Does  anyone know how to access these lights and what bulbs are required? These have recently blown and I'd like to replace them if easy to without having to go to the dealers/ Checked the owners manual and it makes zero mention about these lights at all?

Passenger one on mine had been intermittent for a while and recently gave up the ghost totally.  Will look at changing bulb soon as get decent some decent weather when not at work.  But at first glance they look identical to the boot lights in estate tailgate which need a flat blade screwdriver or, ideally, plastic trim tool to push clip at one end in and then lever whole thing out of mounting hole.  Will let you know how I get on.

So much for "simply clever" - these are an absolute bitch to get out as although they are the same lamp holder as the boot lights, their location means it's very difficult to see what you are doing and there's not a lot of space to work whilst draped across the sill (plus I'm not quite as supple and thin as I was 30+ years ago which was the last time I used to routinely work on my own cars :-) 

 

They are so tight a fit that a plastic trim tool wouldn't do the job, needs a strong + wide (but short) flat blade screwdriver to lever them out.  The release mechanism is on the end (short side) opposite the wiring connection so on the passenger side one it's the end closest to the door.  If in doubt have a grope behind the plastic trim it's mounted in and you'll soon identify which end the wiring comes in on.  It's then just a case of of prodding the screwdriver under the end opposite the wiring connection, pushing to release the locking tab and then levering it out.  Feels like it will break but keep going.  At least on the passenger side you'll then find the lead feeding it is so short you can't get to disconnect the plug which has locking mechanism built in.  I ended up feeding the whole lamp back through the mounting hole and removing the flexible cover that hides the footwell ventilation ducts and outlets alongside it and pulling it out from there.  That gives you just enough slack to access the connector locking mechanism and disconnect. Then when refitting it was easiest to have the cable + connector sat in the mounting hole whilst holding it from behind the trim and then pushing the lamp holder onto it (the connector self locks as cable connector seats into the lamp holder).

 

Once the lamp holder is out you have to carefully remove the metal reflector to access the bulb.  There are four tabs on plastic lens moulding that hold it on - I used small flat blade terminal driver to lift the reflector off each tab in turn to allow it to be removed.  Then when you have changed bulb, the reflector just pushes back into place.  Bulbs themselves are standard 5W5 wedge bulbs readily available from Halfords and the like although better value to buy a pack of ten decent quality Osram bulbs from ebay or Amazon for just over a fiver delivered

 

Attached are a couple of photos that may or may not help you, one shows the lamp holder having just been levered out.  The other shows the lamp holder with reflector removed to you can see the actual bulb holder / clamp mechanism. 

 

In my case it wasn't the bulb that was at fault, in wrangling the holder out of the trim it started working again.  Fitted new bulb anyway and put back in and immediately stopped working again.  What I think is the issue here is the diode that is fitted to the footwell lamps.  These aren't in the physically identical boot lamps, I suspect it's something to do with the variable brightness of the footwell lamps.  This provides some information on this setup:

 

 

 Given the bulb is OK , holder is gripping it tightly and wiring looks good it has to be something to do with these diodes which are a push-fit into the lamp holder. The diode connection looks good to me so suspect it's the diode itself that is at fault, I wonder if there's a dry joint internally which gives intermittent continuity.  The diodes are readily available for few pence each e.g. Amazon have a pack of 50 available for less than 2 quid delivered.  Just a case of levering the old diode out and replacing it with a new one (with leads cut to correct length), making sure polarity is same as before.

 

We both have the same problem, I'm 72 and certainly nowhere near either size or the flexibility I was a few years ago, so I reckon it will be my son who gets the job of doing these lamps then. A couple of years ago we replaced the heater blower motor which is located on the passenger side and that was a real pig to do, having to do most of it by feel, which is less than ideal.

 

Thanks for the reply and photos, they will be a great help.

Edited 10 November, 20214 yr by Graham Butcher

thanks for the clear post on the footwell lights - I've a few to do too as well and this will help loads.

22 hours ago, laldie said:

thanks for the clear post on the footwell lights - I've a few to do too as well and this will help loads.

you are welcome

On 10/11/2021 at 18:44, DrCorbyLee said:

So much for "simply clever" - these are an absolute bitch to get out as although they are the same lamp holder as the boot lights, their location means it's very difficult to see what you are doing and there's not a lot of space to work whilst draped across the sill (plus I'm not quite as supple and thin as I was 30+ years ago which was the last time I used to routinely work on my own cars 🙂

 

They are so tight a fit that a plastic trim tool wouldn't do the job, needs a strong + wide (but short) flat blade screwdriver to lever them out.  The release mechanism is on the end (short side) opposite the wiring connection so on the passenger side one it's the end closest to the door.  If in doubt have a grope behind the plastic trim it's mounted in and you'll soon identify which end the wiring comes in on.  It's then just a case of of prodding the screwdriver under the end opposite the wiring connection, pushing to release the locking tab and then levering it out.  Feels like it will break but keep going.  At least on the passenger side you'll then find the lead feeding it is so short you can't get to disconnect the plug which has locking mechanism built in.  I ended up feeding the whole lamp back through the mounting hole and removing the flexible cover that hides the footwell ventilation ducts and outlets alongside it and pulling it out from there.  That gives you just enough slack to access the connector locking mechanism and disconnect. Then when refitting it was easiest to have the cable + connector sat in the mounting hole whilst holding it from behind the trim and then pushing the lamp holder onto it (the connector self locks as cable connector seats into the lamp holder).

 

Once the lamp holder is out you have to carefully remove the metal reflector to access the bulb.  There are four tabs on plastic lens moulding that hold it on - I used small flat blade terminal driver to lift the reflector off each tab in turn to allow it to be removed.  Then when you have changed bulb, the reflector just pushes back into place.  Bulbs themselves are standard 5W5 wedge bulbs readily available from Halfords and the like although better value to buy a pack of ten decent quality Osram bulbs from ebay or Amazon for just over a fiver delivered

 

Attached are a couple of photos that may or may not help you, one shows the lamp holder having just been levered out.  The other shows the lamp holder with reflector removed to you can see the actual bulb holder / clamp mechanism. 

 

In my case it wasn't the bulb that was at fault, in wrangling the holder out of the trim it started working again.  Fitted new bulb anyway and put back in and immediately stopped working again.  What I think is the issue here is the diode that is fitted to the footwell lamps.  These aren't in the physically identical boot lamps, I suspect it's something to do with the variable brightness of the footwell lamps.  This provides some information on this setup:

 

 

 Given the bulb is OK , holder is gripping it tightly and wiring looks good it has to be something to do with these diodes which are a push-fit into the lamp holder. The diode connection looks good to me so suspect it's the diode itself that is at fault, I wonder if there's a dry joint internally which gives intermittent continuity.  The diodes are readily available for few pence each e.g. Amazon have a pack of 50 available for less than 2 quid delivered.  Just a case of levering the old diode out and replacing it with a new one (with leads cut to correct length), making sure polarity is same as before.

 

 

What diodes are required for these? What would i need to be searching for on ebay/amazon etc.....

9 hours ago, WaveyDavey said:

 

What diodes are required for these? What would i need to be searching for on ebay/amazon etc.....

The diodes you need to search for are 1N4007.  Now doubled in price to 4 quid for 50 with Amazon prime delivery but smaller quantities are available more cheaply if you search on eBay