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Stuck oven light cover in Bosch double oven?

The bulb in my Bosch fan oven has died, but am unable to remove the bulb cover. The manual claims this should be as simple as unscrewing anticlockwise but this is not the case. I have tryed tapping the bulb cover over a tea cloth to loosen the seal but stilol no joy. Any ideas.

Linda
May 2008

Bosch Kitchen Appliances, Electric Cookers Oven Bosch Double

The WD40 and a meat mallet worked for me. It's ridiculous that you have to go to these lengths to change a bulb.

Tony
March 2023

Thanks for suggestions; used a piece of wood wedged into side of light cover, banged with a rubber mallet, after a few sprays of WD40, and finally came off thanks to the Lord.

T
December 2022

Thank you all for your suggestions. We even purchased the removal tool - too small for the job. Husband today finally decided to follow guides and smacked the cover - we have light again. The saddest is that Bosch does not acknowledge this issue - never heard of it. They suggest hiring a service at $150 for first 1/2 hour. Obviously bad design and even worst - no responsibility. Husband did not use the dw40, just brute force

Mokus
December 2022

I was going to get in an engineer. WD40, wait 30 min and tap carefully but purposefully with a wooden rolling pin worked and absolute charm. Thank you!

Donna
August 2022

Clockwise. Used gardening gloves for extra grip

Henry
May 2022

still solving the problem in 2022 - here in NZ I have not had a light in my bosch oven for more than 2 years as could never get the cover off - tried again, got angry, googled it - now problem solved using squirts of WD40 / wooden spoon whacking and tea towel for grip THANK YOU !!!!

Margaret
May 2022

Hello from the United States. We have a KitchenAid oven and had the same problem. I actually thought we were going to have to buy an entire new oven, it was that bad. Thank goodness for you kind people and your experiences and insights. We ultimately prevailed thanks to DW40, rubber kitchen gloves, and some tapping w/ a wooden spoon. My takeaways 1) thank goodness for you all, and 2) why had I never heard of this as a big problem before???

Eliza from Boston
January 2022

Used jam jar opener (fancy one like strap wrench) in anti-clockwise direction, note it is upside down. Came off with little force. Bulb was a bit tight, used goat skin gardening glove for grip and in case bulb broke. Minimum force, came out OK, refit just reverse.

Andy
November 2021

My husband used a small oil filter remover (which he normally uses for changing the oil filter in the car). It gave great grip and the cover came off in seconds (clockwise).

Wendy
November 2021

Bought the plastic removal tool and warmed the oven up, still wouldn’t budge. Then used the wooden spoon and hammer, took a few sharp hits but worked perfectly. mine was anti-clockwise as I see some comments said theirs was clockwise.

Nezza
October 2021

After struggling trying to get the glass cover off I nearly bought a new oven. Thank goodness I found the answers on this forum. Wd40, a piece of wood and a rubber mallet definitely done the trick. Came off after a couple off taps with the mallet. It is about time Bosch sorted out this problem. When you buy an expensive oven, you shouldn’t have to do this to replace the bulb.

Coral
February 2021

Thank you for these wonderful tips! The wd40 plus wooden spoon and hammer got it off. So happy to see such a useful thread ... and still relevant after 12 years

Sally
February 2021

Thanks for the wd tip. Managed to get the cover off after a couple of weeks trying even after getting the grip from Bosch.

F Smith
November 2020

Bosch oven top light bulb went and glass cover was stuck Tried lemon and white wine vinegar no result even after heating oven. Tried oven cleaner, wood & hammer taps from inside oven outwards for Greater purchase and then came out clockwise with rubber glove after twisting it backwards and forwards. Trick is pillow on floor for knees! ;)

Alex, london
November 2020

What a nightmare just to change a bulb ! After several hours of trying I had to admit defeat and give up . I found this page and did the WD40 plus wooden spoon and mallet trick ( it took a few goes as the spoon slips off if you don,t get it wedged against the glass just right ) then it came off by turning CLOCKWISE not anti -clockwise as stated in the instructions. Bosch get a grip and sort this problem out ! Thanks to you all on here for the help in getting what should be a basic bulb change that is a nightmare sorted.

Borgy
September 2020

I am a big fan of the WD40 and a couple of sharp taps with a hefty wooden salad server! (No mallet handy lol)

Sprayed, left 20 mins and off it came

Daisy Mae
September 2020

I have a Bosch oven and with a removal tool and vinegar brushed on and around the rim of the lamp cover and rotating it clockwise (to the left ) the cover came out - then the lamp was jammed too. Eventually the glass bulb worked its way free leaving the screw base screwed in. With the power off I used some pliers to grip the edge of the bulb screw and unscrew the bulb. All working well now but looked like it would have been impossible without the help found here.

Aaron
September 2020

Thanks for all the advice.
My cover was stuck and the WD40, mallet and piece of wood did the trick.
The wonderful world of forums.

Chris Ryan
January 2020

I still can’t get the lamp cover off and have tried all the great advice here..WD40 etc etc. The whole lamp cover which is attached to a metal ring in the roof turns round but the actual glass does not budge. Can this be right??

Lilly
January 2019

Tried everything it wouldnt budge Tried the trick with the wood hit it about 3-4 times on the side then hit it about 15 times with the wooden mallet on the centre of the cover.Hey presto using the plastic tool remover came loose with a bit of effort. I believe it was cross threaded when fitted at the factory as when i replaced the glass it screwd in easy so i didnt screw it in too tight..The Bosch oven was only 18 month old .

w.g.perfect
November 2018

Useless Bosch tool. After several attempts and head scratching found this thread. Tried the Dw40, no joy. Tried heating oven to 50 dog and then wait straight for the mallet. A few sharp taps to the lugs to the left as you look at the cover then unscrewed easy. Oh and in a clockwise direction not anti clockwise!!

Dc
April 2018

Followed the advice below. WD40 did the trick. Couple of taps with mallet and wood and cover shifted. Thank you without this I think I would have been here next year still trying to budge.

Tony Oakley
April 2018

We have been trying for months to get our glass off to replace the bulb. Hair dryer. the actual tool didn't work either. Then my husband found a pair of gloves with a strong plastic grip on them. Bingo it's off. I can now see what I am cooking again.

Kim
March 2018

Thanks to everyone whose posts encouraged me to keep trying! Our Bosch oven light cover had sheared off and only the thread was left with very little to grab hold of. WD40, followed by positioning a wooden spoon at the rim and tapping it quite hard with a hammer did the trick.

Annabelle
February 2018

Thank you everyone for your advise. I was about to give up and pay an electrician an £80 call out fee to get this off for me!

Michelle
December 2017

Thank you all...fantastic advice.

One rubber mallet, one 9 inch piece of wood.
Place end of wood square on to the side of the bulb cover.

Strike the end of the wood firmly but not to hard with mallet.

I had to screw the cover "clockwise" to undo.

After many days / hours, a great deal of contemplation and possible suicide!!! I found this website. Problem solved in 3 mins....

Thank you so much.

Mark Dawkins
December 2017

Used a hairdryer on the glass cover for a cover of minutes to loosen up the seal. Then used the wooden spatula and hammer on the ridges of the glass cover. Didn't need to hammer too hard to be honest and I could feel the cover work free. Thanks to all who offered this as a solution.

Hogun Pen Llyn
December 2017

Bosch advised heating the oven for one hour at 50 degrees before trying to remove the glass bulb cover. I did this and immediately after switching the oven off, and using the recommended plastic tool for both Bosch & Neff ovens, I inserted the long edge of a suitably fitting screwdriver across the diaganol slot in the bottom of the cover remover and pushed hard in an anti-clockwise direction and, hey presto, it worked! Using the screwdriver (or any other long piece of metal) acted as as a lever when pushing in an anti clockwise direction. I didn’t need the WD40 or rubber hammer that was on the floor nearby if needed.

