DaDRL Cost of changing a headlamp bulb

Simple tasks that drivers might once have attempted themselves, such as replacing a headlamp or changing a flat tyre, now require a trip to the garage — and often a hefty bill.

One motorist who paid £4.17 for a new sidelight on his five-door Golf V5 was charged a further £119.60 for labour because mechanics at Alan Day, a Volkswagen dealer in north London, claimed they had to remove the bumper to reach the light fixture.

Jack Grimston, a Sunday Times journalist, said: “If I’d known this before I bought the car, I probably would have chosen a different model.”

The price of certain car parts has also increased sharply with advances in technology. Xenon headlamps, for example, which are brighter and more efficient than halogen bulbs, can cost more than £200 each.

Investigators at What Car? magazine were charged £66 recently by a franchised dealer in Wimbledon, southwest London, to replace a main-beam bulb on an Audi A2. The bill included £3.96 for the bulb, £52.50 for 30 minutes’ labour and Vat.

Bob Usher, of Seaham, County Durham, told the magazine he was “stunned” when his local Renault dealer said it would cost £50 to change a headlamp bulb on his Mégane.

“I couldn’t believe it,” said Usher. “Why do they have to design cars that are so difficult to repair? They told me it was designed for safety, but surely it is unsafe if the consumer can’t change the bulb at the roadside because he or she has to wait for the dealer to do it.”

Tim Shallcross, a technical consultant to the AA Motoring Trust, said the Mégane is one of several cars whose headlamps can, in theory, be accessed from underneath the front wheelarch. “But in practice people find it a lot easier to take the bumper off,” he said.

The dealership that replaced Grimston’s sidelight said it was difficult to reach because it was part of a sealed unit, designed to prevent gas leaking from the xenon headlamp. Volkswagen confirmed the front bumper probably needed to be removed.

Renault said safety took priority in the design of the Mégane. “The airbags, crumple zone and other safety aspects are the priority, and things like space to fit a bulb are not as important.”

Motoring Telegraph March 2006

Trivial pursuit

When I was 15, my father and I rebuilt a Morris Minor engine on the kitchen table (my mother was not amused) and in my 20s I helped a friend rebuild an E-type Jaguar (my mother was alarmed). I've been doing things to cars and upsetting my mother for more than 40 years, but last week I totally failed to change the headlight bulb on a Peugeot 206 and had to drive 15 miles to a mechanic. He had the grace to say they were quite difficult and I was reassured by the length of time it took him. Why is it so taxing to do a trivial but vital job?

A.M., via e-mail

• It isn't just Peugeot - it is virtually every manufacturer. This is a question I have been asking for years. Many European countries require drivers to carry a set of spare bulbs, but none compels manufacturers to make them easily replaceable.

From a motoring chat room:

Audi A4 - Headlight Bulb - Fri 7 Apr 06 12:54

My offside headlight bulb died last night and I need to fit a new (normal) one. The handbook tells me I need a qualified mechanic to undertake this difficult and dangerous job.

As you can imagine I don't really want to spend much so how easy is it as a DIY job and has anybody done it?

Audi A4 - Headlight Bulb - Fri 7 Apr 06 14:37

Don't want to put you off but a friend with an Audi took it to the garage to have headlight bulb replaced and the process involved unbolting the front bumper. Ended up costing more than an oil change.

I think it's a disgrace worthy of an investigation. I suggested as much to Auto Express and they did not even bother to reply.

Must cancel my subscription.

Audi A4 - Headlight Bulb - Fri 7 Apr 06 14:49

I agree it's a disgrace. However, Audi are not alone in this.

Audi A4 - Headlight Bulb - Fri 7 Apr 06 16:41

If your A4 is the facelift model (with the projector type lens) then the headlamp can be unbolted from the front panel & slid forward without disturbing the bumper to make access to the bulb easier.If I remember correctly 2 or 3 torx screws.

Audi A4 - Headlight Bulb - Fri 7 Apr 06 15:17

I think on the A4 the front bumper must come off, radiator out and front sub frame dropped. Then its just a simple matter of lifting the engine out of the car by a foot or so.

The rest is childs play.