E36 bulb question
Discussion
I noticed that one of my headlight bulbs had gone last time I drove in the dark so I went into my stash of bits to see if I could find a replacement. The manual suggests H7 55W bulbs for the headlamps and H1 55W bulbs for the fog lights. I only had an H1 so I took the existing bulb out to see what it was and it was an H1, even though it should have been an H7 according to the manual... so I replaced it with the new H1 that I had spare. Is the sky going to fall down now or doesn't it matter that I've used an H1 where I should have used an H7? The existing one was in there for years with no ill effects.
An H1 is a very different animal to an H7. THe H1 is a small, single filament bulb with an irregular metal base about 3/4" diameter.
An H7 is a much larger single filament bulb with a larger round metal base of about 1.25" diameter. Theyre certainly not interchangeable.
I'm sure you should have H1's.
An H7 is a much larger single filament bulb with a larger round metal base of about 1.25" diameter. Theyre certainly not interchangeable.
I'm sure you should have H1's.
That's interesting. The '3 En Owner's Handbook for the Vehicle' states on page 173:
Dipped (1) and high-beam (2) headlights: H7 bulb, 55 Watt.
And on page 174 states that for the fog lights set into the front bumper: H1, 55 Watt bulb.
Doing a Google image search both types of bulb appear to have the same base, but the glass part on an H7 is tubular, but on an H1 it's flat. I suspect one could end up where the other should be by accident. I've only had one bulb failure in the whole life of the car so maybe it was the same one and I was sold the wrong type to replace it. I'll stock up on the correct bulbs at the weekend and check the whole car over to make sure that they're all correct, but in the meantime I have a bigger problem... The new bulb isn't working, so assuming the bulb is sound there's clearly another problem... but what?
Dipped (1) and high-beam (2) headlights: H7 bulb, 55 Watt.
And on page 174 states that for the fog lights set into the front bumper: H1, 55 Watt bulb.
Doing a Google image search both types of bulb appear to have the same base, but the glass part on an H7 is tubular, but on an H1 it's flat. I suspect one could end up where the other should be by accident. I've only had one bulb failure in the whole life of the car so maybe it was the same one and I was sold the wrong type to replace it. I'll stock up on the correct bulbs at the weekend and check the whole car over to make sure that they're all correct, but in the meantime I have a bigger problem... The new bulb isn't working, so assuming the bulb is sound there's clearly another problem... but what?
Definitely quite different with very different bases and definitely not interchangeable!
Checn again on a google search or take a look here :
http://sportstourer.org/index.php?name=News&fi...
Checn again on a google search or take a look here :
http://sportstourer.org/index.php?name=News&fi...
weird???
i just changed my high beam bulbs and the ones i took out were H1's but my low beam bulbs are H7's and if you go here
http://www.osram.com/appscom/am_application/
the fitterment guide confirms what i have. so i have no idea what the bulbs are meant to be now!
i just changed my high beam bulbs and the ones i took out were H1's but my low beam bulbs are H7's and if you go here
http://www.osram.com/appscom/am_application/
the fitterment guide confirms what i have. so i have no idea what the bulbs are meant to be now!
Well, I bought an H7 today and there was no doubt that it wouldn't fit in the slot for the dipped beam headlight, so clearly both the owner's manual and the Osram web site are giving the wrong information.
What concerns me a whole lot more is the fact the offside dipped beam headlight still fails to illuminate, even with a new bulb installed, furthermore, the bulb that came out doesn't even look blown. I decided to wiggle the wires behind the headlamp and this caused the nearside dipped beam headlamp to go off! Strangely, it started working again when I closed the bonnet, and the offside dipped beam headlamp remains out of action. Help!
What concerns me a whole lot more is the fact the offside dipped beam headlight still fails to illuminate, even with a new bulb installed, furthermore, the bulb that came out doesn't even look blown. I decided to wiggle the wires behind the headlamp and this caused the nearside dipped beam headlamp to go off! Strangely, it started working again when I closed the bonnet, and the offside dipped beam headlamp remains out of action. Help!
My Dad had a look today and checked the area where bulb is attached with a meter. He said that power was getting to the bulb fine, albeit a slightly high 13V. He also noticed that the bulb, the new one that I'd installed, was comprehensively blown. We decided to put the bulb from the headlamp that was working into the one that wasn't. When I turned the lights on after doing so this bulb blew too... so clearly there's an issue with the power supply to the offside dipped beam headlamp bulb that's causing bulbs to blow. We checked the fuses and they look okay to our untrained eyes (none of us are car experts), so we are a tad baffled. My brother suggested that the headlights, as they won't work when the engine is off, must be running off the alternator, so maybe the fault lies there... but the fog lights must run off the alternator too as they only work with the engine on, and they're working fine... and the nearside dipped beam headlight was working fine too.
So... before I pester Talkwrench with it and risk being nuked from orbit by Burriana for holding up progress on his 850, can anyone think of an obvious solution based on what I've written here?
So... before I pester Talkwrench with it and risk being nuked from orbit by Burriana for holding up progress on his 850, can anyone think of an obvious solution based on what I've written here?
Don't worry! Mr Burriana won't nuke you if you ask for my assistance! I'm even allowed to eat and shower occasionally....
It isn't possible for just the headlights or any other single item to have a higher voltage than anything else. 13 volts is about right. With the engine running, the electrics usually run at about 14 volts.
I expect that the removal and refitment of the other headlamp bulb was enough to bring its life to an end. If it was the same age as the one that had already blown, then it was due to go any minute anyway!
If you fit two new bulbs then you will probably have no problems at all.
Don't buy cheapies, they dont last long. Get a decent respected name and pay a couple of pounds more.
It isn't possible for just the headlights or any other single item to have a higher voltage than anything else. 13 volts is about right. With the engine running, the electrics usually run at about 14 volts.
I expect that the removal and refitment of the other headlamp bulb was enough to bring its life to an end. If it was the same age as the one that had already blown, then it was due to go any minute anyway!
If you fit two new bulbs then you will probably have no problems at all.
Don't buy cheapies, they dont last long. Get a decent respected name and pay a couple of pounds more.
MitchT said:
So... before I pester Talkwrench with it and risk being nuked from orbit by Burriana for holding up progress on his 850,
I think Michael would diagnose the problem in less time than it would take to make you a cup of tea ... and NOTHING should get in the way of cups of tea 
Are you ever going to make it across to a pub meet Mitch?
Finally got to Halfords this morning and bought some Bosch H1 bulbs... And problem solved!
So...
The original bulb must have blown...
The replacement bulb must have been damaged before I put it in - on examination the filament was certainly broken in a totally different way to that of a blown bulb...
And the bulb I swapped from the working headlight must have been on its last legs and blew once installed in the not working headlight...
All of which led me to think there was an electrical fault when actually I just needed a brand new bulb!
Thanks Michael for the suggestion of using a totally new bulb!
So...
The original bulb must have blown...
The replacement bulb must have been damaged before I put it in - on examination the filament was certainly broken in a totally different way to that of a blown bulb...
And the bulb I swapped from the working headlight must have been on its last legs and blew once installed in the not working headlight...
All of which led me to think there was an electrical fault when actually I just needed a brand new bulb!
Thanks Michael for the suggestion of using a totally new bulb!
Edited by MitchT on Saturday 10th November 12:02
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