[Lorian]

Thanks Lorian.

I can't take a photo now as it is dark outside. I'll try and get one tomorrow and post asap but from your description and looking at mine, I think they have made design changes and I may have to take the headlight unit out to resolve. My coolant resevoir is directly behing the light units.

No flash?

[Shambles]

I'll reiterate what I've said all along.

Hyundai have secured the headlamp units with just 3 easy-to-remove 10mm bolts. This is to facilitate simple removal for bulb replacement.

You! will! not! damage! your! paintwork! removing! the! headlamp! units!

[trev012]

Lorian - No flash?

It's Saturday [ Drinking Day] so never thought about it  

[trev012]

Shambles,

You! will! not! damage! your! paintwork! removing! the! headlamp! units!

YOU SOUND ANGRY MATE 

[Shambles]

YOU SOUND ANGRY MATE 

Not at all. It really is so simple to remove the units.

If you took your i30 to Halfords, who offer to replace your bulb for you [included in the price of the bulb], that's what they would do.

[trev012]

I guess it is all about confidence.  I'm sure [If I do it] once, I'll be able to recommend the same route to others. You make it sound so easy so I'm going to give it a try.  I will however, post some pics of my coolant resevoir so that Lorrian can compare ..........

[trev012]

Lorian - Here are the photos of my coolant resevoir behind my bulbs- Hope they help ........

[eye30]

I can see your problem.

Different layout to mine.  The coolant bottle is further back by the hood switch/horn (my horn is in front of the radiator) and the washer bottle is in the area where your coolant bottle is so I've got room.

On the i10 they have to remove the bumper to get at the unit.  This may be the option here.

Or can you loosen the nut above the light fitting and drop the light forward to get at it.

I'd be asking the service manager at the dealers for advice.

[trev012]

I can see your problem.

Different layout to mine.  The coolant bottle is further back by the hood switch/horn (my horn is in front of the radiator) and the washer bottle is in the area where your coolant bottle is so I've got room.

On the i10 they have to remove the bumper to get at the unit.  This may be the option here.

Or can you loosen the nut above the light fitting and drop the light forward to get at it.

I'd be asking the service manager at the dealers for advice.

Thanks eye30 - The last thing I want to do is drop the bumper JUST to replace the bulbs but I do appreciate you having a look for me. I will ask the service manager if there is an easier way or failing that, I will attempt to take the headlight unit out.  I really can't understand just why they make simple things so difficult to do  

[Lorian]

Yup, different to mine too.  It could be because its a petrol. You'd need tiny fingers to do it my way in your car. I think you'd have to do it the "proper" way and take the light out (good luck!)

[trev012]

Yup, different to mine too.  It could be because its a petrol. You'd need tiny fingers to do it my way in your car. I think you'd have to do it the "proper" way and take the light out (good luck!)

That's what I was worried about

[trev012]

I'll reiterate what I've said all along.

Hyundai have secured the headlamp units with just 3 easy-to-remove 10mm bolts. This is to facilitate simple removal for bulb replacement.

You! will! not! damage! your! paintwork! removing! the! headlamp! units!

Shambles.  Having seen the photos of my engine bay above, are you still convinced the 2010 models still only have 3x10mm bolts to remove ?

[Shambles]

Yes. Two obvious ones; one not so obvious

[Myowni30]

Having removed the 3 bolts on both MY2009 and MY2010 1.4 petrol models I could not get the headlights to move more than about 10mm forward. So I unbolted the expansion tank and just moved it to the side and did it that way. The only problem is on the passenger side behind the battery. Trying to get the bulb(s) to seat back in the guide and close the clips. A real pain 

Also remember that if you touch the bulbs you will need to clean off all marks as they will not last long 

[Shambles]

After the initial 10mm forwards, mine need to be angled upwards (pressing gently down at the rear) then lifted clear. There is resistance but it's easily overcome

[Lorian]

Oh dear, had a low (dipped) beam nightbreaker H7 fail this evening. That's  just 13 months service. They are on a lot because I use autolights, but still a little disappointing.

Things seem to have moved on only slowly in the bulb field (amsterdam?) since last year. Now I'm faced with the choice of:

Nightbreaker +90% at £13.50 or
Nightbreaker PLUS +90% at £15.00 - I think the plus means they are supposed to last a bit longer
Philips x-treme +100% at £30 (!)

These are all ebay prices delivered, elsewhere they are all much more.

Last year I didn't like the philips extreme +80%, as they were a bit yellow, however they are still going strong in our other car. Philip's new brighter bulb is supposed to be whiter/bluer. but at twice the price...........