75 year old DIYer
November 2017

I sprayed silicone on the threads (as best I could). Cleaned the excess lubricant off the outside of the glass cover and used an 8 inch rubber Strap Wrench and it came right off. The strap wrench was the key. You get a great grip on the glass cover and can put a lot of torque on it. The strap wrench cost $9 and can be used to remove a lot of different hard to turn lids as well.

Scott
September 2017

Driving me nuts for weeks. But WD40, piece of wood and a club hammer and it unscrewed sweet as pie.

Vic.F
August 2017

Thanks for the WD 40 tip. Having spent over two hours trying to remove cover (with the proper tool). In desperation I came across this site and tried the WD 40 waited about 1 minute and was overjoyed that it worked. Bosch are obviously aware of this problem and have made no effort to address this problem. If anyone is thinking of buying a cooker try another make.

Gerry
August 2017

Sprayed some WD-40 rest buster, waited 10 seconds, thick rubber glove. ..came off easily. Cleaned the area of residual spray(used spray can with nozzle to minimize over-spray), new bulb, replaced cover. Good to go. Sound advice and a big thanks to those who gave it!

UnkoBunk
August 2017

I had the same problem with our 8 yo Electrolux oven.
Wrestled the bulb cover for some time before searching and finding this site.
Thank you so much for the "small wood block & tap with a hammer" suggestion, it worked after 3 taps!
Delighted!

Anna
August 2017

Our Neff oven light cover cracked and sheared off during cooking and fell into the pie below. I managed to get the remaining glass in the screw fitting out of the hole, with a ball of silver duct tape (sticky side out) shoved in to the hole and wearing a pair of rubber gloves for extra grip and protection. 20 second job and a bit safer.

Sarah S
July 2017

Did the same with the rubber hammer. Twisted and out it came undamaged.

Wil
July 2017

Thanks for the comments. Jumped the WD40 and went straight to the rubberised hammer - 25 or so taps later the glass cover was unscrewed in one piece.

Colin Taylor
July 2017

I dont know what to say thats not tinged with sarcasm and anger.Its a Bosch.German engineering.Supposedly the best engineering you can buy.Its so utterly impractical I even considered taking the oven out and unscrewing every nut bolt and anything else I could find just to get the satisfaction of finally unscrewing it.WD40, gloves, the tool and finally a rubber hammer. In desperation I hit it.Off it fell and cracked neatly in two.Its cost me a bulb,a tool,a cover and my sanity.I know its my exertions that broke it but this cant be right can it for an 18 month old cooker.

Nick
June 2017

Thanks to all the people who contributed. In my early jobs testing radar electronics in the 1950s I learnt that a very useful tool is a good quality hammer. Couldn't get near the lugs on the glass so after some wd40 applied (also thanks for the advice about the long tube nozzle) it took about 10-15 sharp tabs on the glass and then it unscrewed by hand. Do it my way at your own peril, though!
P.S. What a shame the German football team isn't as incompetent as Bosch designers.

Dave
June 2017

Firstly, thanks to everyone who has contributed to this thread. A stuck oven light cover was quickly becoming an obsessive cause of annoyance to me and I appreciate the excellent suggestions on this thread.
I bought a plastic removal tool and replacement glass cover and after trying various combinations of WD40+time, toothbrush+white wine vinegar, brute force, oven cleaner, more brute force, wooden sticks and hammers at the lugs and a lot of swearing, my solution was simple but perhaps a tad dangerous. AFTER TURNING OFF THE POWER & MAKING SURE I HAD GLOVES AND EYEWEAR (sorry for the caps... can't emphasise how important this step is) I covered the glass housing in lots of tape, laid out a few sheets of newspaper on the floor of the oven and then simply swung up with a hammer to break the glass cover. It came down beautifully. Another minute with some pliers to remove some glass and the metal bulb fitting and the whole thing was replaced in a matter of seconds. It all took a few minutes. Hope this helps anyone as desperate as me.

Imi
June 2017

After a lot of searching for tools that didn't exist I came across a large 70mm-90mm jubilee clip in Halfords for £3.29
I bought this and a two new bulbs from Sainsbury for £5
Used WD40 a couple of times. Left for an hour then removed oven door and lying on the floor on my back fitted the jubilee clip as tightly as I could around the glass dome covering the bulb
I then worked out what anti clockwise was upside down and holding a decent sized screwdriver to the screw on the clip gave the handle of the screwdriver a sharp tap with a hammer and hey presto!
Surely Bosch could come up with a simpler fitment than this.

Charlie
May 2017

Thanks for the WD40 tip folks. MAde the cover a bit slippy but came off without too much trouble.

As for direction to loosen; it's the same as the way for the (more easily loosened) cover in the top oven. (Also shown in the manual).

Douglas
April 2017

A word of warning - I got this oven as a replacement for mine when it broke (fan stopped working). Neither was new, but I never had this problem with my original oven, which had a different light fitting. Trying to remove the bulb cover with an anti-clockwise twist, the glass sheared off and gave me a very deep cut. After getting a builder to remove the broken remains, I've now ordered a replacement part plus removal tool. But I'm not encouraged by the posts here to think that's going to work, so may revert to the hammer technique in future.

Janel
March 2017

Thank you one and all who take the time to post these very useful tips. Bosch single oven, top loaded oven light, glass cover jammed solid --- WD40 20 minutes wait, rubber glove and presto, off it came. Thought I'd hold back on the brutal stuff, and fortunately not needed. Bosch, please get your practically minded design engineers to get their act together. Your products don't come cheap.

John from Devon
February 2017

After cursing Bosch, I read the tips here. I used a piece of plastic conduit rested on a lug of the cover, and a few taps with a light hammer on the end of the tube and problem solved.
Thanks

Don
February 2017

I have a Bosch oven and spent 20 minutes trying to remove the light cover before I found this forum. A couple of squirts of WD 40 and a few taps with a hammer with a piece of timber in between and bingo - off it came! I love Google!

A. Pilot
February 2017

Took only two hours, hit with rubber mallet, WD40 around the seal, and then gentle taps with mallet and screwdriver !!

David Dolling
February 2017

I used a rubber mallet and a lump of wood... Worked for me.

Mike
February 2017

Wow -it's a Bosch design flaw. I just googled 'remove stuck oven light' and it took me to this - mine is a Bosch double oven. I'll give it all a go - thanks!

Gwennie J
January 2017

Thanks all - found and read all of this, had been trying for hours, hands hurting and rubber gloves in ruins. Found this during dispairbut couldn't get any purchase with wooden spatula to hit with hammer so hit it quite gently with rubber mallet and then it just undid - unbelievable!! Also was clock wise!!

2 month old oven owner
January 2017

Saved the Xmas Turkey! Used WD40 with the long tube attachment to get behind the lens.
My wife told me off for not wearing a glove in case it broke - a great moan, as I had in my pocket a pair of light but rubbery 'rubble gloves' which gave great purchase- just like a big rubber band really. Off it came, anticlockwise.
Thanks to all for advice-Xmas dinner on course.

Stephen Marshall
December 2016

Stubborn glass was getting the better of me.
Pam cooking spray,
Then used Channel Locks pliers
Done!!

Delware
December 2016

Hello everyone i have a brand new hbm13b2.1b bulb went after 4 weeks. Tried turning anti clockwise as per manual - no joy. Turned it clockwise and hey presto! Not impressed but at least I can change the bulb!

