whole Headlight removal for sidelight replacement

These discoveries are nightmares, i am thinking about doing my own work on mine and my first job i take up is change a blown side light bulb on the front, so a lift bonnet and reach my hand in behind the light to grab the back of the bulb, hmmm to my amazement no bulb.

I search around and apparantly you have to remove to screws on the top of the headlight to remove the whole unit from the car to replace whats a 50p bulb.
My mot is due next month so though rather than give him an excuse to fail it i decide to have a go myself, "well it is just replacing a bulb how hard can this be" so i started to tackle my first real job on my discovery, couldnt move the screws and noticed one had the screw head a bit mangled so decide to use a extractor to tun it, the head of the screw snapped off so i am not gonna attempt the other screw with the same method until i have replacement screws. Then i will have to drill out the screw that has snapped.

Can i get these screws from a dealer, thanks for any help given.
Aslo is there a need to remove grill to take out headlight??? see document

Dave

if yu think thats a problem - give it 6 months...

them screws can break off in the headlamp

I had it three year now have always had dealers do my work but fancied saving a bit of money.

I am bit confused by that, is your disco a D1?

I recently changed the bulbs in mine and to do the headlights I just got hold of the whole headlight and pulled, it just snaps out of the mounting points, change the bulbs and push it back in, done! takes about four mins a side

sorry if I missed your point!

Dave

edit sorry just looked at your post again, I guess you have a facelift D2 right? sorry just ignore me!

There is a screw at the side of the headlamp unit and you need to take the grill out to get access to it.

NeilT said:

There is a screw at the side of the headlamp unit and you need to take the grill out to get access to it.

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Just i read on another forum about the two screws lose them and remove light, but now i have to remove grill as well to replace a poxy side light bulb, what were these people thinking of when they designed these, i tell you something i will never buy another landrover as long as i live.

Discovery 2003

Replaced

Wiring harness under rocker cover replaced.
Spigot bush on crankshaft/gearbox
Condensation in headlights
Fuel line replace from wearing off body "diesel sprayed all over window which cracked all the plastic trim around rear door need replacing"
Air spring leaking
Fuel pump in tank. "garage burt it out when change fuel filter"
Ar did i mention new clutch.
Sorry about that forget to tell you about the centrol locking stopped working on driver door, something snaps on the mechanism and dealer replaced it.
If i remember anything else i will let u know.

The cup holder flew out as well and broke.

mrplebby said:

Just i read on another forum about the two screws lose them and remove light, but now i have to remove grill as well to replace a poxy side light bulb, what were these people thinking of when they designed these, i tell you something i will never buy another landrover as long as i live.

Discovery 2003

Replaced

Wiring harness under rocker cover replaced.
Spigot bush on crankshaft/gearbox
Condensation in headlights
Fuel line replace from wearing off body "diesel sprayed all over window which cracked all the plastic trim around rear door need replacing"
Air spring leaking
Fuel pump in tank. "garage burt it out when change fuel filter"
Ar did i mention new clutch.
Sorry about that forget to tell you about the centrol locking stopped working on driver door, something snaps on the mechanism and dealer replaced it.
If i remember anything else i will let u know.

The cup holder flew out as well and broke.

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Orrr stop ya fooking whining FFS

redhand said:

Orrr stop ya fooking whining FFS

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Oooooooooooo!

get on the scroggys and have a cup of tea haha

The bulbs on the Disco 2 are pretty simple to change comparied to some european cars. My little Bro had a Megane and his head lamp bulb went,
then the fun started, I had to jack the front wheel up and remove it, remove part of the inner wing, then what looks like you've got your hand stuck up a cows arse.

By this point you're thinking who the hell designed this! An hour and half later I was still groping around in the dark, finally got it changed then told him if the other bulb went sell the car or burn it.

So if you think you've got it hard sell the car or take it to the dealers Landrovers are the easist cars to work on.

The two screws you remove the headlight i snapped off head on one, so i began to drill it out and insert a stud extractor whilst turning the stud extractor the whole insert began to spin and come out of the light , so i started with the other screw, i managed to move this screw around and round and round but wouldnt come loose again the insert which is brass kept turning inside the light the only other option to change this 50p bulb was to start on the two other bolts i believe these are used to adjust the headlamps.

I took the left one first got a good tight fit socket on it and it twisted off the head of the bolt , went to the other one and this loosed ok.

I removed the grill to undo the other screw and found the plastic where the screw goes in had come away from the screw.

So now i have replaced the 50p bulb, the whole head light is held in by one good bolt and a screw which turns and turns, and now i need a £200 plus headlamp.

Landrover have madenthem this way so it costs you to replace headlamp when you bulb goes, what i have experienced with doing jobs on these i have never experienced in all my years.

Is that all youve replaced? You ent add it long enough for propper list then .......

uncle albert said:

Is that all youve replaced? You ent add it long enough for propper list then .......

Click to expand...

I have just replaced both airsprings myself but there is a pretty long list of stuff others have done for me.

whats this phd in philosopy? nice one . sugest instead of people doing jobs 4 u get them to teach u how, then if it goes when no one about you bcan prob get yourself home .no offence int.

minidod said:

The bulbs on the Disco 2 are pretty simple to change comparied to some european cars. My little Bro had a Megane and his head lamp bulb went,
then the fun started, I had to jack the front wheel up and remove it, remove part of the inner wing, then what looks like you've got your hand stuck up a cows arse.

By this point you're thinking who the hell designed this! An hour and half later I was still groping around in the dark, finally got it changed then told him if the other bulb went sell the car or burn it.

So if you think you've got it hard sell the car or take it to the dealers Landrovers are the easist cars to work on.

Click to expand...

My last car was a Laguna and that was the same, jack it up and remove wheel to get to the bulb ! For a Ford Focus you have to remove the battery first !

Only used screw extractors once and they didn't work, best advice I ever got was soak it in WD40 go and have a cuppa or leave it overnight then return to the task. Simples

not a harley rider said:

My last car was a Laguna and that was the same, jack it up and remove wheel to get to the bulb ! For a Ford Focus you have to remove the battery first !

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no ya dont.
laguna - turn wheel to full opp lock.
Focus - it is a simple knack .

same with the Megane
if in doubt - take it to Halfrauds - worth £6. they know how to do it. its an everyday job

uncle albert said:

Is that all youve replaced? You ent add it long enough for propper list then .......

Click to expand...

Haha, when people ask me how the car is, I've always got a list to rattle off. The 'done' list is slightly longer than the 'to do' list at the moment. But there is no end to it really

Coincidently, both my side light bulbs are on the to do list