Officina Gazzetta Motori: Fiat 500L, how to change a burnt out light bulb

Luca Frigerio

September 30th

– Milan

Led headlights are increasingly common on production cars, but there are still many cars with the classic halogen bulb in circulation. Due to the time of use of the vehicle, a malfunction of the system or even a sudden passage on rough asphalt, it can happen that lightning strikes. In the event of this unfortunate event it is essential to replace it as soon as possible: in fact, whether it is low beam, high beam, position or direction indicator, this non-working component is very important for safe travel, for maximum visibility at night and for avoid being fined. On most of the models on the market, the operation is very simple and can be carried out even without resorting to the help of a garage: with a little attention and above all with the right tools you can do a clean and efficient job. little time even in the box at home, let’s find out how.

Changing the light bulb: part 1

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The headlight with the halogen bulb certainly has a less attractive appearance than a modern full LED, but it also has an advantage in economic terms: if the LED headlight breaks it is necessary to change the whole block, very expensive; if the light bulb blows, however, the cost is limited to a maximum of ten euros. To proceed with the operation, if the broken element is in the front area, you must open the engine hood and arm yourself with a workshop light to work with more comfort and visibility. As always, when getting into the engine compartment it is recommended to use gloves, especially if the block is still hot, but in this case it is better to work with your bare hands having to handle small and delicate components. In many cases, as on the Fiat 500L, to remove the bulb it is not necessary to detach the headlight, which in any case is often fixed by two or three visible screws and therefore easily removable. On the back of the lighthouse there is a rubber cap that must be removed only by pulling the element, which is essential to isolate the component from rain and bad weather. The next step is to detach the connector, which can be snapped inside or stopped by a small clip. Instead, you need to pay more attention to the spring that holds the bulb in place: with a little dexterity it must be gently released, but you must not use too much force to prevent the spring itself or the plastic bulb holder from breaking.

Changing the light bulb: part 2

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Depending on the model, the bulb has a direction that must be respected during reassembly, so when you remove the component, try to memorize the direction in which it was positioned (on the base of the bulb there are tabs that help to identify it). Having checked that the new bulb is the same as the old one and that, if you change type or color, it is advisable to replace it on both sides, you are ready to reassemble the working light element following the same steps as in the disassembly phase: correct positioning, well anchored spring, hooked connector and fitted isolation plug. Before closing the bonnet, it is best to check that everything is working correctly by turning on the dipped headlights, high beams, position lights and direction indicators. Finally, remember to retrieve the workshop lamp inside the engine compartment before it is lost or, worse still, gets too close to moving parts.