Alwyn
December 2016

God bless the WD40 god.
I've just spent half an hour getting the glass case off.
I'm a chartered mechanical engineer who goes to the gym 5 days a week.
It shouldn't take me half an hour to remove a Bosch oven bulb!!!!
Thanks for all the tips really glad I cam across the forum as I was away to order up the "special" bosch tool and came across all these tales of woe!.
I tried brute strength, nothing.
A block of wood and a hammer, nothing.
WD40 made the difference. I sprayed a little around where the glass meets the roof of the oven and the glass came free 5 mins later. It just magically gave way once the WD40 had worked in.
What a design flaw Bosch!
Keep at it. It doesn't seem possible but you will get there!
Oh and my bulb was in the roof of the oven and it unscrewed anticlockwise

Scott
December 2016

After huffing and puffing and looking like id took on mike tyson.I finally got the damn thing off.Using two hammers and tapping till it realeased the eight cans of stella helped or i would have thrown the oven through the window.

john
December 2016

Hi Folks
90 minutes trying ALL your tips below and finally with the rubber glove it turned CLOCKWISE!!
Thanks for giving me the patience to persevere, now I,m off to find the bulb.

Sue in Urmston
November 2016

I also struggled (for six months or so) with removing the glass cover to replace the bulb. Christmas coming and I was determined to replace it. After reading the tips on this page I was sucessful. Three lots of WD40, three lots of knocks against a wooden spatula with a hammer (each time being a little more forceful) and finally sucess.
But it is ridiculous, an oven at this price and the bulb is near impossible to change!
Bosch, you need to do something!

Frustrated baker
November 2016

Let the oven cool right down (so parts contract). Sprayed with WD40 and left a few minutes. Tapped the glass case particularly where it joins the housing at the top with a wooden spatula and light hammer. Used rubber gloves to grip it and it came free. Great! Got a replacement bulb for £1 from pound store.

Mark....Glasgow
November 2016

I tried several of the methods listed here, without success so I tried another way that worked out fine. First I wound a couple of wide rubber bands round the glass light cover. Then I slid a large hose clip (a 70-90mm diameter one fitted my glass cover, and costs around £3 at a DIY shop) over the rubber bands and tightened it firmly, taking care not to over-tighten and break the glass cover. The next step was to put the tip of a screwdriver against the hose clip tightening screw and tap the screwdriver head firmly with a hammer, making sure that the force being applied was unscrewing the cover. For my Neff oven with the cover at the top of the oven compartment and the instructions telling me to unscrew it anti-clockwise, that meant the hose clip tightening screw was on the left when looking into the oven. Hey presto, it turned the cover a fraction and I was then able to unscrew it fully by hand. I hope this helps if you've run out of other options.

Sean
November 2016

Initially tried rubber glove turning in the direction indicated by manual diagram (anticlockwise when looking from below). Did not work.

When trying to unscrew, the slight free movement you feel is actually the whole assembly moving within the oven casing so that is misleading. (credit to Philbo Baggins comment below).

Used wooden ruler and hammer method. Hit the glass cover few times. Cover came off like magic.

10min job
November 2016

Position a wooden spatula against the side of the glass cover
that conceals the oven bulb. Using a few strong blows, strike the spatula with the mallet. Both the cover and bulb unscrew clockwise on my Bosch double oven, HBM13B2.1B. Problem solved!

MICHAEL OCTOBER 2016
October 2016

Tried all the tips about wd40, vinegar and rubber gloves. Hit the glass with wooden spoon and hammer near the joint but to no avail. Eventually used small flat screwdriver and hammer a couple of times and the casing then unscrewed easily. Did have to turn it clockwise though!

Sue
October 2016

You legends. A quick squirt with WD40. Wait five minutes. Two light taps with mallet and wooden spoon. Bingo. Bosch removal tool my arse :)

Chris
September 2016

I tried the rubber glove approach, turned the casing clockwise and hey presto! It unscrewed straight away, no problem. Thank you!

MJR
September 2016

After buying a removal tool I still could not remove the glass lamp cover. However, after reading your various answers I tried the piece of wood and hammer method and to my surprise it came off quite easily once I broke the baked fat seal. Whether it is considered CW or CCW depends on which way the cover is viewed from my perspective I consider as viewed from the front of the oven it was CCW i.e. screwed undone to the left and screwed on to the right. Thanks for your help, much appreciated.

Adrian in Melbourne, Australia
September 2016

Thanks for excellent advice. My glass cover had broken off leaving just the threaded section in place. a good wack with a piece of wood and a hammer freed it immediately. It unscrewed anticlockwise looking uwards, i.e. conventional thread.

Alan Ogburn
September 2016

Just to let anyone know who has the Bosch HBA13B150B - the manual is incorrect. You need to turn clockwise instead of anti clockwise as it states. I had so much trouble with this until I read this forum and somebody suggested turning clockwise I did and it worked.

Anthea
August 2016

The advice on removing a stuck light cover from a Bosch main oven was fantastic
I was battling with WD40 and the special Bosch plastic removal tool I had ordered and received.
Still no joy.
Then I read the chain of emails on this site and
I then took a wooden mallet plus a piece of wood and placing the edge of the wood against the glass bulb cover I gave the wood a couple of hefty blows.
Low and behold the cover was then loose enough to unscrew easily.
Thank goodness for this site and a big thank you to all the people who took the time to post solutions to a frustrating problem.

John A Hobbs
July 2016

All great advice except applying wood to it when it is amongst the top element was impossible. Just applying some white vinegar around the base (after turning off the power of course) via an old toothbrush did the trick although clockwise not anti-clockwise was the go. I did use one of those plastic lid grippers for extra grip.

Chris L
July 2016

This page has just helped us with a massive problem. After lots of energy and force I gave in and googled a result. The hammer and wood did the trick (needed about ten hard hits of half inch thick wood which I positioned at very front of bulb casing). The bulb casing became loose and when I turned it to my surprise it went CLOCKWISE not anti-clockwise as the manual suggests. Thanks everyone for your help!

Laura Q
July 2016

Sharp tap or two with a light hammer on a piece of wood against one of the lugs, anti clockwise. I read the above advice on your forum and had th cover off in a few seconds. This was after half an hour of swearing, cursing etc. Many thanks all of you who took the time to answer similar queries.

Phillip King
July 2016

The wood and hammer worked for me. Great advice! The glass definitely comes off anti-clockwise BUT it was a few blows clockwise that loosened it.

Mike Wells
July 2016

A bizarre malengineering fault by Bosch which has still not been addressed by them, which is surprising considering the price they demand for their premium products.

You shouldn't need to buy a special tool to remove a simple glass cover over a naturally degradable product like a light bulb.

But thanks to the contributors in here I finally managed it, after several weeks of attempts, using an amalgamation of suggestions in here, so here's what I did.....on a top-mounted Bosch oven light.

I waggled it side to side several times, quite roughly, as I was getting annoyed, then, wearing a rubber glove, door removed, shelves removed, covered the glass with a soft cloth & used a mole wrench to locate against the lugs on the glass & applied extreme violence ANTICLOCKWISE when viewed from below to the thing & it finally agreed to unscrew with minimal resistance, as it was probably fed up with my earlier attempts.

You don't need to replace the large bulb with a fancy Phillips bulb, just a generic oven small screw-fit oven bulb from the supermarket fits fine at a fraction of the price & is just as bright.

Mole-wrench on a cloth against the sloppy lugs on the glass cover, lots of swearing & a final angry lunge & it gives up the ghost & unscrews. Life shouldn't be as complicated as this, Bosch, so address this design fault?

Tony H
June 2016

A bit of a struggle, but as advised by many others on this forum tried a hammer and a screwdriver positioned against one of the lugs. This isnt easy as my Bosch model has the light in the centre of the oven ceiling, amongst a heating element. Anyway a few taps of the hammer and off it came. Anti clockwise, in my case.

Ratty
June 2016

Vinegar and alcohol applied with a brush followed by the hammer taps on a wooden spoon worked for me too. Thanks.

Doug
April 2016

My cover would only give half a turn and stop dead. I tried, my wife tried to turn it and it refused to budge. Words like bigger hammer came quickly to mind until I read this. After four good taps with a hammer and piece of wood the previously mentioned miraculous event happened. Thanks to al those listed below I am now the hero of the household and still have an intact oven!

