Only one headlight, it`s getting worse.
Discussion
I`m sure it must be the same for everybody but without fail everytime i`m on the road at night you can bet there will be umpteen vehicles driving about with only one working headlight.
I find it hard to believe that it`s just popped that day, so how many days are they going to drive around until they get it fixed.
There is a guy works at my place and he has had a rear light out for more than 2 months, he is asking to be pulled.
Why does`nt plod send 2 coppers out to a road junction somewhere, anywhere and pull and book everybody with a defective headlight, they would make a fortune.
IMO people won`t bother getting things like this fixed unless you threaten them with a fine or worse.
A couple of days ago i was overtaken by a one eyed car that was being passed by a motorbike, i saw the 2 headlights but never thought it was a car and a bike.
I find it hard to believe that it`s just popped that day, so how many days are they going to drive around until they get it fixed.
There is a guy works at my place and he has had a rear light out for more than 2 months, he is asking to be pulled.
Why does`nt plod send 2 coppers out to a road junction somewhere, anywhere and pull and book everybody with a defective headlight, they would make a fortune.
IMO people won`t bother getting things like this fixed unless you threaten them with a fine or worse.
A couple of days ago i was overtaken by a one eyed car that was being passed by a motorbike, i saw the 2 headlights but never thought it was a car and a bike.
I think that part of the problem is that the way cars are designed now you need a mechanic just to change a bulb and you can be looking at more than one hours labour, so people just wait until something more serious goes wrong and it has to go to the garage anyway.
I agree though, its pretty bad especially when they have no side lights or anything...
I agree though, its pretty bad especially when they have no side lights or anything...
The way i like to look at paying for things like this is, "how long do i have to work to pay for the pleasures in life".
ie. New tyre for the car £75 that equals 7.5 hours labour so if you run a Bentley and tyres cost £500 then maybe it only takes you 7.5 hours of your labour (a bit ball park i know but you get the picture).
If people can`t afford to get a headlight fixed it does`nt say much about how they run their car, what happens if they can`t get their handbrake fixed.
New bulb (fitted) £25.
Fixed penalty fine £60.
>> Edited by slowly slowly on Tuesday 21st March 15:44
ie. New tyre for the car £75 that equals 7.5 hours labour so if you run a Bentley and tyres cost £500 then maybe it only takes you 7.5 hours of your labour (a bit ball park i know but you get the picture).
If people can`t afford to get a headlight fixed it does`nt say much about how they run their car, what happens if they can`t get their handbrake fixed.
New bulb (fitted) £25.
Fixed penalty fine £60.
>> Edited by slowly slowly on Tuesday 21st March 15:44
slowly slowly said:
The way i like to look at paying for things like this is, "how long do i have to work to pay for the pleasures in life".
ie. New tyre for the car £75 that equals 7.5 hours labour so if you run a Bentley and tyres cost £500 then maybe it only takes you 7.5 hours of your labour (a bit ball park i know but you get the picture).
If people can`t afford to get a headlight fixed it does`nt say much about how they run their car, what happens if they can`t get their handbrake fixed.
New bulb (fitted) £25.
Fixed penalty fine £60.
>> Edited by slowly slowly on Tuesday 21st March 15:44
To get a bulb fitted at Halfords costs literally a couple of quid. The guy from the shop even gets the right bulb for your car and fits it while you wait. There really is no excuse in my book.
justinp1 said:I have to take my pop-up headlight assembly apart to get to my bulbs (easily an hour even if you know what you're doing), though I don't use it as an excuse not to.
To get a bulb fitted at Halfords costs literally a couple of quid. The guy from the shop even gets the right bulb for your car and fits it while you wait. There really is no excuse in my book.
justinp1 said:
The way i like to look at paying for things like this is, "how long do i have to work to pay for the pleasures in life".
ie. New tyre for the car £75 that equals 7.5 hours labour so if you run a Bentley and tyres cost £500 then maybe it only takes you 7.5 hours of your labour (a bit ball park i know but you get the picture).
If people can`t afford to get a headlight fixed it does`nt say much about how they run their car, what happens if they can`t get their handbrake fixed.
New bulb (fitted) £25.
