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Ka headlight bulb changing


Budgie650
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Hello

New member here! My wife has a KA.. I had the change the bulb but after reading the stress of doing this, i thought id get Halfords to do it, however they said it was too complicated and refused (wonderful service huh).

I then took it to MotaBitz in bournemouth and they did it free when i brought a bulb from them, it took the guy about 4 mins with no tools. was quite impressed.

Unless ur good with cars Id suggest to take it to a car accessory shop such as this! saved me ripping my hands to shreds (mind im rubbish with cars). Quite shocked that a car like a FORD KA would be this complicated!! MY supra is a peice of cake compared. I would have figured it would be the other way around!

Hope my advice helps!

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  • 2 weeks later...
Hello

New member here! My wife has a KA.. I had the change the bulb but after reading the stress of doing this, i thought id get halfords to do it, however they said it was too complicated and refused (wonderful service huh).

I then took it to MotaBitz in bournemouth and they did it free when i brought a bulb from them, it took the guy about 4 mins with no tools. was quite impressed.

Unless ur good with cars Id suggest to take it to a car accessory shop such as this! saved me ripping my hands to shreds (mind im rubbish with cars). Quite shocked that a car like a FORD KA would be this complicated!! MY supra is a peice of cake compared. I would have figured it would be the other way around!

Hope my advice helps!

ok ive had this problem, and to be honest you dont even need to open the bonnet, get your jack out slightly jack up your car on the side youer light is out so you can get your hand safley in your wheel arch and there should be a little section held on by clips or 3 screws you can simply take out, and hey persto the back of your light will be showing so you can get your hand in and change the buld, can be fiddly but better than fussing around trying to take the light out. took me less than 10mins outside Halfords lol shows how good they are if they sadi its to complicated lol

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  • 1 month later...

Hi i went to Halfords the other week as my headlights (both this time) needed changing yet AGAIN!! Not only do my bulbs need changing every 5mins but when it comes to 'Happy' Halfords putting in new ones not only do they moan and groan about it but it takes them a long time to put them in! it took them40 mins to do the pair of them! Firstly i wouldnt recommend going to Halfords and secondly does anyone else actually have the same problem of having to change headlights a little too often? seems very strange to me

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Headlight bulb: H7 12v 55w

Tools needed/used: Jack, axil stand, small adjustable spanner, star head driver (for wheel arch cover bolts) and torch.

Time: Half hour to 45 minutes

Had this job over the weekend on the girlfriends KA (drivers side). It was far to fiddly for me trying to change it from under the bonnet despite my smallish man hands. I ended up jacking the car up on the drivers side, removed the wheel, put an axil stand in place (never work off a jack!), and removed the wheel arch lining (about half a dozen star head bolts and a regular bolt). This gave easy access to the back cover that houses the front lamps. As you look straigt on, the top lamp is the headlight, bottom light is main beam, and the light to the side...well that's the side light.

Anyways, looking at the back cover, was a case of flipping downwards the metal clip that holds the cover in place, then removing the cover fully.

Just pull out the black, plastic connector to the bulb.

Flip downwards the clip that holds the bulb in place (before doing so, note exactly how the clip sits when holding the bulb in position, will help when you have to put the clip back again)

Remove bulb

Insert new bulb (note there's a tab on top of the bulbs metal base that sits in a slot in the bulb housing) making sure it's sitting flush in place. Avoid touching glass of bulb with fingers if you can.

Flip upwards the clip that holds the bulb in place

Push black plastic connector into back of new bulb (might want to test the light works before boxing up).

Replace black plastic cover by slotting downwards and pushing foward so as the seal is flush all the way around the cover.

Flip upwards the metal clip that holds the plastic cover in place.

Now screw wheel arch lining back on and put wheel back on the car as you would if you had a flat tyre.

Finished!

This may seem like I made a meal of it, but is better than the £50 odd being quoted otherwise for a garage to do. Halfords weren't interested either btw.

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  • 2 years later...

Headlight bulb: H7 12v 55w

Tools needed/used: Jack, axil stand, small adjustable spanner, star head driver (for wheel arch cover bolts) and torch.

Time: Half hour to 45 minutes

Had this job over the weekend on the girlfriends KA (drivers side). It was far to fiddly for me trying to change it from under the bonnet despite my smallish man hands. I ended up jacking the car up on the drivers side, removed the wheel, put an axil stand in place (never work off a jack!), and removed the wheel arch lining (about half a dozen star head bolts and a regular bolt). This gave easy access to the back cover that houses the front lamps. As you look straigt on, the top lamp is the headlight, bottom light is main beam, and the light to the side...well that's the side light.

Anyways, looking at the back cover, was a case of flipping downwards the metal clip that holds the cover in place, then removing the cover fully.

Just pull out the black, plastic connector to the bulb.

Flip downwards the clip that holds the bulb in place (before doing so, note exactly how the clip sits when holding the bulb in position, will help when you have to put the clip back again)

Remove bulb

Insert new bulb (note there's a tab on top of the bulbs metal base that sits in a slot in the bulb housing) making sure it's sitting flush in place. Avoid touching glass of bulb with fingers if you can.

Flip upwards the clip that holds the bulb in place

Push black plastic connector into back of new bulb (might want to test the light works before boxing up).

Replace black plastic cover by slotting downwards and pushing foward so as the seal is flush all the way around the cover.

Flip upwards the metal clip that holds the plastic cover in place.

Now screw wheel arch lining back on and put wheel back on the car as you would if you had a flat tyre.

Finished!

This may seem like I made a meal of it, but is better than the £50 odd being quoted otherwise for a garage to do. Halfords weren't interested either btw.

Thanks for the above advice - just changed headlamp driver side in 20min approaching from top side

A few tips after my experience:

Don't try by this route if you have big hands

1st remove water cover (rear cover - black plastic) by lifting metal clip - cover drops back but must be removed entirely to allow space to disconnect electrics and to manoeuvre your hand (note has 2 retaining protrusions at lower end which must be carefully rehoused at the end to maintain the seal of the unit) - comes out with some careful manoeuvering

Disconnect wires - connector pulls off the 2 terminals at base of bulb with ease - as above do this before disengaging metal clip that retains lamp

As above be sure to take note of how the clip that retains the lamp disengages for later reassembly

Lamp is now easily removed - hold terminals pincer-like between finger and thumb to carefully remove noting the orientation of the tab at its base

Insert new lamp without touching the glass and taking care not to disturb the reflector cone

Reset lamp retaining clip - it is a bit fiddly

Reconnect electrics

Take care when replacing the back cover to ensure that two retaining guides at the bottom return to their slots before closing up - if not final metal retaining clip may still engage as if cover properly seated leaving the electrics exposed to loads of water

I removed the bonnet stand and set it up on the passenger side to give myself a bit more room

Tools required: nimble hands, torch (bright head-torch ideal although I used a conventional and rather dim hand torch)

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  • 1 year later...

Hi,

I've done the headlights a couple of times on the KA. It is really tricky the worst of any car I've known. I do it without removing or unbolting anything. You have to use fingertips and you are completely blind. But it is possible. It helps to get a digital camera down the gap to "see" what the clips look like.

I have posted a write up and some pictures of how to do it here:

https://sites.google.com/site/jsrsprojects/jsrs-car-stuff/ka-headlight-bulb-replacement

Good luck and sympathy to those who have to do this, I haven't managed it without grazing my knuckles yet!

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  • 1 year later...

Superb write up jsr101 :)

Just changed the top bulb in the wifes Ka passenger side in about 2 minutes......piece of cake ;)

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