....Well I pondered for a while and bought the Nightbreaker Pluses, and think I'll replace both as a matched pair.

[Shambles]

I went through 2 pairs of those H7 Osrams, each pair around the £14.70 mark from eBay.

I have to say I was very disappointed with their lifespan, and I don't use autolights.

I'm back on the factory supplied units; very yellow, but with filaments intact.

[Lorian]

We'll see if the "pluses" are any better. They do say "Improved life" on the box.

I'd have liked to try the new philips but the price is crazy.

[Myowni30]

My Philips Blue Vision are still okay, but not quite 12 months old yet.

Just wondering what Auto lights does compared to the standard setup.

If I leave my headlights on, then stop the engine, the head lights go out, but not the side. The side only go off when I open the door. When getting back in, before I actually put the key into the ignition barrel, but the key is right next to it, the side lights come on. When I turn the key the head lights come on, then slightly dim when the engine turns over to start. I don't do that as standard practice, but that's what happens if left on in the head light position.

[trev012]

Hi All,

If like me you were unsure if Shamble's solution works , please believe me it does. I was very reluctant to take the whole unit out but once done, it really was so simple.  So much so, I've now taken them both off twice. However, the resuls of changing the bulbs don't seem to have made such a great difference to the stock bulbs the car came with originally. They're still a bit yellow.

Many, many thanks Shambles 

Now, does anybody know how to replace the old yellow interior bulbs 

[Lorian]

Pretty much the same, but with auto if it gets a bit dull (or dark) the headlights come on automatically. This time of year they are on a lot.

[Lorian]

Now, does anybody know how to replace the old yellow interior bulbs 

Search and ye will find.

[Myowni30]

My car config is the same as yours Trev. The coolant res just has 2 bolts fixing it. 1 into the side of the inner wing(well, engine bay), and the other below it(by the engine belt). If you remove those bolts, the res will move out of the way as its connected via a rubber hose.

As regards the washer bottle neck, you just have to twist and undo the headlight bulb cover and slide it out past the washer bottle neck. The neck will move just enough with a bit of pressure to get the cover out. Note: doing it that way requires small hands. I found the bigest problem is trying to undo the bulb clips, then after replacing the bulb, trying to put the clips back.

I tried several times to remove the whole units from the car, but could not get them to move at all. Hence that's why I did them that way.

[Myowni30]

Pretty much the same, but with auto if it gets a bit dull (or dark) the headlights come on automatically. This time of year they are on a lot.

Total brain fade.  My Volvo C30 does that.

[Lorian]

I found a description of what the "plus" in nightbreakerplus means:

1. Gold plated connectors. Bling nice.

2. Up to 50% improved lifetime. "The new improved filament design and developements in the gas filling have increased the lifetime of nighbreaker plus for piece of mind motoring."

Oh well, sounds promising, I'll let you know if the marketing blurb was right in abbout October 2012. Of Course they might out-last me.

One thing I forgot to mention, I've noticed driving in the dark a lot recently that the projector dipped/low beam and the nightbreakers make for awesome road-side sign illumination, the reflections are almost too bright at times.

[eye30]

2. Up to 50% improved lifetime. "The new improved filament design and devlopements in the gas filling have increased the lifetime of nighbreaker plus for piece of mind motoring.

What was/is the expected life of a "normal" one for them to make this claim and has it been verified, I wonder?

[Lorian]

They never said, but my benchmark is the 13 months I've had from mine. If these plus versions fail to last 19 months I'll ask for my money back  

[Dazzler]

Keep us posted Lorian.. But i really do hope you outlast them...

[Lorian]

Nice suprise the ebay seller was good and they turned up this morning. They are the plus model. They have gold contacts and a different box but otherwise even on close inspection they ook like the old ones.

I managed to pull the headlights out and fitted them (more about that in my old bulb thread) so we'll see how they go.

<edit: I merged my two blulb threads together>

[Lorian]

Ok my new bulbs arrived today, and I managed to get the lights out and and replaced both sides in about 10 minutes.

The reason I couldn't get the lights out when the car was new were:

1. The car was new, so I wasnt using as much pressure as required
2. I thought the lights were catching along the top of the bumper, but the problem was atually a kind of curved lip on the bottom of the headlights being caught. pressing in the right place gets this out

I'll see if I can find a pic to show what was catching.

Oh and while I had the lights out I noticed some muck inside the wings being thrown up from a couple of holes around the bolts in the wheel arch liner. Nothing broken, just bad design around the catch. So I cleaned out the muck (yes snowcherry I'm anal) and sealed the holes with a little clear silicone sealer before putting the lights back. If you take the units out the holes are obvious.