With difficulty, You just have to feel for the clip and feel the way back in. Look at the hand book it give the exact place you need to push the clip and pull.

 

Feel for the clip (or plastic 'tongue' as it looks like), pull it out. When you've put the new bulb in, turn it on - helps you relocate it by feel and looking back through the headlight glass. Push the clip firmly back, takes a surprising amount of pressure.

That makes it sound easy - it's not, it's fiddly as hell I know, but I got the knack in the end on the 147 and the GT's virtually identical. Just take a deep breath and keep calm......

 

did all my front lights the other day, the dipped headlight is a git.

Parking lights - don't you pinch the plastic clip then pull

 

V6 + xenons = bumper-off job to remove entire headlights.

i presume the car doesn't have xenons, so that should make it a little simpler. good luck!

it may help if you are looking (from the front through the clear lens) at the actual bulb whilst fiddling around. when you have hold of the correct tab/tongue and jiggle it, you'll see the bulb move - it just confirms you're in the right spot. can also aide refitment of the bulb, helping to aim it into the hole.

 

I just change (17:50 CET 03/05/2010) the sidelight Bulb [left side, with the fuse box behind] on my GT, without removing the bumper.

I printed Shiny_car's "how to remove bumper and Change..." and I looks like the best how to do it instruction for Alfa GT :thumbs: However, I was gonna give it one last try before I have to remove bumper. And god I did it.

How to remove Xenon light unit cover without removing bumper.
1. Remove -ve lead to battery and move it out of the way
2. Open fuse box cover and put it somewhere save.
3. Unscrew fuse lead and move it out of the way (this lead can be move all the way back, beyond the battery
4. With the exposed fuse unit you can tilt it about 20degrees back and this will help to losen those Thick black wires.

Now that you have some "space", you can start unscrewing the 4 screws on the xenon light console cover.
1. The top 2 is easy.
2. The bottom 2 is FPITA.
-First the one away from the Fusebox. It is the easier among the 2. Sneak your philip Screw driver under there and then move your hand under the "black cloth cover thingY" located about 20-30 cm behind the light console. You can unscrew this screw from this position. With your free hand, hold on to the screw so that when it comes off, you DON'T LOSE IT!!!.
-Second screw needs patiences. [I recommend magnetic philip screw driver]
-Move your screwdriver under those thick black cables once in position try to slowly unscrew it. NB you will be unscrewing it at a slight angle so be patient.

Once all the 4 screws are remove you still only have space to fit in a snake's ***. Unbolt the top bolt to the light console. There is only one you can't miss it. It has a 1% marking on it.
This will buy you some more space.

Up to now, you have 2 snake's *** of a space to move the cover. With some jiggling it will come off. :tut:Do not use brute force:tut:, it will come off. Be patience.
NB there are wiring connected to this cover :tutO NOT PULL it off with Force!!!!:tut:

Until this stage I used about 30 mins.

Removing and replacing the bulb itselfs.
1. Locate the wire for the sidelight. For my GT it was a light-grey and black wire. there are by themselves. Look at the the sidelight and give it a slight tug. You can see if you are on the right wire. For the position of this bulb you can also look into your user manual which will give you a rough idea.
2. Once it is the right one. give it a gentle but firm tug and it will come out easy.
3. Remove the old bulb from the socket and put your new one in it.

This stage I used 5 mins
:rant:This is were the FPITA stage starts for me. :rant: I believed I went thru the relative list of the designers that made this car!!!

To put the bulb back into the little hole it came from , I used over 30mins....

It's all a matter of playing pin the tail on the donkey! I cannot explain how to but it's a combo of luck, eye power and guessing...

but keep your eyes on the hole by looking thru the light console form the front. Patiance is a definite a tool you need. Once you get it in position, unless you have long skinny fingers like ET, use a screwdriver to push it into place.

TO reassemble, please do in reverse order.

Well this is how I replace my frony sidelight bulb on the left side of my Alfa GT 1.9 JTD

What I gain.
-2 sets of bruised and blooded knuckles
-an hour worth at the garage [which ain't cheap here in norway]
-Remember to ask the saleman about bulb change when I buy my next car!!!


As for Shiny's instruction, I will save it for another time :thumbs:


Total time

 

Thanks for the info. Standard lights. Will wait until it's stoppped raining!

 

check the next page of threads, theres a step by step i think!!

 

I used a pair of "surgical staple pliers" to grip the tab on the bulb holder:

It left a few marks on the tab, but I really don't care! Re-fitting it wasn't too bad, but I had already replaced a dipped beam bulb by then, so I knew the drill

I cannot believe how difficult the designers have made bulb replacement. It should be a very simple operation, but I guess they want you to visit "Alfa Romeo Authorised Services" and pay for it! This weekend I removed the rear wiring loom on my 156 ..... they couldn't make it more difficult if they tried . Half of my body was in the boot, trying to find the connector! As for threading the loom back into the car for reconnection .... even more difficult!

 

Yeah get 'em pilers :thumbs: It's a great idea. They would have helped me, but I haven't got time to look for one when I was at it 3 hours ago...

 

GT sidelight bulb change

You may find the plastic "tongue" has been broken by a ham-fisted previous owner (as I did recently). If so, tease out the bulb + holder by gingerly tugging the wires (and praying nothing detaches) then tape a piece of plastic to the bulb housing for future use before replacing the holder as described earlier. It sounds like a bodge job, but does the trick!

