Changing Headlight Bulbs?

Sorry to post this, but I've read (quite literally) every post on this forum (as well as the manual) relating to changing headlight blubs and I must be missing something really, really obvious. I can't for the life of me get them out

This is a facelift 2010 n-tec model. I unscrew the big round cover thing, then what next? I tried twisting the bulb both ways but it won't budge. I tried pulling the black plug off, it won't budge. Same for both sides. Please tell me I'm doing something stupid I'd really like to install some H7 Osram nightbreakers


Edited by Cashkai - 04 Jan 2013 at 4:18pm

I'll try to get a picture in daylight I'm sure it must be simpler than I'm making it

Been too busy today and it's dark again now, but will try and get some pics in the morning

I found it helped to remove the air intake hose, and light up the area with a flashlight so I could see what I was doing.

Had to replace both of mine within a couple of weeks of each other recently. The nearside went first so brought a bulb at Halfords. They offered to fit it, I think for about £6. No thanks, not at that price. So working by shop light I tried to change the bulb. First thing I did was drop the large cover which came to rest on the underside engine panel. Took an age to persuade the damn thing out. Then the fun bit. The handbook says you should turn the bulb holder a quarter turn anti clockwise to release bulb. With so little room to play with this is not easy and it almost seemed the amount of force needed would break something. Lost patience so tried again at work the next day. Did it but lost most of the skin from the back of my hands. When the second bulb went the car was booked in for it's MOT the following week, so the new bulb was left on the dashboard for my nice friends at West End Motors in Bodmin to fit.
In 30 years of motoring, this was the most difficult set of bulbs to change in any car I have ever had!

Such Fun!!!

Next time I buy a car I will ask the salesman to demonstrate changing bulbs using the tools provided.

Gotta be honest guys re LED headlights, leds just don't have the light power of ordinary bulbs let alone replace HIDs

Hi downtime the tech still hasn't caught up with the average user yet and it will be a long while till they get a system that will retrofit in vehicles like the qashqai.

Mart1965 wrote: Heres a good link .... almost LED porn Audi have really got it .. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W40Y7vFL3rw

Wow... The OLED lights were very cool.

But yes. Retrofitting LED lights to halogen housing most likely won't offer very good results. My initial comment was purely to are LEDs sufficient or not. Sorry wasn't very clear with that ;)

But if the whole light assembly is designed for LEDs then the results are usually good. For example I've personally seen Prius' LEDs and they're are very good. Dipped beam I mean.

I would not retrofit leds to dipped or main beam.

At the moment Audi seem to be leading the way

Downtime wrote: These would be pretty cool replacement to QQ. Should be plug'play. http://www.aliexpress.com/item/FREE-SHIPPING-2008-2012-NISSAN-QASHQAI-ANGEL-EYE-HEADLIGHT-ASSEMBLY-V2-WITH-ANGEL-EYE-TYPE-U/909247482.html

Hi sadsod, cant remember the size of the spanner as was an old rusty one found on the shed floor all markings badly rusted out. I just bent it in a blind anger in me vice till i thought it would fit.

You're kidding me!!!! My Jag X Type was such a b....tard to get bulb out I ended up paying a chap who worked at a Jag indy,  tenner each time he headlamp bulbs went... which was abut every other month.
Our QQ 2010 Ntec now has an off-sie bulb out and Im reading this is yet another vehcile which requires you to say goodbye to your knuckles to do the most basic of maintenance after putting washer fluid in, changing a poxy bulb.

Is it really this hard?

Last experience I had with Halfords was a nightmare, he suggested I take my old Jag to their autocentre where they would have to remove the fuse box..... clowns!

It,s not getting to them thats the issue.  They are not held in with spring clips, it's a bayonet type fitting which initially is very hard to get enough purchase on to remove.  Once it's been done once it seems to come off a lot easier on following attempts luckily.

A quick spray of silicone stuff on em before stuffing em back really makes it easier to take out later.

dctyke wrote: Not wishing to tell folks how to suck eggs but if you are going to spray the fitting do it before you fit the bulb - And dont spray the headlight side, you do not want it inside the headlight!  I myself used a smear of vaseline.

We didnt need to know that

just ordered a set of H7 OSRAM Night Breaker Unlimited from metro direct. Sounds like I ll be having fun at the weekend fitting them.