I've never seen one fail like THIS before!

[Dr Mike Oxgreen]

Have you??





The tip of the bulb has broken off completely, and is sitting inside the lens. And what is all that weird greenish cloudy deposit?

Freaky!

[blitzracing]

I see that's 100 watt. Id say its overheated in the lamp housing with a 40% increase in heat output. I had the same fitting 100 lamps to a Astra some years ago. The gunk inside is what you get when the glass fractures and lets in air, and the element then burns / oxidises as the oxygen gets in.

[s p a c e m a n]

Tape a bit of hose onto the end of your hoover to get it out of the light. Been there before

[EGB]

Dr Mike Oxgreen said:

Have you??





The tip of the bulb has broken off completely, and is sitting inside the lens. And what is all that weird greenish cloudy deposit?

Freaky!

100 wats. Where did you fit that on your Chimaera. Will they fit a griff driving lights. Not legal I know.

[Dr Mike Oxgreen]

Yes, I noticed it was 100W when I took it out. Don't know who fitted it - wasn't me!

It's actually marked as 100/80. What does that mean? Is it 100 on full beam and 80 on dipped?

[phazed]

Dr Mike Oxgreen said:

Yes, I noticed it was 100W when I took it out. Don't know who fitted it - wasn't me!

It's actually marked as 100/80. What does that mean? Is it 100 on full beam and 80 on dipped?

Correct.

[Sardonicus]

No need for these high wattage bulbs nowadays & generating more heat and wiring loom demands I have fitted loads of Bosch & Osram high output bulbs to various vehicles inc TVR and all have positive results inc my own car e.g http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/OSRAM-H4-NIGHTBREAKER-PL...

[QBee]

Sardonicus said:

No need for these high wattage bulbs nowadays & generating more heat and wiring loom demands I have fitted loads of Bosch & Osram high output bulbs to various vehicles inc TVR and all have positive results inc my own car e.g http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/OSRAM-H4-NIGHTBREAKER-PL...

+1 - I have them in my car, and despite really crap reflectors I can see where i am going now.

[Goaty Bill]

blitzracing said:

I see that's 100 watt. Id say its overheated in the lamp housing with a 40% increase in heat output. I had the same fitting 100 lamps to a Astra some years ago. The gunk inside is what you get when the glass fractures and lets in air, and the element then burns / oxidises as the oxygen gets in.

Well....
Your a Ginetta man. so on this occasion you can be forgiven
80/100 were standard on Chimaeras and Griefs.
Not sure from what year onwards, but RG still sells them as standard replacements for all, and my '97 has had them from new and since.
And yes, left in for all MOTs as well, before anyone suggests otherwise.

There may well be lamps that produce equal or better lighting available, but I've never seen anything that worked as well for the price, though Simon may have found them in his link above?
Would be interesting to see them tested side-by-side.
After all it wouldn't hurt to have lower wattage would it?

ETA
In answer to the original question, no I have never seen this happen.

Edited by Goaty Bill on Monday 10th March 09:26

[QBee]

[Pedant alert].....

If heat is proportional to wattage, then 100 watts (full beam) will produce 66.66% more heat than 60 watts, and 80 watts (dipped) will be 45.45% more heat than 55 watts.

[/pedant alert]

[Dr Mike Oxgreen]

It will be interesting to see whether I can tell the difference between the bulb I've just fitted (which was a Halfords "+80%" one) versus the other one, which is presumably also a 100W bulb. I won't be surprised if there's little or no difference.

[Sardonicus]

Goaty Bill said:

Well....
Your a Ginetta man. so on this occasion you can be forgiven
80/100 were standard on Chimaeras and Griefs.
Not sure from what year onwards, but RG still sells them as standard replacements for all, and my '97 has had them from new and since.
And yes, left in for all MOTs as well, before anyone suggests otherwise.

There may well be lamps that produce equal or better lighting available, but I've never seen anything that worked as well for the price, though Simon may have found them in his link above?
Would be interesting to see them tested side-by-side.
After all it wouldn't hurt to have lower wattage would it?

ETA
In answer to the original question, no I have never seen this happen.

Edited by Goaty Bill on Monday 10th March 09:26

Well we learn something new every day I guess this I was not aware of

[blitzracing]

Sardonicus said:

ell we learn something new every day I guess this I was not aware of

They have been illegal for road use for about 20 years now.

[Goaty Bill]

blitzracing said:

They have been illegal for road use for about 20 years now.

That would have been my understanding as well, if not for;
1) as fitted to my car when purchased from a registered TVR dealer
2) same lights fitted by the original dealer when replacements were required
3) Headlamps as supplied by an established TVR dealer and parts supplier (the only ones they list), and on one occasion fitted by the same dealer.

[blitzracing]

Id just assume that they hoped no one would notice, legal or otherwise. Least you could say, "it were'nt me Guv".