Ted
March 2016

Had the same problem. Used wd40, waited 5 minutes gave it 4 smart taps with a hammer and a wooden ruler and off the glass cover came.

John R.
March 2016

My problem is the glass is rotated not but so is the metal ring that surrounds it. Don't know whether to break the glass and fit a new one or am I past point of no return and condemned to a dark oven

John
March 2016

My glass cover snapped off nearly flush to the top of the oven. The remainder of the lens would not come out.
I read through the answers on this page but all but one addressed the need to remove the lens to replace the bulb.
I took all the hints and ended up applying WD40 then nibbling out a couple of bits of the glass to give two notches where I could get the end of a wooden spoon into. Using a small hammer on the end of the spoon it took several whacks to get it moving but it did go. If you want to do this be sure to be wearing glasses to protect your eyes as the glass will splinter when you make the notches.

Graeme
February 2016

The only way we managed to remove the pesky thing was with this piece of equipment - boa constrictor - cost about £8 on Amazon. (Tried to attach photo here but couldn't.)

Fiona N
February 2016

Thanks to all of you. Have just had this problem. Applied vinegar and tapped firmly but gently all round and lo and behold the light came back on! Because we hadn't unplugged the oven as we should have done because it is built-in. Amazing!

Lin in Birchington, Kent
January 2016

Tips below worked really well for me- vinegar mixed with alcohol was applied liberally with a brush to the area between the glass cover and the housing. Waited a minute or two and then a few taps with a hammer against a wooden spoon resting against the glass cover. The glass cover unscrewed easily after this.

Thanks for the advise

Ben
January 2016

Thankyou hammer and wood! After a couple of taps the cover came off like a loose bottle top (anti clockwise).
Thank F for that!!!!
Frustration over!

Andrew
January 2016

Great tips below. Vinegar plus a gentle tap with a piece of wood and a hammer and, yes, it was clockwise! Always buy German / Bosch when I can afford it. First problem ever encountered.

Upton Bass.
December 2015

My family has just spent an entire evening trying to get the damn cover off a Bosch oven light bulb!!!! We were also trying WD40 but we didn't have any luck........we read the manual and it said turn ANTI CLOCKWISE! We nearly gave up until we read this forum and found a suggestion that it could turn CLOCKWISE......SO hey PRESTO! We tried and finally it came off!
BOSCH need to sort this out!
Thanks everyone!

Col
December 2015

You guys are geniuses! WD40, stout spatula, small hammer. Stubborn light cover off in seconds. Thank you.

WebbLlangarron
November 2015

Had the same problem as everyone else with Bosch grill light. Firstly SWITCH OFF MAINS SWITCH! electricity is dangerous to amateurs. I used a little but of WD40 followed by the piece of wood and tap firmly with a hammer. After a bit of twiddling back and forth -eureka it came off easily (also wore rubber glove to grip) and bulb came out easily.

Hilary B
November 2015

We bought a Neff double oven only 16 months ago (2014) and a few days ago the bulb in the lower oven failed. After hours of twisting the glass and grunting about poor design letting down a really good oven we bought the removal tool from espares.com (where we bought the new bulb), but the cover still wouldn't budge. Googled the problem and arrived at this site. Lemon juice did the trick: smear as much lemon juice as possible between the glass and the metal housing - we used a plastic syringe (the kind you use to administer medicine to a small child) and a pastry brush. Leave the magic potion for 3-4 hours then try again with the removal tool and rubber gloves. After a few seconds of twisting and turning the cover unscrewed easily!! Happy, Happy Happy. What was puzzling was that the cover and housing seemed to be remarkably free of grease, apparently completely dissolved!Many Thanks to all contributors to this forum.

Mike and Ann
November 2015

Can't believe this same Bosch design fault has been kept since 2008! Thank you all for your input, I tried a combination of painting on vinegar around the rim, the rubber gloves and elastic bands, but the winner was the hammer and piece of wood (in my case, a wooden ruler)! Put one end of the ruler against the glass cover and hit the other end several times with a hammer (not too much force) and keep checking to see if can be turned. Once off, clean the edge of the metal housing as well as the glass thread before re-attaching.

AfromOz
November 2015

Simply wrap about six elastic bands around the glass dome, then this gives you a firm grip, just twist and the glass dome should come of.

Brian rose.
October 2015

I have had the same problem with my Neff oven, but just putting on a rubber glove gave me much better grip and I was unable to turn the bulb cover to release access to the bulb, thanks to previous contributors on this site.

Nick B
August 2015

The "wooden stick and hammer" trick worked for me. See previous posts related to this trick. I was contemplating to order the cover remover, luckily enough it does not ship to where I am.
Thank you for this suggestion.

Joe
August 2015

Iv been trying to remove the glass bulb in my oven fro 3 weeks trying turning it anti-clockwise but that's wrong turn it the other way and hey presto it came off first time

Margaret walsh
August 2015

I removed the valve of a road bike tube. Then wrapped it around the glass cover while stretching it. After a few rounds of wraps I pulled the free end of the tube and the glass bulb was opened easily.

AR
July 2015

After much struggling with the replacement of the light in our oven, we decided to try doing it ourselves. As my husband and I are nearly 80 this was no mean feat. Firstly, using the rubber glove as per one of the suggestions, my husband finally realised that it unscrewed clock-wise. Eureka, the cover was off. Next came the removal of the bulb. This snapped off leaving the screw part firmly imbedded in the housing. As he is a rather large man he found it impossible to get down low enough to try to remove this part leaving me to do the job. It finally came out using pincer pliers and at last the job was done, leaving me unable to get up off the floor. The $40 for the tool to remove the cover was unnecessary, but despite the hassle, the Bosch oven is still the best I have used.

Tim Beckett
July 2015

Tried lots of the suggestions then found that although the Bosch book says turn anti-clockwise actually the arrow is going clockwise and by turning it this way it came out easily

Jane
July 2015

Thank you all for the tips.

After everything failed I used bamboo chopsticks and a small hammer to open the stuck glass cover in our Bosch built in oven and it worked like a charm :-)

Enjoyed reading your tips as well as the success stories
All the best

Gadi
April 2015

Tried and tried to turn the cover to no avail.....
Read the suggestions above and tried the rubber glove and it came out in a second - just need to make sure you turn the correct way - anti-clocwise looking from the underneath - can confuse....

Steve - N Wales
March 2015

spray WD40 in an oven where you cook/bake? Not too sure. For me, a flat screwdriver wedged in close next to glass cover, two short taps with small hammer to handle of screwdriver, and it unscrewed. Repeat short taps if necessary, it does work! Took out globe, reinserted glass cover, but made sure I could unscrew again. Getting new globe Monday. (finally!!) All good... Thx for great hint

Ursula
February 2015

I had the same trouble and tried numerous methods including buying threir "special" tool and nothing worked. In desperation I twisted the covering back and forth about 1/2 inch (as far as it would move) then using the thin red tube that attaches to the nozzle of a can of WD40 sprayed a small amount around the glass dome and the oven and waited for about five minutes. It came off like a dream! I really couldn't believe how easy it was. I should say that I have nothing to do with the selling, production, marketing of WD40 but the stuff should be doled out on the NHS it is so useful! I am going to try it on my arthiritis next!

Laurie Doyle
January 2015

Two sharp taps worked for me too

Stuck cover
January 2015

Fantastic......piece of wood about 1.5 X 30 cms, neatly sawn end, up against the lugs, sharp taps with a mallet, and hey presto glass cover loosened as if by magic. Should be in the Bosch handbook it works so well!

