When did headlight/sidelight bulbs become expensive/rare?
Discussion
I ask because I replaced a bulb in the dogvan about 6 months ago for just a few quid from a local motor factor and it was easy, but it seems that since then, some sort of drought has his supplies of bulbs?
I assume this because in the last few days I reckon about 1-in-4 cars I've seen after dark were missing one or more headlights and a significant percentage of those were also missing sidelights (either same bulb or separate ones).
In once case, a taxi no-less, I noted them driving on ONE side-light, no headlights AND only one tail-light - is he Bugs f
king Bunny or what!?
It scares me that
a - people don't notice that it's dark outside
b - people think changing the bulb is either hard or somewhat optional!?
Then there's the people who drive off with no lights at all - again you have to wonder what's on their mind!?
I assume this because in the last few days I reckon about 1-in-4 cars I've seen after dark were missing one or more headlights and a significant percentage of those were also missing sidelights (either same bulb or separate ones).
In once case, a taxi no-less, I noted them driving on ONE side-light, no headlights AND only one tail-light - is he Bugs f
king Bunny or what!?It scares me that
a - people don't notice that it's dark outside
b - people think changing the bulb is either hard or somewhat optional!?
Then there's the people who drive off with no lights at all - again you have to wonder what's on their mind!?
tigger1 said:
405dogvan said:
b - people think changing the bulb is either hard or somewhat optional!?
It is, in many cases. Shouldn't be though.They aren't hard. In 95% of cases you simply need to know the correct way to approach them - and you should, I mean, it's your car - and the other 5% you need dexterity/slim fingers and a bit of experience or logical thinking. Not the hardest thing in the world, and sure as hell not something to visit a dealer for.
McSam said:
tigger1 said:
405dogvan said:
b - people think changing the bulb is either hard or somewhat optional!?
It is, in many cases. Shouldn't be though.They aren't hard. In 95% of cases you simply need to know the correct way to approach them - and you should, I mean, it's your car - and the other 5% you need dexterity/slim fingers and a bit of experience.
That said I still get very annoyed about it - if you can't be arsed just take it to Halfords/local garage and get it done.
Of course I have 
- I should have put in my post above that my source for that is three years' experience as a fitter for Halfords doing pretty much every non-exotic car I've seen on UK roads. Not one single dipped beam fit requires more than five minutes, and most not even two.. Like I said, correct approach and some logical thinking is all it takes. The main failing is not looking to see in what orientation the old bulb came out.
- I should have put in my post above that my source for that is three years' experience as a fitter for Halfords doing pretty much every non-exotic car I've seen on UK roads. Not one single dipped beam fit requires more than five minutes, and most not even two.. Like I said, correct approach and some logical thinking is all it takes. The main failing is not looking to see in what orientation the old bulb came out.McSam said:
You actually managed to get there before I had a chance to say "ten minutes before someone pulls the OP up on suggesting bulbs aren't hard".
They aren't hard. In 95% of cases you simply need to know the correct way to approach them - and you should, I mean, it's your car - and the other 5% you need dexterity/slim fingers and a bit of experience or logical thinking. Not the hardest thing in the world, and sure as hell not something to visit a dealer for.
It isn't particularly hard in my car, but I had to remove the air filter box to access one of them. I can imagine a lot of people would just give up at that point and take it to a mechanic/not bother. My car is extremely common (e46 3 series).They aren't hard. In 95% of cases you simply need to know the correct way to approach them - and you should, I mean, it's your car - and the other 5% you need dexterity/slim fingers and a bit of experience or logical thinking. Not the hardest thing in the world, and sure as hell not something to visit a dealer for.
Which bulb were you doing on the E46? Only ask as I recently fitted some Osrams in mine and you might get a clearer view with the airbox off, but I certainly didn't need to to fit the dipped bulb, never actually considered it. If you can't see very well / want a test run, I just have a look at the easier side!
Though while I think about it, on some cars you'll never be able to see properly and it needs doing by feel. That's no issue at all if you know how to fit bulbs - and really, there are only four different methods of holding them in place that pretty much any manufacturer uses - but if you've no idea then it could take a little while to figure the method!
