Wednesday, April 10, 2013

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.

30 comments:

  1. My husband and I are trying to remove the passenger-side light bulb right now, and we're having serious issues. We can't figure out how the tabs line up...it appears as though one tab WILL NOT fit through the holes to remove it. Granted, I have no idea how they got it in there in the first place, so there's obviously a way, but we can't figure it out. Did you have any issues like this that you had to work through?

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  2. Thank you sooooo much for taking the time to explain this. I just replaced the passenger side light on my 2007. You saved my sanity tonight my friend. Thanks again!

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  3. 2005 XC 90. Whole headlight assembly comes out, so no tight maneuvering, but I couldn't get the old bulb out. Your suggestion at the end of your blog to look into the assembly "like a deer" was invaluable, and allowed me to see a broken metal tab restraining the old bulb. (I don't know how the factory got that bulb in there in the first place.) I was able to remove the that "gray shroud thing" (2 retainer screws) and break off the offending tab with needle nose pliers. The new bulb went in without any problem. Thanks again for a great written description.

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  4. It took me 2 hours to get the passenger low beam bulb out of my wife's 2006 XC70. Believe it or not I was able to squeeze both my hands in to leverage and spin the old bulb out. New one went in fairly easy using the same technique. Not looking forward to when the driver's side goes....thanks for the tips.

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  5. Thanks! I'm going to attempt this tomorrow. In regards to the bi-xenon headlights, you can tell if you have them thanks to a warning sticker that includes "Warning: High Voltage! Risk for permanent injuries or death. 25 000V. HID LAMP." If I don't confirm success tomorrow, assume the worst.

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  6. Wow Peter. I replaced the passenger bulb about a year ago and tried to forget that experience. Now with the drivers out I am daunted as all hell. Great post though.

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  7. Great post Peter. Daunted.

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  8. Peter, thanks for this great write-up. One thing. You didn't mention it, so I'll assume you didn't do it, but while at it, you didn't happen to replace the crummy stock H11 bulb with an H9, did you? H11s are universally reviled for not throwing enough light. A lot depends on the headlight type and condition, of course, but almost every forum for a car with stock low beam H11 bulbs has a "H11 to H9 swap" thread. It's everywhere. My wife's 2006 V70 (non-XC) still has the stock H11 bulbs that aren't burnt out, but the light output is dismal. Contrast that to the retina-burning high beams, and it's odd there's such a disparity between the two. The lows are too dim and the brights are blazing.

    Anyway, just wanted to mention that. I'll be swapping out for H9s soon. There's caution out there to be careful when doing this swap with "projector-style" lamps as we have on ours due to potential glare issues for oncoming drivers, but from what I've gleaned, b/c our cars seem to have that gray bulb cap thingy as well as a physically big reflector, it should be okay. Only real way to tell is to put in one bulb and try. With almost twice the lumens (2100 for H9; 1200 for H11), just about everyone likes this mod. The downside is, nothing for nothing, the bulb life is shorter.

    Joe

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  9. 2006 XC70 for me. I'm sure plenty of people have found their way to your post on this. I found that the drivers side was harder than the passenger. I moved some wire bundles / hoses on both sides for th change out. I didn't pull the ECU or airbox. Your best bit of advice for me was to view the tri-notch of the bulb from the front as you unscrew then replace the bulb housing. The volvo manual shows the wrong completely different bulb attachment device! That was absolutely maddening on my initial attempts without being able to see in the back! As a custom AV technician I'm somewhat accustomed to working by feel alone.

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  10. 2006 volvo v70 has the same stupid problem. Your observations are good, and helpful. One thing I would add: be very careful when you are pushing the new bulb into place. Do not try and force it. If you are not careful, you can break the internal reflector assembly which holds all the bulbs, which will cost approx $500 for the part alone.

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  11. Excellent . Thanks I was ready to take it to the dealer but this was just the right information

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  12. Very helpful. Was able to change both in 15 min. Thanks. And I have learned to look for solutions before I get stuck under the hood of my 2006 xc 70.

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  13. Just approved a whole bunch of comments - sorry for not doing it sooner. They were somehow ending up in my spam folder I guess. THANKS for the comments!

