Side Light Bulb Recommendation
Discussion
I have experimented with LED sidelights before, although not on the TVR. I eventually gave up, because it's difficult to find one that disperses the light widely enough - and also they don't seem to like being housed in the same lens as a hot halogen bulb. After a few days, they always started flickering rapidly on and off.
Hi Mr Lucky, I'm glad that you raised this as last week I had my offside sidelight bulb fail- and the car's facing it's MOT over the next week so it's vital that I sort it.
The original bulbs are/were 5w but the only equivalent I found in Halfords or local motor factors (with bayonet fittings) are 4w. Today I fitted one to the offside and it didn't light. I know this is not caused by a blown fuse as the nearside one lit when I turned the sidelights on. I've stripped and sprayed the connectors but still no joy.
To make sure that I was doing everything correctly, I took the nearside one apart- and now neither are lighting up!
Can anyone with any experience of this please post some help as to where I'm going wrong?
The original bulbs are/were 5w but the only equivalent I found in Halfords or local motor factors (with bayonet fittings) are 4w. Today I fitted one to the offside and it didn't light. I know this is not caused by a blown fuse as the nearside one lit when I turned the sidelights on. I've stripped and sprayed the connectors but still no joy.
To make sure that I was doing everything correctly, I took the nearside one apart- and now neither are lighting up!
Can anyone with any experience of this please post some help as to where I'm going wrong?
kenny Chim 4 said:
To make sure that I was doing everything correctly, I took the nearside one apart- and now neither are lighting up!
Can anyone with any experience of this please post some help as to where I'm going wrong?
Not doing anything wrong, the fitting for the bulb and the hole that you put it in suffer from corrosion. Bulb holder is easy to clean, BUT the hole tha they go into is awkward to do. Once the surfaces are clean it should all work.Can anyone with any experience of this please post some help as to where I'm going wrong?
kenny Chim 4 said:
Hi Mr Lucky, I'm glad that you raised this as last week I had my offside sidelight bulb fail- and the car's facing it's MOT over the next week so it's vital that I sort it.
The original bulbs are/were 5w but the only equivalent I found in Halfords or local motor factors (with bayonet fittings) are 4w. Today I fitted one to the offside and it didn't light. I know this is not caused by a blown fuse as the nearside one lit when I turned the sidelights on. I've stripped and sprayed the connectors but still no joy.
To make sure that I was doing everything correctly, I took the nearside one apart- and now neither are lighting up!
Can anyone with any experience of this please post some help as to where I'm going wrong?
I thought the side light bulbs were the push fit T10 (501) type, not a bayonet fitting?The original bulbs are/were 5w but the only equivalent I found in Halfords or local motor factors (with bayonet fittings) are 4w. Today I fitted one to the offside and it didn't light. I know this is not caused by a blown fuse as the nearside one lit when I turned the sidelights on. I've stripped and sprayed the connectors but still no joy.
To make sure that I was doing everything correctly, I took the nearside one apart- and now neither are lighting up!
Can anyone with any experience of this please post some help as to where I'm going wrong?
If so, some of the T10 (501) bulbs have positive & negative sides.
If the new bulb fails to work, try turning it around.
Pink_Floyd said:
ChimpanLucky said:
thought the side light bulbs were the push fit T10 (501) type, not a bayonet fitting?
If so, some of the T10 (501) bulbs have positive & negative sides. If the new bulb fails to work, try turning it around.
On my 1998 chim they are BA9 12V 4Watt bulbs.If so, some of the T10 (501) bulbs have positive & negative sides. If the new bulb fails to work, try turning it around.
Thanks for the reply PF and sorry for the late response.
I hadn't thought that dirt or corrosion on the actual housing would affect the performance of the bulb but I'll take a small wire brush and some spray to them on Thursday.
Incidentally, much as I bought that pair of 4w bulbs in Halfords for £2.46, the local factor offered a 6w upgrade for just under £18!
I hadn't thought that dirt or corrosion on the actual housing would affect the performance of the bulb but I'll take a small wire brush and some spray to them on Thursday.
Incidentally, much as I bought that pair of 4w bulbs in Halfords for £2.46, the local factor offered a 6w upgrade for just under £18!
Wow - yes - BA9 type bulbs (otherwise known as - IIRC - 233) did mine today, what a complete ball ache!
Could I hell as like get the sidelight bulb holders out and my Chim doesn't have any holes in the front wheelarches so everything was done by feel from the front grille.