 

Right hand side sidelight bulb change......what worked for me

I did read all the posts but decided to have a go anyway.
NB this works for a 2007 57 2.0 JTS Alfa GT Blackline.
I located the bulb visually and took the light assembly backplate off by prying the metal clips with my fingers. Have the sidelights switched on.
I then felt for the backed the bulb and was pleased to find it has a 'handle' on it.
I pulled this and the little unit came out.
At this point the light started working LOL, so I calmly pushed with some difficulty but with the lights on its was easy to see (looking from the front off the headlamp unit) where the bulb unit needed to go.
And it was in after I gave a it a push, a bit further than you first think.
I had more trouble fixing the overly slack metal clips for the backplate, which I had to bend back into shape and relocate.
Easy with some beginners luck, hope this helps other.

 

Tackling the near side , side light, what a PITA! Bumper off and headlamp free, can feel tongue and have been pulling it for an hour but it won't budge. Do you need to twist it in any direction? Don't want to break it. Not sure how to remove the connector clip for the headlight either??

Any ideas??

Can't believe the poor quality design

 

Nope, just pull it straight out. It doesn't just rest there, it does click into place, like the top off a felt-tip pen if you get my meaning. May need a slight twist to get the holder and bulb out of the housing once you've got it moving.

Make sure the replacement sidelight is securely in the holder (it'll pop out into the headlight if not seated correctly) and turn it on, look through the front of the headlight and insert it.

For the GT headlight bulbs pull the electrical connector off the bulb. There are two vertical clips at either side of the bulb, there is a loop at the top of each clip that you have to push toward the front of the car and then (while keeping forward pressure) move the clip to the side away from the bulb. The clip is hinged at the bottom and will fall backwards to the rear.

Pay attention to the orientation of the bulb when you remove it, there's a flat on the collar if you look at the replacement bulb, has to go back in the same way up.

Good luck

Pub

 

Yup, V6 + xenons = bumper off job! Hence, when mine went in for all belts, water pump, plugs, full fluid change and radiator (another bumper off job)...oh, and offside driveshaft gaiters, new shiny intake pipes and new shiny front badge (!!), I had a pair of 5x LED sidelight bulbs fitted. They give a very clean, bright, white light (similar to the xenons), are error free (built in resistors) and I hope will last longer than the standard bulbs. Taking off the front bumper to (regularly) replace sidelight bulbs is madness! The LED units are widely available on Ebay and quite inexpensive...

Happy motoring!

 

This hasn't gone well. The handle thing has broken off and much of the plastic casing near the bulb base. Jammed in solid and cannot be moved. Am thinking about a replacement light!
Any ideas?

 

Oh no this sounds like a nightmare - I need a new front offside light - do I trust this to my local Halfords? They managed my light on 156 is the GT worse?

 

It all depends on how the little sidelight holder has been fitted.

Both of my 156s had been inserted only very loosely. However, if the bulb holder is pushed all the way in and then the sidelights are used heavily, the plastic can melt/distort causing the issues with removal.

A pair of bent long nose plied can help, I found on one of the cars, where one of the holders would turn but not come out easily, a good grab and heavy waggle freed it.

 

There is a plastic reinforcement strut, doing very little but effectively blocking access to the bulb. I sawed this off with a hacksaw blade. Unfortunately by this time we had broken the tab and no amount of tugging would free it. New light me thinks, gutted.

 

If it's that far gone, grab the wires, twist, wiggle and yank. The bulb holder needs to come straight back, not at an angle.

 

Well - I dug this old thread up yet again because I think I've got something worthwhile to add. Had to change the offside sidelight bulb this morning. Mine's never been too bad on sidelights (unlike some on here) but this one hasn't been in for even four months yet - so a little annoyed. Having spent quite a few minutes searching inside the housing for the bulb holder (in the cold drizzly rain) - I was reminded how tricky it can be just finding bulb holder; nicely hidden as it is behind some plastic strut that seems to have no other purpose than to be in your way; never mind trying to grip it and then pull it out.

I thought that it would be so much simpler if there were something to guide your fingers to the "tab" that you pull it out with - so I looped a cable tie (the finest that PoundWorld do sell) around the base of the tab before replacing it. Now when the cover is removed I just grab the end of the cable tie - follow it to the tab and use it to pull the bulb holder out - piece of ******. When I next change the nearside one I'll do the same thing (even more necessary on that one because a previous owner/service technician broke the tab off that one and I've been removing it with the wiring (which works but always makes me uneasy). Hope this helps someone else.

 

^ just replace with decent LEDs. Maybe £10 a pair. Never need to change again


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Holy jesus, what a nightmare !!

It used up all my patience but i really didn't want to admit defeat.. one hour later, job done with much relief.

Wonder how long it would take halfords to fit one, i'm sure that would really make their day !!

 

Not to mention that alfa use a computer. Plealey different bulb to everyone e else was ready to fit a wedge bulb only to find something completely different ordered new ones off eBay and try again a week later

 

H6W are very common sidelight bulbs.
They may not have been overly common in 1997 when the 156 came out, but extremely common now.

To be honest it is a bit daft buying bulbs without first checking what type of bulb the car uses...!

H6W are a different fitting to T4W too, so make sure you have actually purchased H6W.

 

I keep a stock of bulbs but never seen this type in my 25 yrs of car owner ship

 

Good luck when you come to change the front indicators or rear fog/reversing bulbs then...!!

 

Local garage do mine for the cost of a cake from the bakery next door, driving there getting it replaced and driving back takes about 30 minutes. Much less than what I would take with my oversized hands, less stress too.. And I get cake :lol:

 

I got it down to about 2-minutes for my 156.
It would be quicker if there was a nice cake waiting for me! :wink_org:

 

I had to recruit a friend with spindly long fingers to do mine haha! I replaced the side lights with Canbus friendly LED bulbs to avoid having to do the job again, because they're a right pain.

 

Guess what info popped up last night lol looks like I'm changing the n/s one today