Sue
December 2014

same problem of stuck glass cover , tried brute force , WD 40 and sent for the recommended removal tool, nothing. Spoke to the kitchen installer who recommended removal of glass door and lean on it. No success. I am with the peice of wood and hammer solution , two taps -prob solved.worked for me first time after about 6 attempts at other solutions - even the kitchen installer was impressed.

Colin O
December 2014

I struggled for ages trying to get the cover out. Read all these responses.
The slight free movement you feel is actually the whole assembly moving within the oven casing so that is misleading.
I tried the trick using a piece of timber with sharp cut end.
Locate it in the notch next to one of the lobes in the glass and give the end of the wood a really firm clonk with a mallet or hammer.
Mine shifted after just 2 very firm clonks.
It helps to take out the oven door (which is very easy) to get access.
The glass is very thick so I don't think there's much chance of smashing it with the wood.
I have left the glass done up so it seals, but not really tight.
I suspect the suggestion of doing it hot would probably work as the problem is the glass is stuck in the ceramic thread, use one of those silicone things for picking up hot pans but then you've got the hot oven walls to burn yourself on.
All in all, a fairly rubbish bit of design for an otherwise excellent German Kochgeraet.

Philbo Baggins
November 2014

Good tip from Hugh (August 2014). I couldn't budge the glass cover of the main oven light. Used an 18 inch length of timber and a wooden mallet. Located the square end of the timber onto a lug on the side of the glass shade, two wacks - shade loose! Now recovering from sprained wrist due to earlier frustrations, but very happy. Thanks Hugh.

Ron DIY - don't involve yourself!
October 2014

I tried everything - vinegar, WD40, rubber gloves - nothing.

But I found a solution. Get a short piece of timber with ends neatly sawn off. Place one end against a lug of the glass cover. Strike the timber end with a hammer, using increasing force and the glass will suddenly turn. It took four strikes to work for me.

Hope this helps.

Hugh SAWYER
August 2014

Thanks for all the tips, I had eventual success with vinegar applied with a pastry brush, followed by lemon juice squirted from a plastic squirty lemon (jif in the UK).

Feel so amazing after changing the bulb!!! 1st world problem solved
August 2014

It came off today after several weeks of frustration. Perhaps success came from a combination of Cif oven cleaner (left to soak in) plus a screwdriver wedged into the groove of the removal tool for extra leverage.

However, the lens did not seem to be lying evenly in its thread, so perhaps the key was using the same screwdriver to lever outwards the arc of the lens that was high in the thread.

Good luck: it should be easier.

Gibby
July 2014

Moved cover back and forth with extreme human pressure. (no go) Then used WD40. Waited. Turned. (no go) Heated oven to 250C. Cooled down (no go)
Found rubber gloves. Came right off.

J_Doggg
July 2014

WD40 did it for us. It had been completely stuck for ages. I sprayed round the bulb, waited 5 mins, and tried again. Worked first time.

Ana
July 2014

You guys think you had it tough? Try removing one where the cover has broken, and all you have to grip is the razor sharp edge of the remaining glass.
Got it off eventually by working it back and forth, and wriggling it, but not without a few cuts to my fingertips.

Jon
May 2014

I'm trying to get bosch light cover off with no joy,tried all the above,pls help

Liamo
April 2014

Which way does the bosch oven light cover unscrew? I feel like I'm putting so much pressure on it im going to end up with a fist full of glass!

Sam
March 2014

Same problem here. Nightmare! I wasn't going to let it get the better of me. Tried WD40, lemon juice, white wine vinegar, a ramekin, rubber gloves and much screaming and swearing! Also found that one of those rubber suction mats you use to stick a baby bowl down is better than a rubber glove. On and off it took about 4 hours but it finally came off - probably a combination of all the various substances plus a very angry mummy with brute strength! haha

Ruth
March 2014

Tried a ramekin, wiggled it a bit, hey presto, it unscrewed!! Great tip, thank you.

Denise
March 2014

Tried and tried but no luck. Read the thread, put rubber glove on and off the cover came. Thanks :-)

andy
February 2014

RayB - you should have got the wife to lay on her back on the kitchen floor whilst holding the oven, then she wouldn't have hurt her back!
Sylvia E - The bunny may have been happy being illuminated, but I bet it wasn't when you turned the oven on again?!.tasty though!!
All you need to do it unscrew the cover whilst the oven is still hot, using as asbestos glove!!!

help-a-lot
December 2013

I held the glass cover tight and got my wife to turn the oven. That didn't work and my wife is having treatment at the chiropractor. So I resorted to brushing in cider vinegar and wearing a latex glove. It came off quite easily then.

RayB
December 2013

Just spent hours painting with white vinegar and trying brute force - eventually it started moving about half an inch but I could see it was the glass cover and casing moving together. Then in a fit of rage tried turning it the other way and it came off straight away !!!! The picture in my Bosch booklet is correct after all ! So much for posts saying it was wrong...!!!!!!!!!!!!!

twodogs
December 2013

tried WD 40 horrible fumes, tried Vinegar..ditto , brute force.. no joy...screaming, exhausted . Found Bosch tool on e bay with two spare bulbs and free postage . Next day delivery.... Brilliant worked in seconds and less than £ 9.00 cheaper than Bosch. Illuminated oven once more...and a happy bunny.

Sylvia E
November 2013

I have a Neff oven and the light cover likewise to yours would not move, I gave it a really good knock and it unscrewed without issue. Make sure your unscrewing it and not tightening it, from underneath its anticlockwise to unscrew remember. Worst scenario is that the glass cover breaks but as its very substantially made you can afford to be a little rough with it.

Adrian
November 2013

vinegar trick worked for us too!

GAKDIVA
October 2013

I bought a small strap wrench AU$6.00 from the plumbing tools section at my local hardware. (Web search "strap wrench" if that's new to you.)

I unscrewed and lowered the grill element a little from the roof of the oven to provide better access to glass cover, but I didn't need to completely disconnect it and remove it.

The strap is only 10mm wide but was able to get a perfect grip around the entire outer edge of the glass cover. It took just one gentle pull to unlock the seized cover from its base. Replaced the blown lamp, screwed back the glass cover without overly tightening it, screwed the grill element back to the oven roof and bingo. Five minute from start to finish.

The strap wrench will become a handy for other jobs, so a great investment and addition to the tool kit.

Good luck.

Tony Clarke, Brisbane AU.
October 2013

It's Con again from 2008. The light globe has blown again and it's time to hit the Internet for some answers again. Trying the white vinegar and rubber glove trick this time, hope it works.
5 years between globe changes, not bad just wish the procedure was a little more simple.

Con
September 2013

i guess i have the solution to this Problem !
i tried everything with no success . So i took a dry kitchen Cloth and placed it in a small glass bowl (Pudding ramekin a bit larger than the bulb cover)and then i placed it on the bulb cover and immediately it worked! so with a dry Cloth between the bulb cover and the glass bowl the Problem will be solved. Hope my advice will help.Dimi

Dimi
September 2013

i guess i have the solution to this Problem !
i tried everything with no success . So i took a dry kitchen Cloth and placed it in a small glass bowl (Pudding ramekin a bit larger than the bulb)and then i placed it on the bulb and immediately it worked! so with a dry Cloth between the bulb and the glass bowl the Problem will be solved. Hope my advice will help.Dimi

Dimi
September 2013

hey thanks for everyones helpful advice. ended up doing abit of everything.Rubber gloves worked straight away on main oven. Top oven alot more awkward . Ended up removing the metal plate above the grill so i could get a good grip of the light cover.

annie
August 2013

I also had difficulty removing the light cover. I used RP7 to start with (same as wd40). That didn't work. I then applied vinegar with a toothbrush, but that didn't work. Then I applied more vinegar and went away for a couple of hours. When I came back I tried again with rubber gloves but was still having trouble getting a proper grip with my right hand and turning it forwards (anticlockwise). I ended up using my left hand as I could turn it backwards (anticlockwise) with more force and it came off without too much resistance this time. So apply vinegar with an old toothbrush, leave for a couple of hours and then use a rubber glove on your LEFT hand to turn the light cover anticlockwise. This worked for me!

