headlight pod service

[wolfchen]

it's a simple question but before I muck it up, this isn't covered in the service manual, I want to change my headlamp bulbs to LED type but can I just lift the pods to get them into position or do I need to run engine and raise them up ? is manually pulling them likely to damage the admitted fragile mechanism ?

[ericbushby]

I have had no problem just lifting the pods to clean them. I sometimes wedged them up with a piece of wood underneath.
Eric in Burnley
1967 S3SE DHC

[wolfchen]

thanks better to check than be sorry

[nmauduit]

The vacuum part is quite flexible (rubber membrane actuated) but the spring is rather strong : I would move it by the spring (removing the front grile if need be), so that the effort is on a strong part and not edging on a painted piece. You should be able to hold it up once up, or keep it up with a piece of wood and padding.

[Bigbaldybloke]

Not sure if you are aware but just fitting an led bulb in a standard headlamp will cause it to fail an MOT in the UK. Not sure on the rules where you are. Here you can replace the whole headlight with a complete new LED headlamp and several vendors are selling suitable headlamps. They are not that expensive.
My car happens to have a hole in the side of each headlamp pod that you can insert a bolt into to hold the pod up, I think the previous owner had vacuum problems at some stage and temporarily bolted the pods in the open position. The bolt fits from inside the nose cone and the holes are not visible externally.