Early headlamp repair and replacement

[Martec]

Hi I have recently had to do the above to our MY2000 3 ltr manual, the little plastic gear wheels used to adjust the height of the beam fell off and they could not be adjusted. My friend Roger offered me another set of lights from his stock, this started a months work!!

After jacking the front up, removal of the under tray, wheels off and the front of the wheel arch liners moved out of the way I started removing the bolts screwed into speed nuts (these are threaded not self tapers! and rusted in) to release the front panel. Each side has one or two under the wing, one behind the headlamp and two between the lamps. I had to wait for a flexible drive to drill out one of the bolts behind the headlamp. There are then 5 holding each headlight and plastic post. with release oil and care only one sheared off and one drilled out.

The big multi connector behind each light unit would not come apart so I just removed the lamp holders from the light housing and lifted it away. I then dropped one of the new (to me) light housings and heard all the fittings inside it shatter! U tube videos made it look easy to open up the light unit.......... and it was, with my wife's permission I set the fan oven to minimum heat and the light unit was hot enough (hot to the touch) after 15 minutes and using broad blades screwdrivers the mastic let go and the two halves separated. The three internal mountings were broken and after 2 weeks waiting for the kit of parts the old broken plastic parts were replaced with the new nylon ones.

The video say to just press them together, OK for the two centre ones, but not for the outer one, the reflector has a nylon socket clipped into it so I removed this and using a vice pressed the socket and adjuster together then fitted them to the reflector and rear housing. I pressed the front and back housing together and into the oven for 10 minutes to fully close it up. All then refitted with copper slipped headlight bolts but self tappers for the front valance/panel. Once all was assembled my local MOT place obliged with setting the lamps up.

The joke is the the only thing wrong with my old lights was the gear wheels had come off because of steel corrosion, I cleaned the shaft and gear wheels then just araldited them back on, this could have been done with the lights in position!

Brian

[J44EAG]

Welcome back, Brian. We have missed you, old friend.

Glad you have this sorted. These cars certainly produce issues as they age.

All the best.

Mike

[steve_m]

Are the bulbs as pathetic as the X Type ones and is it worth upgrading to Night Breakers or similar?
Haven't driven it in the dark yet!