The Mini Countryman has been with us since 2010. In fact it made one of its first appearances during the World Cup month at a special giant screen viewing of one of the victorious Spanish squad’s matches at a Johannesburg venue. But we had to wait until late 2010 for the “big” Mini to tap new markets for the band.
The earlier-generation Countryman came initially with a 1,6-ltre naturally aspirated engine in the Cooper models. The Countryman Cooper S had the 1,6-litre Turbo motor tweaked to produce 135 kW and 240 Nm of torque, and the top-of-the-range model was the Countryman Cooper S All4, which had all-wheel-drive. You could order it with a six-speed manual or an automatic.
The current Mini Countryman range was revised a few years ago, with a new engine range that included a 1,5-litre three-ylinder turbo petrol motor, a 2,0-litre turbocharged diesel engine, and a 2,0-litre turbocharged etrol engine.
Related: MINI Cooper Countryman – English estate-living in suburbia (Car Review).
Replacing a defective headlight globe
Changing the light bulbs on a Mini Countryman is a DIY job you could tackle yourself quite easily. We did our light change on a 2012 Countryman Cooper S to illustrate the step-by step procedure. We replaced the globe on the main headlight module, and in this case it was a Xenon unit, one which gives excellent illumination. You are sure to notice if one fails, because the loss in light power will be very noticeable.
Related: Shop new & used Mini Countryman cars for sale here
Before you start
Make sure you can tell the spares salesman the correct year and model of your Mini Countryman, when ordering a replacement globe. Obviously supplying the VIN (Vehicle Identity Number) of your car will be a big help here.
The main headlight bulbs are located in the upper light clusters of the Mini Countryman, and these are accessed by opening the bonnet. The lower fog lamp and indicator lights are not accessed here. To get at these, you will have to jack the Countryman up and remove a wheel to gain access via a removable cover in the wheel arch.
Here we will cover the replacement of the main headlight globe.
Changing the Countryman headlight bulb, step-by-step
1. The main headlight pods are accessed from inside the bonnet.
2. Open the panel at the rear of the light housing by pushing the catch.
3. Then press open the headlight housing.
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MINI musings – the Countryman vs the Clubman (Launch Report)
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