Headlamp Removal

[mikeanson]

I noticed my dipped beams (HID) were flickering a bit. Common wisdom is that the ballast units fail and I suspect this is where my problem lies. The ballast unit is fixed to the underside of the headlamp, so replacement means that the headlamp has to be removed. My Jag specialists suggest that bumper removal is the best route since the lower fixing bolt is difficult to get at and usually seizes up. I fancied a bit of DIY action and just wondered if anyone had had any luck in doing this without taking the bumper off? I don't have a garage, so would be tackling this lying on a cold driveway......

[Astromorg]

Never having had to remove the headlamp unit in my XK8, I'm not best qualified to advise on this, but if it was me, I'd start with the potentially awkward bolt that is indeed on the underside of the lamp and not easy to get at! If both (left and right units) come out then carry on and leave the bumper in place, but if either bolt puts up a fight, move on to bumper removal.

While bumper removal is more work, it's not difficult in my experience and it does have the added benefit of giving you a good look at some of the usually invisible structure around the front of the car. This may or may not be something to look forward to, depending on the progress of the almost inevitable corrosion!