Janette - Australia
July 2013

Sprayed vinegar, waited 10 minutes...and it came loose when using rubber gloves.

Thanks everyone for "vinegar advice"!

Izabela
July 2013

Tried white vinegar but was still only moving slightly, was not until I put on the kitchen rubber gloves & it unscrewed really easily. Brilliant.

Anne
June 2013

Just tried the tin of peas from derek ames it worked great.

diane ingram
April 2013

White wine vinegar applied liberally with pastry brush around seal. Give it two minutes unscrewed fine. Thanks to all others who posted their experiences.

Paul
March 2013

Get a 300g tin of sweet harvest processed peas,
Empty the tin squeeze the top of the tin to mis shape lt open it up, turn off power offer your tin up to the light cover and turn to the left as you look in to the oven

derek ames
March 2013

Shame on Bosch for not rectifying this ongoing problem.
They also don't return phone calls or emails.
They supply a plastic removal tool (useless) because they know there's a problem. Our engineer came with removal tool and a pair of gloves to successfully remove cover.
He said everyone has a problem. I still can't turn cover enough to remove it.

Norman
February 2013

Thanks for all the advice below. We were having the same problem in removing the bulb cover and hadn't got any white vinegar. Tried lemon juice on its own, scrubbed it well in with a toothbrush and hey presto, the cover unscrewed after 5 minutes!

Dazalon
February 2013

Had to use a chisel and mallet to gently tap away until the broken bit came out of the casing.

Ann Patey
February 2013

hi ,ive just had trouble with the bosch bulb cover and solved it ,i wrapped some gaffer tape around it then i taped a small peice of wood on to the cover and wrapped some more tape so i had got somethin to hold after 2 tries it came off

chris
January 2013

Hi.

Have a Bosch HBN 13M2.0 double oven. Managed to get cover off from the bottom oven as per the manual (anti-closckwise turn).

But the top oven/grill is proving far harder. Glass cover looks to be the same as the bottom oven but I can only twist the cover in the grill about 1/5 cm in both directions before it feels like it hits a 'stop' of some kind. I have tried a cold application of spray-on oven cleaner, but it still wont travel any further in either direction.

Can anyone confirm the direction for this make of oven? I'll make the adjustment for looking from below ;-)

Just lots of conflicting posts for clockwise/anticlockwise ;-))

Hyde
January 2013

For the benefit of future searchers! I ended up having to get a Siemens engineer (who, in the end, were surprisingly helpful). The thread had lost grip so whilst I could rotate slightly left and right it was the unit itself and not the actual glass that was rotating.

The engineer took out the oven and changed the light from the other side, seemed fairly simple. Only thing is, which I didn't notice at the time, the glass still doesn't come off! At least I know how to change the bulb though!

Darren
January 2013

Wear rubber gloves and move the glass cover in both directions as hard as you can. It will start to unscrew anti-clockwise after some time.

Vik
December 2012

Same problem as everyone else. BUT, washing around the glass bulb housing with white vinegar and (my wife's) favourite pastry brush eventually worked.
Turn the glass housing progressively forwards & back wards, and more & more forward movement occurs. Each time that you achieve a little more forward (unscrewing) movement, brush again with the vinegar.
With total patience, and considerable time & effort, the mounting will unscrew.
When the bulb is replaced, make a diary note to unscrew the mounting once per month in the future, and this will prevent a similar catastrophe in the future.

Mikey
December 2012

spoke to bosch ,as a goodwill gesture(wow!) they are sending me the special tool but also suggest using a 50:50 solution of white wine vinegar and lemon juice on sealing joint.

richard
December 2012

Just had the same problem with a seimens top oven at the grill. I put on one of my wifes kitchen gloves. Great grip. Persistence and it opened. Make sure its anti clockwise. Hope that helps.

Mickymac97
November 2012

My oven light cover moves a little left and right but no further. Tried white wine vinegar and even bought the remover tool but doesn't budge any further. Any other recommendations? Will contact Siemens but imagine nothing will come of that. Might have a look at the jar opening tool

Darren
November 2012

Had the same problem with ours. Even with a pair of rubber gloves and WD40 sprayed into the joint, I was having trouble to grip it tight enough twist it with force. Easily came off though when I dug out my old strap over jam-jar top opener. It's having that extra leverage from the jar opener handle and gripping it tight but safely safely that made the difference!

gillic
November 2012

We're having the same problem with our Bosch double oven. The bulb cover rotates about 1cm in each direction then stops. We have the special tool to cover it but this makes no difference. Can move it very easily so far and then nothing. It's the bulb on the bottom oven that's gone and it blew after two or three months. Highly unimpressed. Bosch engineer coming out reluctantly under warrantee. There's obviously a design fault

Spotty dog
October 2012

Thanks for the tips. Used a small paintbrush and wine vinegar, then got a jar opening strap between roof and grill. From now on I will loosen and tighten, say, once month to break any build up of burnt grease.

Carpo
September 2012

I took the door off, which gives far better access. Then managed to get the bottle opener (see Jean's Aug 2012) between grill element and oven roof.

Cover came off easily without application of vinegar, which I'd bought. The glass and holder were remarkably clean.

To put cover back I pressed it home, turned it wrong way until I felt it notch in and then screwed it in taking care not to over tighten it.

Dan
September 2012

Hi had a similar problem - spray wd40 around top of thread where it comes up to oven roof then leave to soak for 30 mins - wipe off excess then turn clockwise as you look from underneath. When you replace don't over tighten !

Pjj
August 2012

My light is on the ceiling of the oven and has the added problem of a grill element surrounding it. I learned a lot from all the responses on this page and this is what worked for me:
1. Put white vinegar into a spray container and spray around the top of the glass cover. You are trying to get the vinegar inside the glass, if possible, so as to dislodge solidified grease.
2. Switch on the oven to about 160C for ten minutes. Switch the oven off at the mains - cool a little.
3. Using a jamjar lid opener (the one with the strap) I got mine from Lakeland Plastics, loop the strap over the glass. I found I was able to do this in a small area to the right of the light where there was some space away from the grill element.
4. Pull the opener towards you and to the left.
This worked for me and I had been trying everything for hours before hand.
Replacement bulbs can be bought in Maplin for between £2 and £3.

Jean
August 2012

vinegar and wd40 work but most important is the diagram is wrong it is CLOCKWISE.

PAUL ON THE GOLD COAST
July 2012

My dad managed to change the lower bulb which was a screw turn as you've all explained but says he couldn't change the top light. Do you simply lift the cover with a screwdriver or something?

Thanks

Helen Bonner
July 2012

Had the same problem - I think it it occurs because the cover is screwed in on at angle and there is only 2-3 rows on the thread. Take the door off and shelves out to give you some room and get some WD40 with the straw and squirt a small amount into any part of the exposed thread. Wait 10 secs and using a rubber glove (top tip!) unscrew. You might want to put a cloth on the floor of the oven under the bulb to catch any WD-40 drips. But you only need 1-2 squirts. Sorted!

SteveM
May 2012

The light cover had sheared off in my top oven leaving a sharp jagged edge. After running repairs on a bleeding thumb, finally got it off with a pair of pliers and brute force!

Valentino
May 2012

Any bulb in this oven just appears to blow out. Going with a 25 Watt bulb this time. Still can't get a cover off of one. Will let you know if white vinigar works. (Called Bosch for 2 Bulbs, Sent me 2 assembles without the tool at a total of $68.00 US.

Not a happy customer
May 2012

i been trying for ages to get the cover undone in my bosch oven to replace bulb i put a rubber clove on turned it clockwise and it moved a bit then turned it anti clockwise and it unscrewed thank god

gary
April 2012

WOW! that was far harder than it should have been!! Have just watched my partner use brute force, large monkey wrench and finally white vinegar to remove light bulb cover in Bosch oven.
I think the white vinegar did the trick because it was not moving before its application. Did not have to wait very long for it to work.

Caroline
March 2012

I also had a problem unscrewing the glass cover on the oven light of my Bosch double oven. First rang Bosch customer services who treated me like an idiot and acted as though they had never heard of the problem. Took the helpful advice of others on this forum regarding the use of white vinegar and rubber gloves. It worked a treat! As to turning clockwise or anti clockwise its a matter of which direction you view the cover from. When viewed from above its clockwise, when viewed from below its anti clockwise.

phil
March 2012

Had exactly the same problem apart from in my first attempt the top of the glass cover sheared off. Bosch quoted me £85 to repair, but I managed to get it off with a warm oven and rubber gloves.

I found pushing the metal top of the oven up so I could grip closer to the thread of the cover also helped.

Not a DIY expert
March 2012

an 18" spanner will do the trick and just fit in the oven

Dave
January 2012

Have a Siemens double oven so same brand as Bosch (!!); in the summer bulb blew and couldn't get the glass cover off so contacted consumer desk at Siemens. They were very helpful and as I had tried and tried to get this b****y thing off they agreed to send me free of charge a new bulb PLUS a 'special tool' to get the glass cover off. I tried and tried with the tool, would go back a few weeks later and try again, heated the oven, they even suggested (DON'T TRY THIS!!!) striking the cover gently with a wooden mallet to try and release it. Seriously! SO a few months ago I gave up but thought one day I will get around to contacting Siemens again. Then last week sister-in-law had the same problem with her Bosch so I loaned them the tool and they managed to easily change their's. So I decided to get back into action; rang Siemens and they said heat the oven, use rubber gloves etc and if this didn't work then they would send an engineer; that was yesterday; I looked on here and saw that people had tried white vinegar and WD40. This morning I tried first vinegar, no go; then WD40, no go; then more vinegar and banged oven on to 160 degrees for a while. Got the tool over the cover, more extreme heaving and BINGO! Suddenly it released and I have managed to cange the bulb. SO EVERYONE: Moan at the manufacturer, get them to send you the free bulb and free tool (they charge about £8 normally I think) - and try the vinegar or WD40; BUT it is my opinion that if it is well stuck, you will never release that cover without that special tool. It is about time Siemens/Bosch put their hands up and said this is a big problem and we must send someone out to do this when consumers have a problem like this. Hope this helps.

NoisyParkser
December 2011

My bulb went yesterday and can't undo it, it moves ever so slightly but nothing after that, my husband had no luck either. Spoke to Bosch and they are sending me a tool free of charge. I complained that the oven has been in place less than a year and I'd expected longer use from a bulb but they said they can't specify how long a bulb should last. Tried to remove bulb in top oven and that opened anti-clockwise no problem. Tried rubber gloves and olive oil but no joy. Will try the vinegar. Anyone know a cheaper place to buy bulbs as £20 is a bit excessive in my opinion if its going to go every 10 months or so.

Kat
December 2011

There seems to be a division of opinion as to whether the cover unscrews in an anticlockwise or a clockwise direction. If you look from underneath it should be anticlockwise else from above it should be clockwise.

Ken
December 2011

Leaving the bulb cover/lamp joint to soak up the White Vinegar as we speak. Just a bit dubious that it will efeat garvity and penetrate the thread......

Ian W
November 2011

Rubber gloves worked on their own! Great tip!

Bob The Builder
September 2011

I used all the recommended methods - vinegar , rubber grips etc with no results (although they may have helped loosen it!).
Finally got hold of a 2-3/8 inch ring spanner (used on large engines etc) from my work which did the trick beautifully. Same size socket would work of course if you have access to them! Not something you would buy for the job....!

TonyinOZ
May 2011

Thanks everyone - great thread. Lots of white vinegar applied with a small brush and leaving it for an hour with a few more applications eventually did the trick, along with a rubber glove. (Unscrews anti-clockwise as normal) Bulb had disintegrated and needed pliers to remove, though

Gordon D
April 2011

Neff oven light cover - located in back right hand side of oven housing.

As you have previously read these bulb covers are difficult to unscrew, however I managed it by spraying the bulb with vinegar-the plastic spray bottle you can buy in Home Bargain.

I warmed the oven up for about ten minutes then switched the oven off at the mains.

I bought a 74p dowel rod from B and Q , sawed this in half and witled the end down to about half of original circumference -do this up to two inches in length -this is to bypass the top cooker element. With perseverance I managed to make contact with one of the lugs on the glass cover and gently tapped away.

At last a cooker light.

Knarf
March 2011

Did anyone have any problems getting the new bulbs to work? I've tried 4 different light bulbs and none of them work. I know it's not the bulbs because I tested them in a fixture and they worked. Any help would be appreciated.

Sheila
February 2011

Further to my earier post, The lamp cover in the lower oven was much more difficult to remove. Vinegar treatment overnight and a warm oven eventually did the job.
Dishwasher plus scourer cleaned up the glass. so now the light is really bright.
I paid £1.90 for an un-named 40W high temp SES bulb.
The thread is a conventional one, the problem is that it is "upside down" which dis-orentates one.
Good luck.

Big hammer Mike
January 2011

Thanks, it came undone!
As an ex-maintenance fitter I'm dubious of excessive force, but like the idea of vinegar.

I removed the door (to top oven) for better access, and soaked a strip of cloth (about 12") in the vinegar. Wrapped the cloth round the glass and left it for 2 hours to penitrate. The thread is a normal one (no need for a left handed one) and found it still needed a lot of force.
Now to go and buy the lamp.
Thoughts:
Free up the other light before it becomes an emergency.
Only refit finger tight. As no vibrations to shake it loose etc.
Remove occasionally to clean, (in the dishwasher?)

As Con said:
"I have learned one thing and that is that German equipment is put together so well that even when you want to pull it apart its difficult."
I worked on German industrial equipment for a while, and while it was good, they were keen that it shouldn’t fall to pieces. On one occasion I was unable to free a component and we took it back to the factory in Germany, and they had a massive fellow, built like a rugby prop forward, and he struggled. Moral think about the NEXT time you are going to undo it.

Big hammer Mike
January 2011

Yes the white vinegar, a few minutes wait, then a rubber glove worked fantastically. Cover unscrewed as most lids or covers, counter clockwise. If you view the cover from inside the oven this is the normal direction to unscrew a cover/lid/nut etc. If viewed from outside the oven and above the cover then it appears to be clockwise.

jamstr
January 2011

Vinegar worked like magic. Had to turn anticlockwise (as seen from below).

John
December 2010

Thanks Guys yep Bosche Oven clockwise came straight off with rubber gloves & vinegar Thank god for these forums

JJ
December 2010

Thanks for the info - mine came off clockwise - now I have to find a bulb!!

TB
December 2010

I rang the BOSCH customer service centre and they told me to try putting white vinegar round the rim with a pastry brush. Failing that I would have to purchase a tool for £6.89 from them to remove the cover.
I did the white vinegar left it for a few minutes, put on a pair of rubber gloves, turned the glass cover anti-clockwise and hey presto it came off. Glad I didn't purchase the tool.

Loubeale
December 2010

I have a Siemens double oven. When the light in the bottom oven failed I tried without success to remove the light cover following the instructions in the installation and operating instructions. Having read the comments on this site, using rubber gloves for grip and turning the light cover clockwise (opposite to what it said in the manual) the cover was removed easily.

Alison
December 2010

Hello mind stuck for the first time in 2 years - don't turn it anti-clockwise the manual is wrong!!! In the end I have to get a cover remover from espares and eureka! success at least now if it gets struck again there shouldn't be a problem even though I never screw it on tight.