Fixed penalty fine £60.
>> Edited by slowly slowly on Tuesday 21st March 15:44
To get a bulb fitted at Halfords costs literally a couple of quid. The guy from the shop even gets the right bulb for your car and fits it while you wait. There really is no excuse in my book.
Halfords have stopped this service at out lovcl store.
Due to modern cars being too time consuming.
I allways keep a couple of spare bulbs in the boot, luckily its not a big job to change them.
Holst said:
The way i like to look at paying for things like this is, "how long do i have to work to pay for the pleasures in life".
ie. New tyre for the car £75 that equals 7.5 hours labour so if you run a Bentley and tyres cost £500 then maybe it only takes you 7.5 hours of your labour (a bit ball park i know but you get the picture).
If people can`t afford to get a headlight fixed it does`nt say much about how they run their car, what happens if they can`t get their handbrake fixed.
New bulb (fitted) £25.
Fixed penalty fine £60.
>> Edited by slowly slowly on Tuesday 21st March 15:44
To get a bulb fitted at Halfords costs literally a couple of quid. The guy from the shop even gets the right bulb for your car and fits it while you wait. There really is no excuse in my book.
Halfords have stopped this service at out lovcl store.
Due to modern cars being too time consuming.
I allways keep a couple of spare bulbs in the boot, luckily its not a big job to change them.
Really? I got mine done about a couple of months ago. They also did my wiper as well as mine was rusted in place and it was raining, and for a couple of quid someone else can slice their hands up.
On smeggy's point, they do have a list of 'awkward cars' they dont touch, obviously with pop-up headlights etc, but I would guess thay do more than 90% of cars at least.
They have to go at some point!
Where I park mine at work it is backed up to a window so I check all the rear lights before each trip home, I have noticed the next day one has gone, Am I meant to get out and check every 100 yrds!! (Idid replace it as soon as I reaslised as I do cary spares ever since going to france)
It costs £80 to replace a headlight buld on some german cars, Halfords will only do the ones that are easy enough for muppets to do (can't think why!!)
Where I park mine at work it is backed up to a window so I check all the rear lights before each trip home, I have noticed the next day one has gone, Am I meant to get out and check every 100 yrds!! (Idid replace it as soon as I reaslised as I do cary spares ever since going to france)
It costs £80 to replace a headlight buld on some german cars, Halfords will only do the ones that are easy enough for muppets to do (can't think why!!)
CombeMarshal said:
It costs £80 to replace a headlight buld on some german cars, Halfords will only do the ones that are easy enough for muppets to do (can't think why!!)
What he said - for my VW golf it says in the manual ' do not attempt to change the headlight bulb yourself. This requires special tools and should only be carried out at a dealer'
Its just another way of the manufacturer supporting the dealers at £100 an hour....
My Omega has a computerised warning - and it doesnt give you any peace until you replace the bulb ! Luckily thats one car where you CAN do it yourself.
I Have a ford focus the Mk1.5 version. To change the passenger headlight bulb you need to remove the battery and the battery box, and if you have the standard airbox you ned to remove half of that to (i've got fat hands and fingers like banana's) the K&N helps here. I've got it down to fine art now and can do it in 30 minutes, but I can't see a yummy mummy doing this, so even a bulb requires a trip to the local garage with a minimum hr labour £50 thank you very much. with issues like these its no wonder its getting worse. And working on new models I can tell you it won't get better.
and on my last two cars changing any lamp at front involves, remove grille, remove entire head light unit assembly from body, unclip wiring, remove plate from back, change lamp, reassemble in reverse order. Even have to do that to change dip pattern. Is it any wonder people don't do it.
Sorry I tell a lie, I don't have to remove grille on current wheels, but the dealer offers to change lamps for £50. haha
On the other hand it only takes me 5-10 minutes a side depending which lamp gone so it isn't that big a deal if one is half competent mechanically. Phaffing around multi thousand volt HID systems gets a bit interesting though, and that takes a bit longer than 10 minutes admittedly.
