator bulb is just to the out side of that. Follow the lead then just rotate white plastic bulb holder till it comes unlocked.
 

SteveM

Member
Messages
540
Actually the holding bolt I think is right next to that black 4 sided adjuster - slightly forward and above it (there is a similar light unit for sale currently on ebay and you can see where bolt hole is)
 

greeny12

Junior Member
Messages
232
Oooooh interesting, thanks.

Will give that a go tomorrow. Too much post-overalls gin consumed now!
 

greeny12

Junior Member
Messages
232
Here's what we learned from our weekend of playing amateur garage mechanics. And this is not intended as any criticism of all the advice offered, which we couldn't have done without. It's more about giving folks attempting this in future a helping pointer for a much quicker job.

Which is that you don't need to remove the undertray/bib to do this job. The single fastening nut for the indicator light unit is shown in this pic taken from the open bonnet:

DSCN4827 marked.jpg

Anyone with a reasonably small hand can get a 10mm socket on it via the bonnet aperture, much much more easily than can be done from below the car (which I found impossible). Once we knew what we were looking for my missus had it unfastened in seconds. The unit then simply slid out like this:

DSCN4819.jpg

New bulbs installed, slide the unit back in and refasten the nut. Job done!

I won't tell you how many hours I spent under the car this weekend...
 

Danny

Member
Messages
442
Greeny, your sidelights may have been secured by only one fastening nut, but originally there are 2 per sidelight. One can be accessed from the bonnet area (the one in your above pics), the other one can only be accessed from below. Hence the advice provided in the beginning of this thread. This 2nd nut is really a pain to access, perhaps a previous owner of your car decided to not put them back, after he got the unit out?
 

greeny12

Junior Member
Messages
232
Well I guess that does make sense in a Maserati sort of way.

I mean, you've designed a unit that ideally the owner needs regular access to, given the fragility of light bulbs. And you've built in a good sized and fairly accessible bolt mechanism, coupled with the fact that the unit sits very snugly in its slot. So of course the design should be topped off with an unnecessary additional fixing that requires taking half the car apart!

These cars... *shakes head*