Bulb fell into the headlamp... need some advice please...

[Cupra_UK]

I was trying to change my regular sidelight bulbs to some Xenon LED ones I bought. If it wasn't bad enough that the LEDs dont fit, (head of the bulb is too big), when I was replacing the original bulb it came loose and fell into the headlamp. Just as I was pluging the bulb holder back in.

I doubt there will be many people this has happened to but some advice would be good. Would I have to remove the bumper to take of the headlamp? The bulb has gone righ to the front of the lamp...

 

[Deleted member 16792]

i had the exact same thing happen to me.

you have got to remove the whole headlamp to get it out.

 

[Cupra_UK]

Did you have to remove the bumper to get the headlamp off bigger bish? Did yours disappear out of sight too (the bulb that is)?

I'm tempted to just leave it there but it's going to bug me - knowing it's there... but if getting the headlamp off means taking the bumper etc off then I will have no choice but to leave it...?

 

[Deleted member 16792]

i didnt have to remove it totaly, just undid some of it, so as to be able to remove the lamp. inside the wheel arch and in the centre of the bumper IIRC, was a while ago!

 

[browner01]

all that trouble just for a bulb lol

 

[CHR15B]

Happened to me also with the Toledo, it just dropped down and I left it.

 

[andyj]

this happened to my car when Pete owned it, and we tried changing the side light bulbs at a show.... the bulb dropped inside the headlight

luckily someone had some 3-core mains cable in their car (don't ask why!) so we used a piece of the solid earth core from the cable, with some sticky tape on the end, and managed to 'fish' it out that way, took about an hour in total to get it out!!! Easier than removing the whole bumper and headlamp !!!

 

[Cupra_UK]

The added problem I have is that it's gone under the black plastic trim right at the front of the headlight.

I'm anal about these things. (must be some sort of disorder ). But this time I think I'm going to have to leave it and try to forget about it. May be one day it'll shake loose and I will try to get it then.

 

[Imperial]

Maybe a magnet would work? One of those on a stick for retrieveing bolts & stuff?

 

[Cupra_UK]

I don't think there is enough metal content in the bulbs to be attracted to the magnet - not enough to stick anyway.

 

[traumapat]

other than reversing hard and braking id have gone with a magnet

i lost a pen in my engine bay. it reappeared a year later when i did my fmic

 

[Cupra_UK]

Reversing wont help as it's as the front of the lamp. So normal driving would do it, if at all. Also tried parking the car on the ramp of a car park.

To be honest it can't be seen so probably best leaving it now.

 

[traumapat]

Reversing wont help as it's as the front of the lamp. So normal driving would do it, if at all. Also tried parking the car on the ramp of a car park.

To be honest it can't be seen so probably best leaving it now.

great excuse to fit an fmic at some date in the future

 

[Mark300zx]

Just doing a search for bulbs and found this thread, you can get very small attachments for hoovers, detailers use them and they will get out small items like this.

 

[andyj]

"Old Thread Alert"

Thanks for the tip though