V8V Bulb Kit

[chevronb37]

Hi chaps,

OK, bit of a long shot but I figure nothing ventured, nothing gained...

My dad and I are off for a bit of a jaunt around Europe next month taking in the Belgian and Italian Grand Prix. It's something of a trip of a lifetime for us and we're really excited to be doing it in his glorious V8 Vantage. I suggested he might like to take my Exige but impolitely declined on the basis of general self-respect.

Anyway, I digress...

I was wondering whether any other V8V owners had driven in Europe and bought a spare bulb kit for the purpose? If so, would you be prepared to loan it to us for a couple of weeks? Apparently the bulbs are impossible to change without special tools so we've no intention of using them, just comply with the authorities' requirements and the kit isn't cheap.

If anyone is prepared to take such a generous leap of faith I will be delighted to obtain them a cracking souvenir of some kind from our trip to show our gratitude.

For information, the car is an Oct. 2010 V8 Vantage. I live in Leeds, West Yorkshire and my dad in rural Cheshire.

Thanks ever so much in advance.

Andy

[jonby]

you should find you a bulb kit already if you lift the shelf cover behind the seats, around the same area as the battery is located (not sure exactly wher on the coupe as I have the roadster, but it should be in the manual)

[chevronb37]

I've despatched the old chap to go and have a look. He has the car on a battery conditioner which is fitted behind the seats so I'm surprised he hasn't noticed it before.

Will update once he gets back to me on it. Thanks for the advice!

[F1 NDW]

I've always just travelled with a standard Halfords bulb kit. No actual use at all! The only usefull bulb was probably the interior light but do you think anyone is really going to pull you over just to check it!I just had in case I was pulled for something else, at least I could reel through a lot of Bull and for 99% it would be good enough.

[petesv8v]

If the car has HID's there is no replacement bulb option

[BingoBob]

If you have no intention of changing the bulbs then you don't need the right bulb kit, or even have all the bulbs in it. You just need to have one. Any one. Get a cheap one and bung it in the car along with the other useless bits that euroland law requires we now haul around with us.

I wonder how many people have been killed positioning warning triangles...

[jonby]

chevronb37 said:

I've despatched the old chap to go and have a look. He has the car on a battery conditioner which is fitted behind the seats so I'm surprised he hasn't noticed it before.

Will update once he gets back to me on it. Thanks for the advice!

Well battery conditioner on mine is accessed through a socket in the boot but behind the seats, there is a lid on each side within the humps (I assume the equivalent of the one large shelf in the coupe) - on one side you can see the battery and on the other, there is a lift out polystyrene tray with a screwdriver, tow eye, spare bulbs and a couple of other bits - just check the manual for location of the toolkit - as someone else has said, HID bulbs may not be there but as someone else has said, no-one will ever check if the bulbs are the right ones !

[Neil1300R]

petesv8v said:

If the car has HID's there is no replacement bulb option

Just been out to mine to take a photo of where the bulb kit is, only to find nothing there. Got the manual out (I know, I know, lose man points) and it states
"HID bulbs are not renewable. Refer to your Aston Martin dealer if a HID bulb fails to operate."
So, either take nothing or get a cheap halfords type kit just to wave at froggy police in the very unlikely event you get stopped.
Trip sounds fun. Take waterproofs, it always rains at Spa for the GP! Was there last year.

Edited by Neil1300R on Monday 6th August 18:26

[peterr96]

Neil1300R said:

Just been out to mine to take a photo of where the bulb kit is, only to find nothing there. Got the manual out (I know, I know, lose man points) and it states
"HID bulbs are not renewable. Refer to your Aston Martin dealer if a HID bulb fails to operate."
So, either take nothing or get a cheap halfords type kit just to wave at froggy police in the very unlikely event you get stopped.
Trip sounds fun. Take waterproofs, it always rains at Spa for the GP! Was there last year.

Edited by Neil1300R on Monday 6th August 18:26

HIDs are replaceable but are rather a faff having to go in through an access panel in the wheel arch liner. Manual states to take the wheel off prior to removing access cover. I can't see your average Joe doing that by the side of the road so what's the point in carrying spares!
All the rest of the "lamps" (other than high beam) on a V8V are LEDs and non changeable anyway.
Perhaps "Les Flics" would like us to carry new front and rear light clusters as well as a spare HID bulb and a trolley jack.
As suggested buy the cheapest (and non relavent) bulbkit you can find and wave it at them if you get stopped as it's easier than explaining that "no user serviceable parts inside"

[F1 NDW]

Once they find out that you are English (and make sure that you dont speak any of their language, whatever it is) they cannot get away from you fast enough!

[Jockman]

peterr96 said:

As suggested buy the cheapest.....

+1

So long as you steer clear of Holland, the Police will not be overly concerned

[V8V Man]

chevronb37 said:

Hi chaps,

OK, bit of a long shot but I figure nothing ventured, nothing gained...

My dad and I are off for a bit of a jaunt around Europe next month taking in the Belgian and Italian Grand Prix. It's something of a trip of a lifetime for us and we're really excited to be doing it in his glorious V8 Vantage. I suggested he might like to take my Exige but impolitely declined on the basis of general self-respect.

Anyway, I digress...

I was wondering whether any other V8V owners had driven in Europe and bought a spare bulb kit for the purpose? If so, would you be prepared to loan it to us for a couple of weeks? Apparently the bulbs are impossible to change without special tools so we've no intention of using them, just comply with the authorities' requirements and the kit isn't cheap.

If anyone is prepared to take such a generous leap of faith I will be delighted to obtain them a cracking souvenir of some kind from our trip to show our gratitude.

For information, the car is an Oct. 2010 V8 Vantage. I live in Leeds, West Yorkshire and my dad in rural Cheshire.

Thanks ever so much in advance.

Andy

Don't forget the mandatory Breathalyser kit for when driving through France!

[mikey k]

Fines only start from November
I won't be bothering when we go next month
I will put a couple of the beam deflectors in the boot for "le flic"

[chevronb37]

Two spare bulbs under the shelf behind the seats. We're going to risk it just with those. Thanks for the responses, chaps. I'll post a few shots of the car in various locations from our trip.

[chevronb37]

Oh and as a PS...

What about headlights abroad? What's the general feeling in the Aston community? Deflectors or get them adjusted? Anyone had them adjusted by a dealer, and if so, how much were you charged?

[Neilc123]

I would imagine the cost of changing over (even though on some xenons it is just a flick of a switch - just hard to get to the switch) make the deflectors seem the more logical approach.

[Neilc123]

I would imagine the cost of changing over (even though on some xenons it is just a flick of a switch - just hard to get to the switch) make the deflectors seem the more logical approach.

[Neilc123]

I would imagine the cost of changing over (even though on some xenons it is just a flick of a switch - just hard to get to the switch) make the deflectors seem the more logical approach.

[chevronb37]

Sounds similar to my old Elise - a simple switch flick which necessitates the removal of the front offside wheel and wheelarch liner, thus incurring hundreds of pounds of Aston's finest labour...

[F1 NDW]

Again a naughty boy! havent bothered since you didnt need those daft yellow covers/bulbs in France.
Of course I've never driven at night on the continent. hummmmm.