Headlight cluster (facelift)

Click here for a full list of all the lamps on a fortwo.

This is a job which smart will charge you a fortune to do. However, if you do it yourself, you will need to be very patient and dexterous. This guide will tell you how to replace all the lamps in the cluster so just pick the section relevant to your needs. The mk6/7 fortwo headlight cluster is made up of 4 lamps. There locations from the front are shown as follows:

Remove the service grilles by using the key. Remember, you need to turn the key to the right to undo the left grille.

If accessing the right side, you will need to remove the air filter box. It just pulls out.

Now reach inside to access the back of the cluster.

The rest of the job has to be done blind. The following steps demonstrate what needs to be done on a cluster removed from the car. If you do remove the clusters from the car for any reason, remember to get the beams readjusted by a garage afterwards.

Indicators...

The indicator lamps can be accessed by reaching straight down through the service grille. This is what you need to feel for:

Unscrew the lamp body. It will move about 1/8th of a turn and come away from the cluster.

Replace with a matching orange lamp, test and reassemble.

Side Lights

These are located behind the black cover seal which is closest to the service grille.

To remove the cover, squeeze the flat section at the top to unclip it, let it swing back and then remove.

If you could look at the back of the cluster, this is what you would see:

To replace the sidelight, grab the wires and carefully wiggle the lamp holder out. Pull out the old lamp and replace with new.

Main Beam...

To replace the main beam lamp, you need to remove the retaining clip. This can be the hardest part of the whole job if you don't know what to look out for. Feel for the centre of the lamp, then feel to the side of it for a metal loop. Push this in and rotate the whole clip in an anticlockwise direction to release it from the clips shown here:

The lamp is now free to be removed. Replace with a matching one and make sure that you have it the correct way round. From the back, it should sit like this:

Refit the clip whilst ensuring that the lamp doesn't fall out of position. Check by looking through the front of the cluster to see that all is well. The sidelight will only fit back into place if its wires are in the vertical plane like this:

Reconnect the cap of the main beam and refit the black cover.

Dipped Beam...

To replace the dipped beam lamp, remove the black cover cap as for the main beam. This is quite a long reach but take care not to drop the cover inside the car.

Remove the wiring from the back of the lamp. You will notice that the metal loop of the retaining clip is at the top this time. Release this and the clip should swing down.

Remove the old lamp and replace with a new one. Remember to hold the lamp by the terminals and avoid touching the glass. It will only go into the cluster one way round:

Refit the clip ensuring that the lamp does not move out of position. Reconnect the cable and refit the black cap.

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