How do you replace the headlight bulb on a ford focus?

Answer 1

Having just purchased a 2002 Ford Focus I found that the passenger side headlight had gone. Stumbled across this thread and thought "looks like a pain".

Popped to Halfords and picked up a H1 bulb, went home and had a look under the bonnet.

Armed with just a screwdriver I managed to change the bulb within 10 mins. Flicked the headlight cover off using the screwdriver for a bit of leverage. Unplugged the headlight and flicked off the retaining clip. Removed the bulb.

Fitting was even easier - Put bulb in place, clip the retaining clip in place, plug in and replace cover.

Job done within 10 minutes with no prior experience of Fords.

Hope it helps

IMPORTANT!!! The retaining clip does NOT just flick off. The retaining clip is held in place by the single part of the wire between the 11 O'Clock and 12 O'Clock position. With a pair of needle nose pliers and mirror it can be removed without force. Removing the headlight cover is the best method. Tried that and broke the plastic stop that holds the retainer clip and allows it to apply tension to the bulb! The retainer wire is held in place on the bottom by a screw and clip on the bottom and is locked into a plastic clip on top. To remove the wire, push the wire down and towards the passenger side of the car, it will dislodge and you can then lower it to remove the bulb. Once the bulb has been changed, you want to replace the wire the same way to protect the plastic clip. I don't know what I will do about the plastic clip now, the retaining wire has no tension and I'm afraid the bulb will not remain seated properly. However, knowing what I know now, I agree with the above answer: Done in 10 minutes without prior experience with Fords.

=== Just finished doing this. A small mirror and a flashlight make this job simple. It's very easy to do once you can see the top of the clip.

small mirror and flashlight are essential, look at the way the retaining wire seats before you unclip it. flat side of the bulb housing sits at the bottom of the access hole. retaining wire clips bottom to top. I had a hard time with seating the new bulb and had to figure out the retaining wire clipped from bottom to top because I didn't look at it before I unclipped it. obviously fords designed this for ease of manufacturer with very little regard to the average layman who would do the replacing.

2005 Ford Focus

OKAY this is easy, except of course for lack of room. remove rubber , unclip light from electric, then there is a plastic cover holding the light in place its shaped like a doughnut or a large plastic bolt 1/4 turn or so and its off and lights out. Do it without help.... you got a better chance of graduating from college with a PhD before you figure this puzzle out lol. sounds easy right. of course you probably have the headlight unscrewed from the chassis by now lol. ( I was almost ready to)

2005 Focus ZX5

The above answer is nearly dead on, however, on my Focus the "doughnut/large plastic bolt" was a plastic retainer ring. Similar to other Ford's (also have a Taurus and a Ranger).

Rotate the ring counter clockwise approximately 1/4 turn like above and the ring and bulb will come out. The bulb may need to be wiggled a bit if its snugged in.

The important tip about not touching the 'new' bulb when installing is why some people say the lamps don't last long. If you get any dirt, hand oils, grease or other contaminants on these extremely hot bulbs you will shorten the life span considerably.

Good luck, its not difficult, but the working area is a bit cramped for big hands.

2002 Focus SVT

One option to create tension to the back of the bulb assembly is to fill the cap with some rubbish and replacing the cap, leaving the clip behind the trash so the next guy can have fun with it. I have several Ford engineer friends to whom I will make this suggestion as a replacement process. ;)

2004 Focus ZX5

My bulb was held in place by a simple metal retaining clip. 1st remove the ~3" diameter round rubber cover at the back of the headlight. It simply pulls off. Roll an edge back and the rest will follow, like a Tupperware lid. That's the easiest part. Looking through the front of the headlight, you will see a round hole cut into the back of the housing, through which the lamp protrudes. Look closely, and there is a notch in the top of the otherwise round cutout. That notch is actually a tab that's cut and bent backwards towards the engine compartment. The following was difficult for my large hands, and was all stretched finger work while my hands contorted in the confined space. Feeling inside, from the back of the headlight, through the "tube" opening that was revealed by removing the rubber cap, the metal retaining clip has a small loop (~1/2") that is just barely held in place by being caught on that tab. By depressing this loop forward towards the bumper and moving it towards the radiator, it will unlatch this loop from the tab, and allow the metal retaining clip to swing backwards and down out of the way. The bulb should now be free to be pulled back out of the tube, though still connected to the wiring. Once it's out of the housing, the bulb can be unplugged from the wiring. The bulb is a male part, with 3 prongs extending from below the wide metal disc base, and into the plastic wiring plug. It may take some patient wiggling/pulling to work it out of the plastic plug.

Plug in the replacement lamp. Making sure the retaining clip is swung all the way down out of the way, insert the new bulb/wiring into tube so the lamp protrudes into the headlight cavity. I saw that there was a flat edge to the round metal base at the bottom of the lamp, and I oriented the lamp so that flat edge was down. Swing the retaining clip up, and work that ring back behind the tab to hold it in place. Replace the rubber gasket. Start it onto the edge at one spot, and work it around until it's fully seated. Turn the ignition key to accessory position, and turn on the headlights to verify operation. Done.

I used SilverStar, 9003/HB2 ST/2, H4 lamp.

2002 Ford Focus

I've just changed both dipped headlight bulbs on my 2002 Ford Focus. After much struggling I found that the easiest way to do this job was to remove the headlamp assembly. This sounds like a major job but it isn't. It took me around 15 mins. per headlamp.

To do this you need a 10 millimetre socket with an extension, a ratchet drive and a Torx bit and driver.

Take care not to touch the new bulb with greasy hands, use a piece of tissue to hold it.

First remove the Torx screw holding the bottom of the fibreboard inner wing to the metal part of the wing. This will allow you to pull out the fibreboard sufficiently to get your hand up the inside of the wing. Feel around until you find the head of the 10 millimetre screw which secures the bottom of the headlamp. It's not difficult to find, the head faces towards the inside of the wing. Undo and remove this screw.

Next remove the front grill (the one with the Ford badge on it). This is done by unscrewing the 10 millimetre screws, one at each end, using the socket and extension then using your fingers to release the clip at each end which holds the grill in place.

Remove the two black screws at the top of the headlamp which hold it in place and carefully ease the lamp upwards and forwards until it's clear of the bodywork. Do not pull too hard or far as the cables to it are not very long.

Now you can easily reach everything as well as see what you are doing.

At the back of the headlamp unit, push down the clip holding the plastic weathershield in place and remove the weathershield by pulling it outwards and down so that the lugs at the top come out of their holes.

Remove the electric plug from the bulb to be replaced then release the wire clip holding the bulb in place and pivot it back to allow removal of the bulb. Note which way the bulb fits into the headlamp.

Place the new bulb in the headlamp making sure that it seats properly and re-clip the spring clip to hold it in place.

Re-fit the electric plug and replace the weathershield, first making sure that the rubber gasket is in its grove properly.

Re-fitting the headlamp is a reverse of the removal procedure, once you have located the lamp back into the car body I'd fit and tighten the screw inside the wing first, before tightening the two top screws.