Thankfully I had ordered two new sidelight bulb holders from somewhere and had them in "the stash" - not exactly the same size as the originals so they don't fit so tightly but I managed to get the bent metal tang back over them enough to hold the new ones what I hope is firmly enough.
Had to extract the old ones with a pair of needle-nosed mole-grips!
I took the headlight bulbs out and had the lighting loom dangling out of the grille with a headlight bulb and the new sidelight holders and bulbs first just to make sure that everything worked OK - both the main headlight connector and the sidelight connector have earths so there shouldn't be any need to clean up the bulbholders - they don't earth through the fitting or anything.
My only worries now are...
1) That the bant metal tangs will continue to hold the new sidelight bulb holders in place.
2) That in pushing on the headlight connectors (which were pretty stiff) I probably moved the reflectors so I hope they still pass the MOT in October.
Oh well - getting more reasons to do that Lupo light conversion!
Phil
Could I hell as like get the sidelight bulb holders out and my Chim doesn't have any holes in the front wheelarches so everything was done by feel from the front grille.
Thankfully I had ordered two new sidelight bulb holders from somewhere and had them in "the stash" - not exactly the same size as the originals so they don't fit so tightly but I managed to get the bent metal tang back over them enough to hold the new ones what I hope is firmly enough.
Had to extract the old ones with a pair of needle-nosed mole-grips!
I took the headlight bulbs out and had the lighting loom dangling out of the grille with a headlight bulb and the new sidelight holders and bulbs first just to make sure that everything worked OK - both the main headlight connector and the sidelight connector have earths so there shouldn't be any need to clean up the bulbholders - they don't earth through the fitting or anything.
My only worries now are...
1) That the bant metal tangs will continue to hold the new sidelight bulb holders in place.
2) That in pushing on the headlight connectors (which were pretty stiff) I probably moved the reflectors so I hope they still pass the MOT in October.
Oh well - getting more reasons to do that Lupo light conversion!
Phil
ChimpanLucky said:
kenny Chim 4 said:
Hi Mr Lucky, I'm glad that you raised this as last week I had my offside sidelight bulb fail- and the car's facing it's MOT over the next week so it's vital that I sort it.
The original bulbs are/were 5w but the only equivalent I found in Halfords or local motor factors (with bayonet fittings) are 4w. Today I fitted one to the offside and it didn't light. I know this is not caused by a blown fuse as the nearside one lit when I turned the sidelights on. I've stripped and sprayed the connectors but still no joy.
To make sure that I was doing everything correctly, I took the nearside one apart- and now neither are lighting up!
Can anyone with any experience of this please post some help as to where I'm going wrong?
I thought the side light bulbs were the push fit T10 (501) type, not a bayonet fitting?The original bulbs are/were 5w but the only equivalent I found in Halfords or local motor factors (with bayonet fittings) are 4w. Today I fitted one to the offside and it didn't light. I know this is not caused by a blown fuse as the nearside one lit when I turned the sidelights on. I've stripped and sprayed the connectors but still no joy.
To make sure that I was doing everything correctly, I took the nearside one apart- and now neither are lighting up!
Can anyone with any experience of this please post some help as to where I'm going wrong?
If so, some of the T10 (501) bulbs have positive & negative sides.
If the new bulb fails to work, try turning it around.
Simon says said:
ChimpanLucky said:
kenny Chim 4 said:
Hi Mr Lucky, I'm glad that you raised this as last week I had my offside sidelight bulb fail- and the car's facing it's MOT over the next week so it's vital that I sort it.
The original bulbs are/were 5w but the only equivalent I found in Halfords or local motor factors (with bayonet fittings) are 4w. Today I fitted one to the offside and it didn't light. I know this is not caused by a blown fuse as the nearside one lit when I turned the sidelights on. I've stripped and sprayed the connectors but still no joy.
To make sure that I was doing everything correctly, I took the nearside one apart- and now neither are lighting up!
Can anyone with any experience of this please post some help as to where I'm going wrong?
I thought the side light bulbs were the push fit T10 (501) type, not a bayonet fitting?The original bulbs are/were 5w but the only equivalent I found in Halfords or local motor factors (with bayonet fittings) are 4w. Today I fitted one to the offside and it didn't light. I know this is not caused by a blown fuse as the nearside one lit when I turned the sidelights on. I've stripped and sprayed the connectors but still no joy.
To make sure that I was doing everything correctly, I took the nearside one apart- and now neither are lighting up!
Can anyone with any experience of this please post some help as to where I'm going wrong?
