How to Replace Volvo XC70 H11 Headlight Bulb 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 SOLVED

Welcome, you are about to embark on a difficult journey.   :)

You probably just got the indicator on your XC70 dash that says you have a burned out headlight. "No problem, I'll just pop a new one in" you say to yourself, as I did when just faced with this. This is where it gets weird.

Believe it or not, Volvo engineers didn't really provide space for this when they designed the engine compartment layout. Depending on your year of Volvo XC70, you will perhaps find yourself cursing when you open the hood to size up what should be an easy repair.

Volvo Headlight Engineer

"What? I have to get my hands in there?" Since you landed on this page, I assume you have just uttered that quote and then ran to Google to help you figure out what to do next. This blog post will hopefully help you on the next part of journey.

My Story - a 2006 Volvo XC70 with H11 Lights

First: my story.

I owned a 2002 Volvo XC70 until a few weeks ago when someone totaled it by ramming me in a parking lot. Sad. No worries, I just bought a replacement 2006 XC70.

During the first week in my 2006 the driver side low beam went out, but I wasn't worried. Changing the bulbs (H7 type) in my 2002 was not a big deal and I expected the same for my 2006. But then I uttered the quote above. After Googling around to find the easy way to replace the bulb, and finding none, I gave up on the driver side low beam. I took it to my neighborhood shop and watched the technician there replace it.

A few days later when the passenger low beam went out, I decided to replace it myself. The notes below relate to that project as I figured out how to do this myself.

The Main Issues with XC70 Headlight Bulb Replacement

First issue: you have probably already discovered that access to the headlights is very much obstructed by other auto parts. I can't tell you which model years are affected - I just know that my 2006 is definitely this way, while my old 2002 was not.

Second issue: because of issue #1 you can't look into the headlight ports from inside the engine compartment. Which means you can't visually see how to take out the old bulb. Your hand will have to operate blindly.

Third issue: What type of bulb do you have? Hard to know due to issue #2. You may have already read about some posts where people are talking about Bi-Xenon headlights. Do you have those, the H11 standard halogens, or the older H7 halogens? Bi-Xenon costs about $130 per bulb, apparently. H11's and H7's around $15. Its a big deal. I was afraid I just bought into a $130 repair. Fortunately I later learned that I am a H11 (also a Virgo, but that's irrelevant).

Fourth issue: once you determine your bulb type, how do you blindly extract the old bulb?

Fifth issue: once the old bulb is out, how to you put the new one back in? Blindly.

I could stop writing here, but then I would be a jerk. I have just told you all the problems, but none of the answers. OK, we are now getting to the good part. The answers.

Issue 1 : Obstructed Access

The first issue is you cannot easily access the headlight ports from inside the engine compartment. The driver side is worse (although some posters say that passenger side is worse, I don't get that). It may depend on your model year, or options. Dunno.

As you Google around, some folks recommend pulling out the air filter assembly (driver side) or ECU (passenger side). I didn't see a super easy way to do that. The factory instructions apparently tell the technician to remove the front bumper (!) to get access to the headlights. Don't do that.

My answer to the obstruction issue is "just deal with it". For the driver side, I saw the technician do it at the shop by working his skinny arms around the obstructions. I did the passenger side without removing the ECU box. Though I did take the cover off the ECU to make myself feel like I tried; it didn't actually help me at all.

Issue 2 : Can't See Into the Headlight to Know How to Take out the Bulb

The rest of this blog post will help you deal with this issue. I will tell you how to do this without being able to see into the headlight.

Issue 3: What Type of Bulb Do You Have? H11? Bi-Xenon?

I am not an expert on this at all. I tried searching Google Images to help me sort out what I had. You may need to do the auto shop the first time to figure this out. That's how I resolved the question. If it helps, this is my H11 headlight picture below:

Volvo XC70 H11 Headlight

My H11 has a shroud around it with a gray cap cylinder. There is also a small light bulb (parking light?) several inches away from the main bulb.

Issue 4: How to Remove the Old H11 Bulb?

From here on out, my instructions are specific to H11 bulbs. Maybe it is of some use to Bi-Xenon folks, but maybe not that much.

You need to remove the rubber cover (about 5" diameter) that covers the low beam port inside the engine compartment. This is the easiest part of the whole ordeal. If you struggle with this, please slowly back away from the car, reach for those car keys, and drive your helpless soul to the nearest auto shop. The rest is much harder.

The next step is to somehow reach your hand into the headlight port (easier said than done!). Its going to be a tight fit, especially on the driver side. If you can't do it, see references above to removing the air filter or ECU to make this easier. If you have big arms, that's probably your only option.

The next step was really hard for me because I didn't know what to do with my hand once I got it into the port. The answer is actually pretty easy. You need to twist the old H11 bulb in the socket so that the tabs around the metal base unlock from the socket. See here:

See those three tabs sticking out of the base? They are what locks the bulb into the socket. When you turn the bulb, it will somewhat easily unlock and you can pull the bulb out of the headlight port.

Wait! Its even easier than that. If you look into the headlight from the front (in front of the car, like a deer would) while you are twisting it you can actually see the tabs turning in the socket so you can see when they are disengaged. I don't remember if you turn clockwise or counter, but it shouldn't be too hard because you can watch them turn.

At this point, you should have pulled the bulb assembly out of the port. The wire harness is still attached at this point.

To unlock the old bulb from the harness, you just need to disengage the plastic tabs on either side of the H11 bulb connection. It sounds hard, but once you are in there it is obvious. Use a flat head screwdriver to gently pry open the tabs if you must. After that, you should have a dangling wire harness and one old H11 bulb in the trash can.

Issue 5: Putting in the New Bulb

This is more or less self explanatory, now that you know how the thing is supposed to fit together. The first wrinkle I will mention specifically is you need to have a glove on, preferably something thin like a latex. The reason is you don't want to soil the new bulb with your skin grease. When you are putting in the new bulb, you likely get your hands on the glass bulb, which apparently is not a good thing.

I am tempted to write "and the rest is left as an exercise for the reader". Once you pull the old bulb out, you should have a really good idea on how to reverse the process. But I do need to tell you about two more things:

You need to be looking into the headlight (like a deer, remember) to make sure the new bulb finds itself inside that gray shroud thing inside the headlight. The first time I did it, I had the bulb in cockeyed and the bulb was outside the shroud.

Second, look into the headlight to help you engage the tabs and make sure you are turning it correctly. You want to double check that the tabs are engaged.

Finally, don't forget to replace the rubber cover over the headlight port inside the engine compartment.

DONE!

If you found this post useful (or to the contrary) please add a comment below. Thanks! Please include your model year so we can track what models are difficult.