How hard is it? My wife's '07 XC90 is getting Light Bulb Failure message and when I checked the headlight the xenon bulb was flickering. How hard would it be to chance a xenon bulb compared to a regular bulb? Thanks all.
How hard is it? My wife's '07 XC90 is getting Light Bulb Failure message and when I checked the headlight the xenon bulb was flickering. How hard would it be to chance a xenon bulb compared to a regular bulb? Thanks all.
In reply to ea_sport: It's not more difficult than a halogen headlamp bulb. Wear latex gloves so you don't get hand oils on the bulb which could cause the bulb to explode when it gets hot. The worst part will be getting to the bulb (seriously) and contorting your hand to fit into the back of the headlamp, removing the ignitor, and releasing the bulb.
I would check the owner's manual first, or hop on a Volvo-centric owner's board to see if there's a FAQ for vehicle specific instructions.
Once you get into the back of the headlamp, you will probably be working blind. Take a picture with your digital camera/smart phone of the back of the old bulb STILL installed. That way you can get everyone "clocked" correctly. Look how the wires are run. The bulb will only fit one way, so look at the tabs and poka-yokes that ensure the bulb is installed in the correct orientation.
On the other hand, the bulb might be fine, it could be the ignitor or ballast. But the bulb is a wear item, so it's not a bad place to start.
For those that always wondered.. the glass on Halogen and Xenon lamps is generally super thin and they get super hot. Any oils from your skin will create a hot spot on the glass that weakens it due to uneven heating. I have seen theatrical lamps literally form a bubble where somebody touched them.
If your hands are the same size as mine, pull the headlamp out. I think they will come out of the 90's without taking the front bumper off, but even if it needs to come off, its not that big a deal.
If I try to do it in place, I bleed, swear a lot, then pull the lamp anyway.
mad_machine wrote: For those that always wondered.. the glass on Halogen and Xenon lamps is generally super thin and they get super hot. Any oils from your skin will create a hot spot on the glass that weakens it due to uneven heating. I have seen theatrical lamps literally form a bubble where somebody touched them.
Yep. I had to replace one that had bubbled so badly it wouldn't fit through the reflector. I had to break the bulb and disassemble the light... Right before an event... Hanging off the catwalk... 40' over the auditorium seats... With another kid holding my legs... Fun times. But I've been very careful handling halogen bulbs since.
Streetwiseguy wrote: If your hands are the same size as mine, pull the headlamp out. I think they will come out of the 90's without taking the front bumper off, but even if it needs to come off, its not that big a deal. If I try to do it in place, I bleed, swear a lot, then pull the lamp anyway.
The owner manual actually tells me to take the headlamp out. The only thing is for active bi-xenon bulb (whatever that means) it has warning saying that changing it should be done by Volvo technician, something about high temperature and what not. Is there anything different that would prevent me from changing this myself? It is one of those swiveling headlight but I'd imagine it's the bracket that's swiveling so the bulb shouldn't matter. It looks very straightforward and there is no ballast in the way if I can take the headlamp out. I called a dealership around here they'd charge about $180-$200 for the bulb and about $65 for labor....$250ish for changing one light bulb...come on...
I'm so old I can remember sealed-beam headlamps that looked like this: 
They worked, they were cheap, they were easy to replace, and we LIKED it!
1988RedT2 wrote: I'm so old I can remember sealed-beam headlamps that looked like this:
And the US DOT ones sucked.
In reply to ea_sport:
Active is the swiveling lamp.
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