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  14. Thanks helping me avoid the frustration of looking for the non- existant clips.
    I needed to replace the driver side low beam and parking bulbs but did the passenger side first to get the "feel" for what I was doing. I did not move anything on either side and only got a few scrapes.
    I had to use the flathead to ply the tabs. I would recommend always pulling the parking light from the socket as it frees up more movement area for working on the low beam.

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  15. If you own a Volvo take some sound advice and get rid of it, buy another car anything except Volvo. Volvo design engineers work entirely in the dark, believe that all people have very small hands, double jointed fingers, can see round corners and into inaccessible places.

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    1. I agree. I've had 3 and on my final one, 2006 xc70. The transmissions suck. If you shift manually they get whacked out somehow. My Jag I do that all the time, saving brakes, and never a problem. I do however, have 160k on the volvo and when it hits 200k it's outta here. Nice cars, otherwise.

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    2. I'm with you on that. First the BCM broke, then some weird stuff with fuel tank pressure sensor, and finally light bulb problems. How in the world can replacing bulbs in a car get as complicated as on a XC70. $1,500 repair, what the ??@#?@ ?

      Thought I bought a car, not a freaking spaceshuttle!

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  16. very useful info - thank you. I just replaced low beam bulbs on both sides of my wifes 2005 XC70. I took out the air filter box for the drivers side. This turned out to be quite easy, the trick is to know how much force to apply to pop the air filter housing off its plastic fasteners. The tip from this blog that was most useful was to watch the tri tabs from the front headlamp lense to guide how you lock the bulbs in.

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  17. Great info!! Thanks!! Have had to do both bulbs in the past few months on a 2005 XC70 and this was very helpful! Passenger side was easier (still would help if you have smaller hands). Drivers side I had to remove air filter housing. Looking thru the front of the headlight definitely helped make sure Tabs were aligned properly!

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  18. I'm a couple years late to the conversation, but thanks! Would never have been able to get this done w/out your write up. After reading it I was able to replace the passenger low-beam in 10 minutes. Appreciate you taking the time.

    Cheers
    Drew

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  19. Thanks so much for this post. Once I ignored the manual and followed your steps it was easier and managed to change it without resorting to a trip to my local Volvo shop!

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  20. You are the BEST for publishing these instructions. Couldn't have done it without you. *slaps imaginary high-five with Peter*

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  21. 2005.......cannot thank you enough. Ready to give up a number of times but......success

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  22. Well written, Peter, and I appreciate it. I agree wholeheartedly with your views on Volvo engineers (I would have used stronger language), and I went through the steps you humorously described before googling it. However, after nearly requiring a skin graft on my wrists trying to get that #$%%^%& bulb out (and my wrists are at best, average size, not huge), I gave up and brought it to the Volvo dealer today. I learned they DO take out the ECU on the passenger side and the air filter on the driver's side. Cost me $38. More the hassle than the cost, driving all the way there and waiting. At least I learned a little. I'm a retired chief engineer, and I can tell you I'd be looking to replace those engineers at the Volvo company! Village idiots.

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  23. This really helped...thanks. 2007 V70 passenger side low beam needed replacing. Manual showed clips and not actual H11 bulb setup. I had been turning it but still couldn’t pull it out. Discovered I needed to turn it the opposite direction, which of course was the more difficult way to turn it. Lol. That was clockwise if looking at it from the engine side, btw. Putting the new one in was also challenging, so I appreciated the tip of making sure the bulb fit properly into the grey condom deal by looking through the front of the headlight. Thanks again!

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    1. "the grey condom deal" hahaha I called it a shroud but your description is more entertaining

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  24. I have spent a couple of hours today in the cold rain trying to replace the passenger's side bulb and ran into the same problem others have reported here: one tab WILL NOT fit through the holes to remove it. Someone mentioned that the headlight unit has to be removed to break off a tab inside the unit but, in order to remove it, the bumper needs to be removed also. Has anyone figured out a sane solution for this?

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    1. Michel, sorry to hear it. I didn't have that problem (lucky for me). It sounds like "Jeff" who commented in 2013 with his 2005 XC70 had the same issue. Maybe have the shop do it this time, and then hopefully you'll be all set for the next time. Maybe there was a weird batch of lightbulbs that went into some XC70s.

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