Sorry I tell a lie, I don't have to remove grille on current wheels, but the dealer offers to change lamps for £50. haha
On the other hand it only takes me 5-10 minutes a side depending which lamp gone so it isn't that big a deal if one is half competent mechanically. Phaffing around multi thousand volt HID systems gets a bit interesting though, and that takes a bit longer than 10 minutes admittedly.
FFS this really annoys me. There shuold be a legal obligation on manufacturers to design their cars to allow at least headlight bulbs to be changed at the roadside quickly, without the use of specialist tools. You are required to carry a spare bulb kit in some EU countries, so how the bloody hell are you supposed to make use of it if you have to take the bumper off to do the job? Once that bulb goes, you are illegal, what if you're away from home and there's no dealer nearby, or they aren't open?
It does not surprise me in the least that so many vehicles are running around with defective lights if this is the case.
I am very grateful that my E38 7-series is well-designed in this respect. Oceans of spece behind the lights. Somebody in a certain Bavarian design department was obviously awake on a critical day.
It does not surprise me in the least that so many vehicles are running around with defective lights if this is the case.
I am very grateful that my E38 7-series is well-designed in this respect. Oceans of spece behind the lights. Somebody in a certain Bavarian design department was obviously awake on a critical day.
Those responsible for designing cars in such a way as to make it an arseache to change the bulbs should be forced to do change the bulbs themselves, unpaid, using only their fingers since that's all you need to change the bulb in a sensible car... if that involves breaking their arm so it can bend in the appropriate places, tough.
I'm not sure how significant it is as a cause of the problem though. Most of the one-eyed cars I see are older ones on the road to bangerhood. I suspect it's not so much a case of not being able to change the bulb as not being arsed.
I'm not sure how significant it is as a cause of the problem though. Most of the one-eyed cars I see are older ones on the road to bangerhood. I suspect it's not so much a case of not being able to change the bulb as not being arsed.
It's not really a roadside DIY job even on something as simple as a Ford Ka - the inner wing liner really needs to come out first.
I guess it (one headlight syndrome) will get worse as more cars have Xenons - there's little chance of people carying spare Xenon bulbs.
I wonder if you can call out the AA/RAC etc and have them change a bulb (if you're away from home)?
I guess it (one headlight syndrome) will get worse as more cars have Xenons - there's little chance of people carying spare Xenon bulbs.
I wonder if you can call out the AA/RAC etc and have them change a bulb (if you're away from home)?
We have two cars
2000 Renault Megane - rear of headlamps covered by four plastic covers with a bayonet fitting. Quarter twist to remove and headlamp bulb is accssible under a spring clip. Can change all 4 bulbs in less than 10 minutes. Did so when I recently updated all four bulbs to Osram +50%.
2002 Honda Accord - rear of headlamps covered by 4 plastic rubber covers. Need to pull off push-fit extension to air intake to reach driver's dip unit. Pull off rubber cover and headlamp bulb is accssible under a spring clip. Can change all 4 bulbs in less than 30 minutes. Hardest part is re-ftting rubber covers on the outer lamps. A big scewdriver helps. Have changed a bulb in this car by the side of the road in France, in the dark with my wife holdig a torch for me, in less than 10 minutes. Even the French policeman, who had stopped to see why I was stopped, was impressed.
All cars should be this simple.
>> Edited by Philbes on Wednesday 22 March 10:15
2000 Renault Megane - rear of headlamps covered by four plastic covers with a bayonet fitting. Quarter twist to remove and headlamp bulb is accssible under a spring clip. Can change all 4 bulbs in less than 10 minutes. Did so when I recently updated all four bulbs to Osram +50%.
2002 Honda Accord - rear of headlamps covered by 4 plastic rubber covers. Need to pull off push-fit extension to air intake to reach driver's dip unit. Pull off rubber cover and headlamp bulb is accssible under a spring clip. Can change all 4 bulbs in less than 30 minutes. Hardest part is re-ftting rubber covers on the outer lamps. A big scewdriver helps. Have changed a bulb in this car by the side of the road in France, in the dark with my wife holdig a torch for me, in less than 10 minutes. Even the French policeman, who had stopped to see why I was stopped, was impressed.
All cars should be this simple.
>> Edited by Philbes on Wednesday 22 March 10:15
Forums | Speed, Plod & the Law | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff