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Renault Scenic - Electronics - How to replace passenger side headlamp - New shape Scenic

70K views 56 replies 38 participants last post by  monkeyboy1983 
#1 ·
Renault Scenic - Electronics - How to replace passenger side headlamp - New shape Scenic

I have a July'04 Scenic (new shape), 1.6 Petrol version - How do I change the main headlamp bulb ?

The previous bulb blew about a month ago and I gave up trying to access the rear of the lamp assembly and took the car to a dealer. They changed it in 15mins so it can't be too hard (can it)? Said they had to remove the bumper - trouble is, I can't see how they did it!

So, the bulb has gone again (bit worrying after only 1 month), but I don't need the hassle of taking time off work again to go to a dealer this time.

Surely this can be done on the driveway ? Can somebody help?

Cheers,
Stiz
 
#3 ·
Now fixed ......

..... so I called my local Renault dealer and asked how to access the back of the lamp assembly. After a short discussion between themselves and an intake of breath between the teeth (you know what I mean ;) ), they said "sorry - can't tell you over the 'phone". "Why not ?" "Because if you get it wrong then there'll be come-back on us" (Its only a headlamp bulb for f**ks sake!)

So I took my car into the dealer and watched them change the bulb. Well, they don't have to remove the bumper as they had told me before - just the battery cover. Then its done by feel from above with the bonnet up and inside the engine compartment with a lot of cursing for good measure.

Why can't Renault say that in the manual instead of recommending you to a dealer to access the headlamp? You expect there to be a secret way of getting to the lamp.

Next time your Scenic headlamp goes pop, just find your nearest registered blind person. They will be able to change your bulb in a jiffy.

Renault only employ mechanics with incredibly long, matchstick thin, double-jointed arms just so they can access areas on your car that you will find impossible to reach.

Stiz
 
G
#4 ·
I bought a pair of blue/white side light bulbs for the Espace when I first got it because the standard ones looked so yellow next to the main Xenons. I gave up trying to swap them.


I think I discovered that you had to remove part of the front above the bumper but it seemed such a fanny. It's not just Renaults though, I remember when I had a V40 Volvo I had to get a mate to change the bulbs because I just couldn't get to them. That blew bulbs for fun, probably because the lights were constantly turned on :crazy:
 
#6 ·
Hi Stiz,

I also have lamp failure. Removed battery cover but still couldn't get access. Where can a get long skinny arms? Frogs legs may come in handy also! Does the lamp assy. actually come out? Took the top retainer screws out and lamp assy. did move - didn't want to force it though as I couldn't see how it was attached at the bottom. Any ideas/suggetsions? Also, how do you replace fuses? Got as far as taking the cover plate off! Many thanks!
 
#8 ·
Hi All,
Just to let you know, headlamp bulb replaced without going to dealer to get bumper removed - removing battery cover and fuse cover just about gives enough access. However, no arm left to get the money out of my wallet that I have saved in the process to buy a pint!! Here's to future lamp replacements!!
 
#9 ·
Well 2 hours today finally got my headlight bulb changed in the Scenic. In case it happens to you, here is how to do it (that is if you don't have a friendly dealer who will do it for nothing!

Halfords bulb to use is No 477, think it was £8.99, the dealer wanted over double that. The bulb is not shown in the wee guide book at the bulbs, had to ask at the parts desk.

Now this was passenger side bulb so firstly, unscrew the bolts on top of the battery cover and lift out of place. It is also held onto the front bulkhead with some sort of poppet which I couldn't free up so just twisted the cover out of the way.

Slipping your hand down as close to the battery as you can as opposed to the wingside) you will find a large rubber cover. Remove this simply by peeling away at the edges. Under that you will find the rear of the bulb. Now handbook says try and disconnect socket at rear of bulb, but a quarter turn in the combined unit will remove it all from the light. Then prise the bulb and the holder apart (I had to use a screwdriver for leverage).

Put new bulb on and clamp the socket back onto the bulb. Now switch your lights on to make sure bulb is working. On the bulb, there is a "prong". Now on the rear of the headlight there are protruding "screws" at the 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock position. You want to slip the bulb into the hole, making sure the prong is approx 8 O'clock, and then turn slightly clockwise and this will lock it into position.

Replace rubber cover, replace battery cover and tighten screws and hey presto, all done!

Now between SWMBO and myself, I reckon we have well into double figures of cuts and scrapes, but job done!

Incidentally, the drivers side looks a lot easier, just unclip the washer bottle and move out of way to have (almost) full access to the bulb.

Hope this is of help to someone!
 
G
#22 ·
Top advice scenicman,

Tried replacing the bulbs in my wifes scenic today..........

After numerous swearwords I somehow wedged my arm in unclipped the bulb on the passengers side.......

Then more & more swearing as I realised the plonker where I bought the bulbs from had sold me the completely wrong bulb!!!

Needless to say I've just got back from our local dealer & paid £30 for both fronts replacing.......

What an adventure.......lol:rofl:

But good advice mate
 
#11 ·
Just to add one point,when you change a halogen bulb never touch the glass part as the grease on your fingers(even if you have clean hands) will cause the bulb to expode when it gets hot(and they do get bl##dy hot!).Hope this doesn't patronise anyone but there are lots of headlamp bulbs that are a pig to change(not just Renaults),so it's a job you don't want to be doing unneccessarily!.
 
#12 ·
I've replaced my headlight bulbs on my Scenic II with Philips Vision plus headlight bulbs. They're advertised as being 50% brighter then the standard bulbs - I do notice a difference especially on unlit roads, can't say whether there 50% brighter though but I think it is a sensible mod.

