# Headlight bulb replacements



## Pard (May 1, 2005)

The subject of the idiot-designed twin headlamp arrangement on the Hymer B series has come up pretty often before, but there has been relatively little attention to replacing the bulbs, mainly the interest has been on converting for left/right hand driving. I gave up on that long ago, taping the relevant bit of the lamp with insulation tape. All those suggestions about buying off-the-shelf converters can be a bit irritating after a while when there seem to be none suitable available.

But bulb failure is inevitabvle sometime and so to the bulb replacement - I started around 2.30pm today on replacing the main beam lamp on the nearside, having puzzled about how to tackle the job for a couple of days, checking MHF of course.

I rather fancied cutting a hole in the plastic under the wing, but after drilling a small hole and being unable to see anything useful, I gave that up. I decided to remove the wheelarch trim and that revealed a slight gap behind on the forward edge allowing some vision into the required space. So, the lower 'bumper' would have to be loosened at least on the one side. That went well until I got to a screw attaching it to the grill - concealed behind horn, resited for easy access by my garage after problems with it. With that moved aside, it was possible to free up half of the bumper to pull it forward enough to allow some vision. The two large corrugated vent pipes were in the way, and I attempted to move them, but gave up on that when I found I could just about get enough hand movement behind the relavnt lamp.

It was still a devil of a job to get the bulb out and this was where previous postings on MHF didn't help much. Having no illustration of the lamp housing and how the lamp was retained in the holder, and limited experience of doing it anyway, it took a while to locate the two sping clips. Eventually I got the lamp out. It wasn't the sort I'd been carrying around France and Germany as required. [Others have commented on the illogicality of this requirement when it's evidently not a legal necessity for constructors to provide for the ability to carry out the job by the roadside.]

It's Saturday - what time does Halfords close? 6.00pm. A dash to their store 8 miles away and back with hopefully the right bulb. Time for a meal.

A post prandial recline upon the tarmac fumbling around arms outstreched into the innards of the motorhome is not my ideal Saturday evening, but anbother 2 hours on the lamp is in place, it works and most of the bodywork is reattached and only the wheelarch trim left for daylight tomorrow.

What to do next time? Well, the young woman at Halfords asked if I wanted it fitted using their free service. I didn't have the heart (or the time) to explain.....


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## Borisd0 (Jan 3, 2006)

Thanks in advance for the information that will be required eventually.
A replacement for a cracked headlight lens is looming.


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## LittleGreyCat (Jun 22, 2008)

Just checking - you did say 'main beam'?

I've looked at a picture of my B Klasse 544 '02 plate and the main beam is nearer to the center than the projector light for dipped beam.

It looks moderately accessible - the dipped beam looks almost impossible to get at.

When you remove the wheel arch cover, do you work around the front wheel or jack up and remove the front wheel?

I have the nearside headlight bulb to replace and am not looking forward to it.

On the subject of headlight beam converters, the ones they sell on the SeaFrance ferries list my Hymer and work for the projector headlamp.


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## Pard (May 1, 2005)

Sorry, my error. Apologies for the confusion. I had to replace the nearside dipped lamp. 

I didn't jack the vehicle. I worked around the wheel, turning it to the right to gain a little more space. I removed only the wheel arch trim, not the liner, and found that with the lower bumper also detached from the nearside of the vehicle (and supported at that side), it was possible to gain enough space to see a little (although not the lamp, which was obscured by the vent trunking) and ease access for an arm when lying on the ground alongside, face up! It ain't half a fiddle though.

You're right to say that the main beam lamp looks a little more manageable, although I have yet to try.

Thanks for the tip about Sea France. I have yet to try them and as it's a 700-mile round trip to Dover from Cornwall, it's less attractive fuel cost-wise than it used to be, depending on the ultimate destination of course.

Terry


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## johng1974 (Jan 17, 2007)

Terry grab a pic next time you do the bulb swap (hope there isnt a next time!)

photos so useful for showing people things that are hard to see


no idea how we managed without dig cams...

I managed to get my dad to check his cam and fuel pump timing just by 'drawing' on pics of my own engine and 'skyping' them to him...


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## LittleGreyCat (Jun 22, 2008)

Pard said:


> Thanks for the tip about Sea France. I have yet to try them and as it's a 700-mile round trip to Dover from Cornwall, it's less attractive fuel cost-wise than it used to be, depending on the ultimate destination of course.
> 
> Terry


I have seen similar ones in Halfords, I think. They are a plastic circle with an extending wing. You cut the wing off (following the line) and position the circle up and right of the centre of the lens.

Do this with the light on as recommended and you can see the plastic catching the bit of light which illuminates the kerb or the oncoming traffic depending where you are driving.

Seems to have worked for me, and centre dip is no problem in the UK. In fact, I don't know why they don't just fit a centre dip light and avoid the whole problem.

On the subject of changing bulbs, is there any camper van service agent watching who knows any tips and tricks?

Cheers

LGC


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## LittleGreyCat (Jun 22, 2008)

*Two stage operation....*

Working on Hymer B Klasse 544 '02 reg. (but I'm pretty sure that it is built on an '01 chassis which is a 'cross-over' year for Ducato chassis as they move to a newer design).

This is the weekend for bulb replacement.

Progress so far:

I have long arms and so I can reach round to the back of both the nearside and offside headlamp units.

I can feel that there is a kind of cap over the back of the light with ridged grips on it, and wires leading in through a rubber grommet.

I can shift the offside cap (just) using my right hand and feel that there is some kind of fitting inside, presumably a clip of some sort which retains the bulb. I haven't tried to take that apart becuase sod's law suggests that I then won't be able to get it back and will have two duff headlights.

So far I can't shift the cap on the nearside light because my left wrist is not as strong as my right (sod's law in action again).

I am posting now to ask if anyone has information on the construction of the clips or whatever that hold the bulb in.

The general setup seems similar to that on Volvos, where you twist off the rear cap then release the bulb by squeezing a pair of wire clips. However I couldn't feel the same setup on the offside headlight.

Any descriptions/pictures/tips most welcome.

I am off to try and find a way of releasing the cap (to be then, of course, faced with the challenge of getting it back on again).

Cheers

LGC


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## Borisd0 (Jan 3, 2006)

Probably an impossible task but any photos would be useful for followers!

I have a working headlight but a cracked lens so a replacement is looming.

Do you reckon that the design of the Hymer front end is Hitler's revenge!


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## Pard (May 1, 2005)

From memory of my saga with a nearside bulb replacement (with my rather short arms), the cap simply twists off (B564 year 2000). The lamp itself is held in place with a sprung wire clip (either side of the lamp)which needs to be pushed forwards and squeezed towards the centre and then allowed to spring outwards to release the bulb, a common enough means of securing them, but of course you can't see it which does make it a devil of a job to get it back right when you think you have the new bulb in place. It's a matter of try, try and try again, and who knows you might get it right first time! Good luck.


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## BlackScorpion (Apr 30, 2008)

I had a bulb blown when I was in France earlier this year, I happened to be passing a motorhome dealer, not Hymer, on a whim I called in. The mechanic changed the bulb in two minutes by laying on a sheet of cardboard and reaching between the plastic wheel arch and the body. The charge was 5 euros, which included a full set of replacement bulbs in a plastic box !! Hope the bulb blows again just before I get to the dealer !!
It was the outside main bulb on a B584.


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## LittleGreyCat (Jun 22, 2008)

*Photo of dipped headlight back, B544*

Hopefully this shows the back of the offside dipped headlamp housing with the twist cap removed.


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