If so, some of the T10 (501) bulbs have positive & negative sides.
If the new bulb fails to work, try turning it around.
OK, just to finish this one off I fitted my new sidelight bulbs yesterday.
In the end I decided against LED & stuck with old school incandescent.
The BA9 bulbs are 12v 4w just as Bassfiend said, so I checked the wiring & figured I would try a set of 12v 24w.
I bought four off EBay for £4.49 so I have 2 spares.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MOTORCYCLE-MOTORBIKE-MIN...
Boy what a difference
Apologies for the rubbish phone camera snaps and remember this is in daylight.
First the new 24w side lights.
Now the 24w side lights with the excellent Philips X-Treme headlight bulbs.
Importantly I double checked the wire gauge used on the sidelight circuit and it is exactly the same as that used for the headlight bulbs so I don't see any issues running the higher wattage sidelight bulbs.
NB: Corrosion & general connector fustyness was my original issue, all resolved with a Dremel & a wire brush attachment.
A bit of contact grease to keep the corrosion at bay and a gentle tweak of the earth tang and they should be good for years to come.
In the end I decided against LED & stuck with old school incandescent.
The BA9 bulbs are 12v 4w just as Bassfiend said, so I checked the wiring & figured I would try a set of 12v 24w.
I bought four off EBay for £4.49 so I have 2 spares.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MOTORCYCLE-MOTORBIKE-MIN...
Boy what a difference
Apologies for the rubbish phone camera snaps and remember this is in daylight.
First the new 24w side lights.
Now the 24w side lights with the excellent Philips X-Treme headlight bulbs.
Importantly I double checked the wire gauge used on the sidelight circuit and it is exactly the same as that used for the headlight bulbs so I don't see any issues running the higher wattage sidelight bulbs.
NB: Corrosion & general connector fustyness was my original issue, all resolved with a Dremel & a wire brush attachment.
A bit of contact grease to keep the corrosion at bay and a gentle tweak of the earth tang and they should be good for years to come.
Edited by ChimpanLucky on Sunday 27th May 19:20
ChimpanLucky said:
Simon says said:
ChimpanLucky said:
kenny Chim 4 said:
Hi Mr Lucky, I'm glad that you raised this as last week I had my offside sidelight bulb fail- and the car's facing it's MOT over the next week so it's vital that I sort it.
The original bulbs are/were 5w but the only equivalent I found in Halfords or local motor factors (with bayonet fittings) are 4w. Today I fitted one to the offside and it didn't light. I know this is not caused by a blown fuse as the nearside one lit when I turned the sidelights on. I've stripped and sprayed the connectors but still no joy.
To make sure that I was doing everything correctly, I took the nearside one apart- and now neither are lighting up!
Can anyone with any experience of this please post some help as to where I'm going wrong?
I thought the side light bulbs were the push fit T10 (501) type, not a bayonet fitting?The original bulbs are/were 5w but the only equivalent I found in Halfords or local motor factors (with bayonet fittings) are 4w. Today I fitted one to the offside and it didn't light. I know this is not caused by a blown fuse as the nearside one lit when I turned the sidelights on. I've stripped and sprayed the connectors but still no joy.
To make sure that I was doing everything correctly, I took the nearside one apart- and now neither are lighting up!
Can anyone with any experience of this please post some help as to where I'm going wrong?
If so, some of the T10 (501) bulbs have positive & negative sides.
If the new bulb fails to work, try turning it around.
Light Emitting Diode (LED) should tell you that they are polarity conscious as they are Diodes after all 
enough of the piss taking 
good result with those side light bulbs though 
Simon says said:
ence why I said conventional Light Emitting Diode (LED) should tell you that they are polarity conscious as they are Diodes after all enough of the piss taking good result with those side light bulbs though
Cheers Simon Light Emitting Diode (LED) should tell you that they are polarity conscious as they are Diodes after all enough of the piss taking good result with those side light bulbs though PS: Have you got some bottles mate?
I need a bit of heat on my diff drain plug.
Bastaaaard thing
Edited by ChimpanLucky on Sunday 27th May 20:04
I'd be interested to know whether you get flashed by oncoming cars, because those 24W sidelights will be pretty bright and I assume they don't have a shaped beam like headlight bulbs do.
Have you used them at night yet, and do they supplement the brightness of the headlights noticeably?
Have you used them at night yet, and do they supplement the brightness of the headlights noticeably?
Gassing Station | Chimaera | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff