Headlight retainer clip

[Jed Clampit]

I'm glad I'm not the only one to hear the tinkle of the clip falling down below the headlamp. I tried several ways to retrieve it, without joy. I'm now thinking of other ways to hold the bulb in place, probably try bathroom sealant as a first option. Has to be something easy to peel off next time the bulb goes - seems to be around every 12 months.

Remember the bulb get's very hot the sealant will burn and or melt :S + you've got to get it off

[Reddog]

This happened to me and my local garage used few dots of silicone to fix bulb in place, on the basis should remain easily removable to change headlight bulb in future.

[Ol'Jeffers]

I think I'd visit the local breakers and see if one can't be liberated there.

[Modmytop]

Is this clip on MK3 different to that on MK2? Only missus had minor prang few years back which caused headlight assembly replacement. Never like to throw stuff away, but unit is cracked so decided today to get rid. Keeping bulbs as spares. But if retaining spring/clip is of use to anyone I can mail it. Actually noticed what looked like a circlip inside light assembly. Not sure were that goes!

[Thatbiggles]

Just wanted to explain a simple work around on replacing the Lefthand headlight bulb. I, like others here, found the black plastic backing disc difficult to remove and extremely hard to put back because of the wiring loom that is right up against it.
I found the plastic grip lugs were getting in the way of the loom. So my simple and effective answer was to remove two grip lugs (leaving the rest so you can still grip it).
Firstly remove the fuse box cover (easy to do) you get a bit more manoavering room.
So there were no mistakes I marked its correct position (where the location lug sits, at the 9 o'clock position when looking from the front if the car) with tipex.
Again looking from the front of the car remove the two grip lugs that sit between the 5 and 7 o'clock position.
Hope that helps, by the way this was on a 2006 Berlinger multispace.

[Nortycar]

Never thought it would happen to anyone else - amazed to find several victims to the same fate I suffered yesterday! I had been to a well known national cycle/car shop to buy my last headlight bulb and got convinced into paying them to change the bulb for me (not cheap) so yesterday I was determined to do the job myself.
Read the instructions, it said nothing about how frail that little tiny clip was, or how to safely release the circlip.
Ping tinkle....... now I have a loose light bulb. I went to a local breakers yard, was told that I should have let the shop do it!!
Now I have no idea if that tiny little piece is still under my bonnet, but will look at accessing the back of the headlamp fitting somehow, and try to botch it.
I can't afford the cost of a new headlight unit, plus paying someone to drop the bumper! Unimpressed!! It should be more secure than this.

[Matt Haigh]

If you mean the torsion spring that holds the bulb into the reflector? I believe it to be a common part to other similar makes/models using the same type of H4 light fitment.

Just do a Google search for H4 bulb spring, and check the images against your remaining one spring.

Halfords selling them here: http://www.halfords.com/motoring/car-par...oCtBzw_wcB

[ffrenchie]

Remember the bulb get's very hot the sealant will burn and or melt :S + you've got to get it off

We've used bath mastic to seal exhausts and it lasts for ages. It doesn't burn it just changes colour. Just put a bit of grease on before the mastic and it will peel off easily.

[Sootyfoot]

Read with great interest and amusement the tales of replacing a headlamp bulb in a mk3 Berlingo. I had the pleasure of the drivers side dipped bulb packing in . Thinking it would be a ten minute job , I removed the headlamp assembly back plastic seal , took off the electrical connector and tried to find the retaining clip. After a bit of manipulation I managed to loosen the bulb and remove it after lowering the securing wire clip.
I inserted the new bulb and tried to secure it in ! I could not figure out how the securing clip was held on the assembly , spent ages trying to work it out then realised I must have broken the small clip.
After looking and cursing for ages on the possible ways of removing the headlamp , I read the manual on line and did not fancy stripping the front end of my car to change a bulb.
In dismay over the price of a new headlamp assembly ,£190 or about, I took the decision to use the cutter wheel on my rotary multi tool to cut a panel on the upper assembly to expose the area to make a repair.
To cut a long story short I carefully cut away a section of the panel and this allowed a good view of the offending missing clip. I drilled a hole through the plastic lug where the clip used to be and made up a removable wire clip that went through this hole after the bulb and the securing clip was in place . This works ok and I tested it , success !
The panel was put back in place and secured using two flat metal repair brackets and self tappers, and I used black mastic I found in garage to seal it.
It is working ok and permits access to change the bulb, will do the same on near side when the time comes.
By the way I read this forum the other night and guess what , the bulb I put in blew on high beam , this morning I changed the bulb for a good quality one in 10 minutes.
Worth thinking about , any body wanting photos of my conversion just give me a shout .

Yes please. Photos


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk