Ford Focus Headlight Bulb replacement

I had to change my headlight bulbs in my ford focus this morning.  Having had a nightmare with headlight bulbs in our Renault Megane and losing many skin cells, and blood in the process - i was a little worried as to how this would turn out.

As it happened, it was as easy as finding an ugly picture of Cherie Blair on the Internet. Very! I had both bulbs changed in 10 minutes!

1. Unscrew screw securing headlights to body
2. Pull headlight assembly out
3. unclip the backing of the headlight
4. unplug wiring
5. unclip bulb, and withdraw
6. Place new bulb in and put bulb clip back
7. Re-plug in wiring
8. Put headlight backing on and clip back
9. Put headlight Assembly back into position
10. Screw back screw.

Job done!! How easy is that!  Compare this to changing bulbs on the Renault Megane:

1. open bonnet
2. Take wheel off
3. Put arm into wheel arch
4. Scratch arm
5. Try to reach bulb through the smallest hole in the world
6. Cut arm,
7. Swear lots and get annoyed
8. Cut finger
9. Get first aid kit
10. Put wheel back on
11. Drive to halfords
12. Stand and laugh at assistant trying to replace bulb and repeating steps 1 to 9.
13. Sell Renault and vow never to buy a French car again!

Headlight bulb - decided it wants a holiday

Why is it that Headlight bulbs decide to "do one" during the winter, when you really need the damn headlights on?  Mine has obviously decided that it is in need of a winter holiday to the sun, and left me on the shortest day of the year.

My Ford Focus is now short of one main beam bulb - meaning a trip to Halfords at some point over the next week.  But - there are a few choices to be made.

1. Do i upgrade to Xenon bulbs?
2. Do i try and fit them myself, or watch a pleb from Halfords do it and lose skin, blood and tears whilst i stand and try not to laugh?

Xenon bulbs would be much better - but would be more costly.

Fitting bulbs to a Ford Focus is much, much easier that on a Renault Megane (Click here for how hard that is!) but still not "that" easy - and i have the patience of a mouse in a room filled with cheese.

Whatever my decision, i need to get it sorted soon - having only one working headlight at the end of December in the UK, is pretty risky and will more likely get me pulled over by the police, who want an easy time over the Christmas period.