Fitting them is not easy but I changed both bulbs in about 30mins, using the instruction in this thread (thanks). If you do this be careful, I could not avoid a few scratches.

The bulbs themselves cost £16 delivered off ebay, you need to go for the H7 type.
 
#13 · (Edited)
Just visited my Renault dealer and had a quote for this headlight bulb replacement work.

"Drop the car in it will take 15 minutes, while you wait have a coffee and that will be £23.50 including VAT"

So, should I pay £23.50, drink as much coffe as possible and nick all the sugar sachets/spoons etc
OR
should I pay H*lfords £11.00 for a bulb and skin all my knuckles?

Wife is taking car to Mr Renault in the morning. :p

It's now the evening after the event. Bulb replaced £23.50p inc VAT. She (Wifey) didn't nick anything at all. But managed to read an interesting article about Big Brother (Yawn).
 
#14 ·
Scenic headlight change

First time I've posted but thought I'd pass on some info I had from the Arnold Clark Renault dealer in St. Helens, Merseyside which is near to where I live.

To replace & fit the headlight bulb they want £40.54 inc VAT for a 30 minute job. The bulb itself is around £10 and that's for the standard Halogen bulb. If it's for a Xenon bulb I was quoted £144 each! And that's not fitted!

I asked about the windscreen wipers and was advised that they are around £25 each! Does anyone know if you can get these cheaper anywhere else as I'll be blowed if I'm paying £50 for 2 wiper blades!

All I can say is that at least **** Turpin wore a mask before he robbed!
 
#16 ·
£50 each! OMG!

If I had known that the blades were £50 a set I'd have bought a Citroen Picasso or even gone down the dark road of buying a Ford!

I'd preferred to have kept my Almera but unfortunately you can't get 3 booster seats in the back of one of them. Even the Tino can't take 3 comfortably. Unlike the Scenic, 3 fit perfectly and loads of room in the back for the kids!

Shame the price of parts let it down!

Although saying that, my local Motor Factors is selling the halogen headlight bulbs for £2.50!

No wiper blades though. Renault only or there is a guy on Ebay selling them for around £40 for 2.
 
#17 ·
Non-DIY approac

When my headlamp bulb went in my Scenic the Renault garage quoted about £50 to supply and fit a new one. I remembered seeing that Halfords offer a fitting service for bulbs, batteries etc... Sure enough Halfords supplied the bulb (£8.99) and charged £4.99 to fit it.
 
#19 ·
I had a go at changing the driver's side bulb in my Scenic II. As well as being able to unclip the washer fluid filler tube, it actually pulls out of the bottle (make sure the tube is empty first!). This gives enough room to get my skinny arms down to the bulb.

However, I came unstuck when attempting to get the bulb holder and bulb back together - I dropped the holder and it's now resident somewhere inside the belly pan.

I went to the dealer to buy a replacement but it's not available by itself - you have to spend £140 + VAT + fitting for the whole headlamp unit!!!

Then I went to a breaker's to see if I could find one, but nobody appears to be breaking this model yet and the old Scenic/Megane have different (better) bulb holders.

Anyway, it's amazing what you can do with Duck tape if needs must....
 
#30 ·
Just did the same when replacing the driver's side headlamp bulb but if you're lucky (like I was) the metal holder was easy to retrieve from said belly pan. All you need to do is to take out the 2x screws and some of the plastic bungs holding the plastic wheel arch guard and this should enable you to fumble round for it - mine was still there a couple of days after the event so perhaps there's nowhere else for it to go?
 
#20 ·
Headlamp bulb replacement

Great advice - thanks. One further tip for those as daft as me: when it comes to prising the holder from the bulb, don't waste time trying to separate the plastic bit from the adjacent metal plate, as I did, as this is also part of the bulb holder; you have to prise between the metal plates: one on the holder and the other on the bulb itself and for this a long thin screwdriver is really useful......and plasters for the scraped wrists, obviously.
 
#24 ·
Scenic headlight change

The Dynamique has alot of equipment, much better than the basic Scenic.

I've had mine for just over a year and everything has been fine so far, apart from the heater resistor went a couple of weeks ago but under warranty Arnold Clarke replaced it and gave the car a full health check which apart from the front brakes it passed with flying colours. Front pads have since been replaced.
I have a 1.5 DCi and the service intervals of 18,000 are ideal for me as I travel over 20,000 miles a year so this has reduced my costs no end.
Engine is not that powerful but the 1.9 you are buying will have more pulling power but will be a bit more thirsty.
I get an average of 53.4 mpg which is fantastic considering I was only getting around 30mpg in my previous Almera.
So, so far the car is paying for itself!
Happy motoring!
 
#25 · (Edited)
Scenic headlamp bulb change

First remove rubber seal on the rear of the bulb you wish to change, their is 1 for each bulb.remove the plug which is attached to the rear of the bulb. Their is a spring pin on either side of the bulb which holds it in place,release these and give the bulb a quarter turn to the right (there are two screws at the 3 and 9 position) bulb can be removed,then do the process in reverse to replace the new bulb. you cannot really see what you are doing but it is quite easy when you know what parts are involved hope this helps!
 
#27 ·
In theory you should be able to change the bulb without any tools, but please bear in mind that this car is French and my nearly 2 years of experience of the Scenic is one that i think the French took extracted the urine when they shipped this car over as nothing is straight forward with it!

Good luck and let us know how your adventure went with it!
 
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