Though while I think about it, on some cars you'll never be able to see properly and it needs doing by feel. That's no issue at all if you know how to fit bulbs - and really, there are only four different methods of holding them in place that pretty much any manufacturer uses - but if you've no idea then it could take a little while to figure the method!
McSam said:
Which bulb were you doing on the E46? Only ask as I recently fitted some Osrams in mine and you might get a clearer view with the airbox off, but I certainly didn't need to to fit the dipped bulb, never actually considered it. If you can't see very well / want a test run, I just have a look at the easier side!
Though while I think about it, on some cars you'll never be able to see properly and it needs doing by feel. That's no issue at all if you know how to fit bulbs - and really, there are only four different methods of holding them in place that pretty much any manufacturer uses - but if you've no idea then it could take a little while to figure the method!
I replaced all of them with some theoretically brighter osram ones as a test (not much of difference noticed).Though while I think about it, on some cars you'll never be able to see properly and it needs doing by feel. That's no issue at all if you know how to fit bulbs - and really, there are only four different methods of holding them in place that pretty much any manufacturer uses - but if you've no idea then it could take a little while to figure the method!
Actually turning the assembly to remove them was easy; I'd already done the other side with no issues. The full beam bulb holder in front of the airbox caused the issue. It wasn't really about not being able to see, it was just that I couldn't get my hand down in between the air box and the bulb holder to twist it and remove it. I'm not sure I'd have been able to lift the holder and bulb out through the available gap, either.
You do see a lot of people driving around in 'stealth mode' when it's dark out with no lights on. I witnessed something quite frightening yesterday, a car turning right onto the road I was travelling on (plenty of space to pull out) but there was a grey Mondeo coming the other way which had no lights on. Fortunately the Mondeo driver was alert enough to brake hard and avoid going straight into the back of the other car, whilst tooting the horn and flashing their main beams.
The stupid thing is that if they had some form of light on in the first place that car wouldn't have pulled out in front of them! Very frustrating.
The stupid thing is that if they had some form of light on in the first place that car wouldn't have pulled out in front of them! Very frustrating.
I can kind of help with this as I had a headlight bulb go the other week. All was fine over the weekend and lights working. On Monday as I put my headlights on leaving work the drivers headlight bulb goes.
Drive home Monday evening 6pm-7pm with 1 headlight.
At home have a scout around in the garage for a replacement bulb, remember I put it in the wifes car when hers went.
Plan to get up earlier in the morning and make a detour to Halfords on the way to work so check the prices http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/... - H7 £9.99.
Seems a little pricey
Have a look on ebay, and order 2x Osram H7 for £6.46
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/130811309185?ssPageName=...
Go to work Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday before bulb arrives and gets fitted Thursday lunchtime (delivered to work).
Open bonnet, remove little rubber cover from behind the light unit (2006 Astra Sporthatch), get in car and turn steering wheel to the left completely, hand up the wheel arch to remove the plastic cover and then using double jointed arms/elbows remove the old bulb and swap the over. The refit, reverse procedure as Mr Haynes would say.
So I have done 6 journeys with 1 headlight bulb (300 miles) no doubt annoying PH users all over Yorkshire.
I don't like Halfords high prices. If the price was a little lower I may have picked one up.
That was 2 weeks ago, yesterday on leaving work in the evening the passenger bulb has blown. Drove 50 miles home with 1 headlight. Luckily I remembered to get the 2nd bulb out of the garage (from the ebay Osram double package) to fit today. This will be done at lunchtime as I would rather do it in the light, cold and rain rather than the dark cold and rain of lastnight/1st thing this morning. 100 miles covered and probably annoyed more PH users.
Leaving home in the morning in the dark and returning back in the dark on an evening and then cracking on with family life doesn't leave that much time for changing bulbs.
Drive home Monday evening 6pm-7pm with 1 headlight.
At home have a scout around in the garage for a replacement bulb, remember I put it in the wifes car when hers went.
Plan to get up earlier in the morning and make a detour to Halfords on the way to work so check the prices http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/... - H7 £9.99.
Seems a little pricey
Have a look on ebay, and order 2x Osram H7 for £6.46
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/130811309185?ssPageName=...
