I was on a 764 and while taxiing to the runway we pulled off the main taxiway as the pilots attempted to reset a faulty light. They announced we would be going back to the gate so maintenance could board and take a look, but when no gate was available we pulled onto a hard stand near EWR terminal C. Sitting in row 1, I expected stairs to pull up and the door to open but just a few minutes later the pilots announced that maintenance was able to reset the light from down below. My question is can aircraft systems frequently be repaired without cockpit access and is this feature unique to wide bodies or is it common on most commercial jets?