Confirmed there IS an access panel in the wheel well, but also confirmed they made it so small as to prevent you from using it to successfully change the bulb.





I have a 2014 with 89k miles (I like to drive it...) and the driver’s side bulb recently went out. I ordered the Osram replacement bulbs and set out to see if the access panel was fact or fiction based off of various information here. Took the wheel off, peeled the liner back and there it was. I managed to take the bulb access cover off, but the hole wasn’t big enough to take it out so I knew at that point I would have to take the bumper off. I went ahead and pushed it off to the side just to see if I could get the bulb from there and I was able to remove the old bulb and put the new one in all through the access hole, but the could put the cover back on. At that point I removed the bumper and replaced both headlights.

I have to say, either GM engineers don’t work on the cars they build or more likely they design things in order to make a killing in service charges. What an absolutely MORONIC design that a bumper has to be removed to replace a headlight. If the access hole had just been a little bigger, I could have done everything right from the wheel well.

I don’t recommend having to remove the bumper to anyone. What a colossal pain in the ***. Of course the alternative is paying the dealer, and I’m just not doing that!


Glen

 

Funny, I lost a bulb on my 2014 at 88K miles and pulled the nose to replace both just a couple of weeks ago. I agree, should not have to pull the front off to replace a light.

 

If it makes you feel any better, removing the bumper cover is the same procedure to change the headlight bulbs in my daughter's 15 year old nissan altima.

 

So in summation, you can't do it from the fender well, did I summarize that correctly?

Drop the nose to change the ballast and the bulbs, correct?


Elmer

 

Just curious, what is “opening “ material made of? Can’t you cut it out a bit larger to have room? Won’t make any difference since it is covered by liner & has a cover over the bulb plug also. Just wondering since I never done it.

 

Sounds like good opportunity for some vendor to make a cover panel that is larger with a couple screws and a matching paper template to cut the larger opening...

 

I wound up making the access hole bigger on my 2014 C7 to replace the bulb.. Just wondering did they correct the problem on the 2015s or later?

 

Anyone else go this route?

 

There is NO access port to get at the bulbs. Nose comes off, pod comes out, bulbs or ballast get replaced.

Elmer