There have been a few threads about lights recently, but nothing about checking the little s*ds to see if they work, and foglight boys, it's no use switching them on to create an impression if only one works.
These few tips may be well known, but if they are not, here goes. I'm personally embarassed if I find a light not working, and maybe
there might be another few like-minded souls around. With a few exceptions (thank you VW) they are easy enough to change, and a
working light may save someone less alert than you from hitting your lovely car because they either didn't see it or were unaware of your
intentions. It also may save a nuisance call from our overworked police. Now is the wrong time of year to be less than fully legally
illuminated.
Leave/put the side lights on when filling up. walk round the front on the way to pay and the back on returning and check they work.
On many cars the indicator repeaters are visible flashing on the underside of the door mirrors.
Do cats eyes look red in the mirrors? You might have left the rear fogs on and the warning lamp failed, or the brake lights are stuck on.
In a queue, does the car behind light up red if you dab the brakes? Is the car in front lit up evenly across the back or is a headlight out
disguising you as a bike?
If you actually use your garage to put your car in rather than store miscellaneous bikes, garden equipment and furniture, you can check the reflections from the wall.
If your alarm flashes the indicators, look at the car when you press the plip.
Many shops, filling stations, main dealers etc, have handy floor to ceiling glass fronts in which to check lights as you drive past or park.
Sorry if it's kindergarten stuff.
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I don't think it's Kindergarten stuff, especially the sneaky stuff.
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I feel the same way. If a fundamental feature such as a light is not working I too fell quite 'uneasy' and I will change it ASAP. I regularly check my lights by doing what you say as when I reverse into my driveway, the garage door is quite reflective and clearly shows which lights are on.
I am amazed at times by the state of some peoples cars! Virtually flat tyres, smashed wing mirrors, lights not working, filthy bodywork, no road tax, wiper rubbers coming away from the arm etc. How these cars pass the MOT I don't know!
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Good stuff, Darcy. But isn't it amazing how you never blow a bulb during the first year of a cars life, but once they start to go they never stop. Brake lights seem particularly prone to this, I seem to be forever replacing them. Are aftermarket bulbs inferior to those fitted by the manufacturer?
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Tom
Undoubtedly aftermarket bulbs are poorer quality, but what do the dealers fit?
I got charged £3.90 + VAT for a 5W number plate lamp on a VW Golf when it had a service last week. Will it fail immediately? You bet. Fortunately my time is worth more than the cost of having a rant at the garage so they get to carry on smugly and I get to use my time to earn some profit.
I had a grumble about fitting headlamp bulbs to a company Golf a few threads ago. Part of the sequel is; local motor factor H7 bulb £3.99, H*lf*rds H7 bulb £7.99. Strewth!
You've just triggered off a painful memory years ago of replacing instrument lamps time after time on a Citroen CX. Each time I put the dash back together, another bulb had gone. It took two weekend before I twigged that it's easier to replace all the bulbs when the first one goes out.
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Agreed. I was levitating home tonight along local dual carriageway at a steady 75mph. passed by strangley lopsided Pug 406 (Y reg). As I overtook it later noticed that front offside tyre was as flat as the proverbial. Driver (female) was driving blithly along. Noticed that there was a very young baby in baby seat. I shudder to think what might happen when that tyre would inevitably fail at the sort of speed she was punting along at.........What do you do in a situation like that ???
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I once had to try to pull over a lady whose 2CV was on fire - flames pouring out the underside. I was in my mini van, me with long hair and leather jacket (it was 1977 after all - I'm more respectable now) and she was clearly worried about what I wanted.
She stopped and sure enough the fire went out.
No worries, she said, and drove off again!
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Never having been in that situation, I always assumed with a flat front tyre you would not be able to stear properly. Amazed that someone could drive at 75mph in that condition!
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Lost count of the number of people along the M56/M53 who are:
1. Driving on sidelights and front fog lights.
2. Only one headlight
3. One headlight and front foglights
4. No lights at all
Makes you wonder what the average IQ of these people is, and is is higher than the pressure in their tyres...
FP
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Lights are a sore subject at the moment.
Went to work by train yesterday because of a meeting and met my wife at her mothers to be told "both dipped headlights are out".
Couldn't find a headlight fuse listed in the Pug 405 owners book so called out the AA.
They found BOTH dips blown. Now, I check the lights regularly so they must have gone at virtually the same time.
Two new bulbs put in, lights OK.
Drove five miles this morning, checked the lights, one dipped light out again.
Bought another new bulb, which I will fit tomorrow.
Still haven't located the fuses for the headlights!
Aaaaaaaarrrrrrrgggggghhhhhh!
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My dear old XM popped both dips within a mile of each other on a dark winter evening, and it was a base model without foglights. Fortunately my next visit was to a company that distributed stuff to motor factors. My contact was kind enough to provide 2 boxed bulbs arranged artistically in the saucer of my coffee cup! Well done that man!
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If you are poping light bulbs all of a sudden you might want to check that the voltage reg. is mot putting out too high a voltage... 12 volt bulbs don't last long at 15 volts
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