Tabitha
November 2010

Yes - I too couldn't get my lamp cover off - until some vigorous twisting caused half of it to shear off in my hand! No injury thankfully. A gentle tap with a chisel and a wooden mallet removed another chuck of the glass which weakened the remaining top half enough so that it came off in my hand (this time wearing gardening gloves!) I ordered a new cover from UK White goods - and do you know what - it came with a special tool to grip the cover for easy tightening and untightening!

Rich On The Hill
October 2010

Thanks for the 'clockwise and rubber glove' tip; we too have been without a light in the oven for over a year while trying to find a solution.....problem now is that I can see how dirty it really is in there, got some cleaning to do!!

Ashley, Italy
October 2010

Yep clockwise is the trick on the bosch oven

cyclops
September 2010

ovenman was right! tried everything to remove cover in siemens oven anticlockwise - problem solved by ovenman - it unscrews clockwise!! thanks

Linda
August 2010

I had the same problem with my Smeg A2 double oven which is 10 years old. I replaced the oven light about 5 years ago and don't recall having had an issue with removing the cover. However, this time it was stuck fast so I tried Amac47's suggestion of white vinegar and.........it worked! Thank you!!

Lilian
August 2010

Anti clockwise with rubber glove....easy...Dont over tighten when it goes back in...

Mike
August 2010

It is actually quite easy the problem is they say turn Anti clockwise, but it is actually unscrewed Clockwise, mine came off easily this way

Ovenman
July 2010

Rubber gloves gave me enough grip. Must be getting old that fixing that annoying problem has made my day!

Greg
July 2010

The plastic thing was useless as the glass has sheared up by the thread and the plastic thing only goes half way up the cover. Tried taking it off by hand again and have now cut myself quite badly! Bosch can only offer an engineer to come out which will cost me £85 which is ridiculous so I'll try something else.

Janep12
July 2010

I spoke to Bosch on Tue and they didn't seem to understand what I was saying but have had to buy a new bulb cover which includes the device to allow you to remove the old one. I'll try that and if it doesn't work I'll try calling Bosch again, but will also try the ebay thing if that doesn't work!

Janep12
July 2010

I had the same problem with my Siemens double oven, and even bought a light cover remover from e-spares but this didn't help either. Eventually I bought a multi purpose strap wrench from e-bay. It only cost 2.75 and it worked brilliantly. Also great for removing jar lids that are stuck. I would recommend this.

Barbara
July 2010

My Bosch oven light cover broke off today and I only have a small amount left which is really difficult to grip onto to take it off before replacing with a new one. Any ideas??!

janep12
June 2010

Just phoned Bosch and they agreed it was a problem and said they would send a special tool straight away. I will let you know if it works.

Jif
March 2010

I phoned up Bosch customer services and they have sent me a 'tool' through the post FOC. I used it and it came off a treat. To have a tool specially made indicates to me that there is a design fault here. Anyway ive changed the bulb after being without a light for a month

Steve Sutton
February 2010

I had a Bosch single oven with a stuck glass bulb cover. The glass cover was after using considerable force to unsrew it (anti clockwise) just turning round and round without engaging the threads, I suspected (rightly as it turned out) that the whole fitting was turning round in its housing with susequent stripping off of the electrical leads. Solution. Switch off cooker electrical supply, unscrew the two retaining screws which attach the cooker body to the base unit (found at the top corners when door is opened) ease the oven forward about a foot (30cm) - support oven on pile of books or similar, then remove the two retaining screws which hold the metal top cover sheet in place ( star headed srews), lift off metal cover, with a screwdriver or similar,after removing the old bulb, wedge it through the holes in the top of the exposed metal part of the light fitting hold it firrmly, then with the other hand turn the glass cover anticlockwise, it will release fairly easily. Clean cover with pan scrubber and or sand paper making sure the threads are clean, If the electic leads have been pulled off or broken, re- attach spade connectors or fit new ones (Maplins or similar) the earth is the green wire at the connector on its own.( with earth at the bottom, brown and white go to the left hand side and red and white to the right. Fit new bulb 40W ( Maplins £2.69p or Wilkinsons 25W £2.04p.) Screw back glass cover making sure NOT to tighten all the way. Refix metal cover, push oven back, fix retaining screws and switch on oven. Total time if you have the bulb and spade connectors to hand about twenty minutes. It does work.

Peter persistant
February 2010

Hi - thanks for all the useful answers as I had exactly the same problem. A combination of WD40 and rubber gloves did the trick. A note of caution though - go easy on the WD40 as 'burning' it off is toxic!!!

Andy
February 2010

I have just unscrewed my bulb cover having been without an oven light for 2 years! To gain better access to the bulb cover I removed the two screws which hold the grill element in place. With the side rails taken out the grill element and back plate drop down a good bit revealing the whole of the light bulb cover. I then sprayed oven cleaner around the rim of the cover and left it for 30 mins. Then wearing rubber gloves and using a kitchen jar opener I was able to release the cover. Soaked the cover in more oven cleaner overnight and it came clean as a whistle. Fitted a new bulb and before refitting the cover I oiled the threads with some olive oil. I re-oil the cover at the beginning of each month and so far no problems with a sticking cover. Great to have a light back!

Note you will need a star key bit (size T20) to remove the grill element retaining screws.

Please ensure you isolate the oven from mains electricity before working on it.

Amac47 Bristol
January 2010

After heating with a small hair dryer and prying around the edge seal with no success, I sprayed a mixture of 'rubbing alcohol & white vinegar' as a solvent, scrubbed with an old toothbrush, waited 60 seconds and it came off like it had never been stuck!

Jim the neighbor
November 2009

I am still strggerling and my hand hurts.

Nick
November 2009

Well done, there is always a way. I keep checking back here for new ideas that people are trying. I have learned one thing and that is that german equipment is put together so well that even when you want to pull it apart its difficult.

Con
August 2009

Same problem again tonight with my Siemens, manual said anti clockwise to unscrew. Tried WD40 and rubber gloves -nope, wouldn't budge. Used a plastic/rubber gadget earlier poster mentioned and it loosened the glass cover but wouldn't come off -like the thread on the socket piece overshot or something. Then I tried turning it CLOCKWISE and presto the cover unscrewed! Would have thought Siemens done better to check/proof read their manuals! Had thought about smashing the light cover and getting a new one, but that was before I read this thread and saw the likes of Bosch and Neff were the same. Hope this helps others like it helped me!

RT (Hong Kong)
July 2009

Phew! just got the thing off, yep! the old rubber glove trick. This wasn't just any normal rubber glove, it had grip inserts in the figers and palm. It was still hard but it came off. I am so relieved. I may just unscrew the thing once a month to keep it nice and free so that next time i wont have this huge dilema. Thank you internet, thank you guys.

Con
December 2008

I've had a similar problem with my Neff oven bulb cover, and have finally resolved it today. We have a gadget for loosening thing (cheap from hardware stores). It is a plastic handle with a rubber strip running through it which forms a loop at one end. You are supposed to place the rubber loop round the object that needs loosened and use the handle to lever it off, but there wasn't enough space around the bulb cover to do that. I just used the free end of the rubber strip instead, winding it round the glass cover, giving it a twist, and it instantly came free. I couldn't believe how easy it was after the time I've spent unsuccessfully trying to free it.

Jockscrap
October 2008

I used a rubber glove to grip and that worked well also. Yes anticlockwise

Diana with Starsky & Hutch!
September 2008

Hello Linda, I had exactly the same problem. Couldnt budge it at all. Then I tried spraying it with dw40. waited 10 minutes and used an old teatowel to get a grip and hey presto it came loose. Wasnt easy mind you . Still need strength to move it. Hope this helps. Good Luck. Graham

Grahamshelton@yahoo.com
June 2008

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