Go to work Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday before bulb arrives and gets fitted Thursday lunchtime (delivered to work).
Open bonnet, remove little rubber cover from behind the light unit (2006 Astra Sporthatch), get in car and turn steering wheel to the left completely, hand up the wheel arch to remove the plastic cover and then using double jointed arms/elbows remove the old bulb and swap the over. The refit, reverse procedure as Mr Haynes would say.
So I have done 6 journeys with 1 headlight bulb (300 miles) no doubt annoying PH users all over Yorkshire.
I don't like Halfords high prices. If the price was a little lower I may have picked one up.
That was 2 weeks ago, yesterday on leaving work in the evening the passenger bulb has blown. Drove 50 miles home with 1 headlight. Luckily I remembered to get the 2nd bulb out of the garage (from the ebay Osram double package) to fit today. This will be done at lunchtime as I would rather do it in the light, cold and rain rather than the dark cold and rain of lastnight/1st thing this morning. 100 miles covered and probably annoyed more PH users.
Leaving home in the morning in the dark and returning back in the dark on an evening and then cracking on with family life doesn't leave that much time for changing bulbs.
McSam said:
tigger1 said:
405dogvan said:
b - people think changing the bulb is either hard or somewhat optional!?
It is, in many cases. Shouldn't be though.They aren't hard.
http://www.pistonheads.com/Gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
Somebody else has mentioned the Mk2 Focus. Plenty of vauxhall's manuals suggest you remove the airbox on one side to change bulbs - this shouldn't be necessary.
Some manufacturers have designed the light units to be easily accessed - this should be mandatory.
This whole topic has been discussed at length previously though, many times:
http://pistonheads.co.uk/gassing/topic.asp?h=1&...
tigger1 said:
I'm sorry, I disagree (and if you do this dozens of times a week, it's no surprise you find it easier - I could argue complex algebra is simple etc etc...) and it's been done here many times. There are far too many cars where the headlight bulbs cannot be simply changed at the roadside. Mk2 Megane, I'm looking at you:
http://www.pistonheads.com/Gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
Somebody else has mentioned the Mk2 Focus. Plenty of vauxhall's manuals suggest you remove the airbox on one side to change bulbs - this shouldn't be necessary.
Some manufacturers have designed the light units to be easily accessed - this should be mandatory.
This whole topic has been discussed at length previously though, many times:
http://pistonheads.co.uk/gassing/topic.asp?h=1&...
Of course I find it easier through experience, but the fact is that all the bulbs you mention can be changed at the roadside. Mk2 Megane achieved fame for difficulty because dealers tried charging a fortune for it by saying a lot of removal was required, but it can be done with no tools at all and removal of nothing but a wheel arch access cap. You need to know what you're doing, because it's blind and fiddly, but there's no way you can argue it can't be done, because it can!http://www.pistonheads.com/Gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
Somebody else has mentioned the Mk2 Focus. Plenty of vauxhall's manuals suggest you remove the airbox on one side to change bulbs - this shouldn't be necessary.
Some manufacturers have designed the light units to be easily accessed - this should be mandatory.
This whole topic has been discussed at length previously though, many times:
http://pistonheads.co.uk/gassing/topic.asp?h=1&...
Mk2 Focus is designed - quite well, actually - so that you can remove the headlight unit with only a large flathead screwdriver. But you don't have to - passenger side on diesel models is tight, but still doable with the light units in place.
The point I'm trying to make is that is IS possible to change bulbs at the side of the road (sometimes with very simple tools, often not) in every type-approved car. That's because it is required to be.
I mean, people who don't know what they're doing could argue that wiper blades are too difficult to change. Obviously they're not, and this is really the same case - lack of knowledge doesn't mean something is harder than it 'ought' to be. Such as your example of complex algebra!
Consumers really can't complain much, because the simple cause is that you sell cars by pulling off remarkable packaging achievements to get an extra inch of rear legroom, not by how much space is left in the engine bay to change bulbs. That's without going into pedestrian crash tests and myriad other factors also taking higher priority over front end engine bay layout. Frankly I'm amazed bulbs are still as accessible as they are on modern cars, given the way everything else has gone!
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