|
While we're on the subject of rear lights, the thing that annoys me is cars that only have the high level brake light - the rest of the brake lights not working. I'm amazed just how many cars there are suffering from this.
|
Just watched a friend change a bulb on a 10 year old lexus, involved unfastening 4 bolts in the boot (with a socket, can't get a spanner onto them) and removing the rear light cluster, seems a bit over the top, although maybe a box spanner or something was supplied with the car when it was new?
Also I was followed by a police car thursday evening (Volvo so probably traffic police) with one headlight badly misaligned, had to dip the rear view mirror to avoid being blinded.
|
And the front lights!
The van has a very dark tint on the rear window (rather than steel, the alternative) but you can see out of it well enough in daytime and easily see headlights behind at night.... and of course in dusk and fog mirrors pick headlights easily.
But a couple of weeks back in in heavy traffic semi dark and fog on the motorway I became aware of a `vision` really close up to the back window. I could just make out a human upper body in a light grey rectangle - startlingly near.
A dark grey - fog coloured car, no lights, then peeled off from about 6ft from my back bumper and proceeded alongside as it went up the exit slip road. I could just make out the shape through the (obviously untinted) side windows.
It had gradually crept up behind merging with the fog, no lights at all until just behind my rear window and the `ghostly` rectangle with the figure - ridiculously close behind was the lighter `colour` of the windscreen and cabin - illuminated internally by headlights further back.
|
That wasn't an Earthly car, Oilrag, it was the Spectre of the Motorway who died in a horrific accident many years ago because his lights didn't work!
You're lucky he peeled off onto the slip-road, you could have been his next victim to be taken away to the Underworld.
|
|
|
|
Very simple cure for manufacturers that make something as simple as a bulb change into a dealer visit and an hour's labour...
Don't buy their junk, they'll soon sharpen up.
I get very fed up of seeing vehicles with not only one headlight, usually the same side light will be out too, beware the one eyed monster.
.
Easy cure again, pull em and fine em, easy nick and box ticked.
Not quite so bad with a faulty rear light as the vehicles usually have reflectors, and they shouldn't be approaching you at speed either.
|
I get very fed up of seeing vehicles with not only one headlight usually the same side light will be out too beware the one eyed monster. . Easy cure again pull em and fine em easy nick and box ticked.
If only they would.... I asked a copper about this a few weeks back, his answer was that whilst it's easier to spot them it's more dangerous to stop them after dark. I can understand the logic but I suspect that the bottom line is that it doesn't get 'em as many brownie points as a speeding ticket.
|
|
|
Very simple cure for manufacturers that make something as simple as a bulb change into a dealer visit and an hour's labour...
You obviously haven't considered the problems of fitting everything in under the bonnet. I've looked in my car's engine compartment and I can't see anything which could be moved to a different position.
If the underbonnet space was larger you'd only be complaining about the exterior dimensions being too large.
|
If the underbonnet space was larger you'd only be complaining about the exterior dimensions being too large.
Space efficiency is somewhere at the bottom of my list of priorities, the crammed in disposable car doesn't (until the govt of the day, term used advisedly, provides cars for free) interest me in the least, i'll put up with old fashioned RWD maintainable vehicles for as long as they are still running.
|
|
|
|
|
There's a nice feature that VW group cars have, and I was reminded of this the other week when I saw a Fabia exiting a car park with the outer LEDs on the high-level brake lamp illuminated.
I caught the attention of the driver, smiled in a friendly way, and asked him to press his brake pedal- no left and right hand brake lamps. He was pleased to know but a bit puzzled as to how I knew. I told him of a Mk4 Golf I had that developed the same interesting light pattern, and how I'd find out that VW had engineered this in as a warning.
tt
|
I told him ofa Mk4 Golf I had that developed the same interesting light pattern and how I'd find out that VW had engineered this in as a warning.
Good, and clever; unfortunately it still relies on the driver actually CHECKING the rear lights once in a while.
I have to check my lights daily on my lorry, as part of my duties, and I guess I just get into the habit; the old thing of "First Parade" will be familiar to any ex-servicemen on here. I suspect that as cars have become more mechanically reliable, many drivers rarely check even the oil level, so lights have no chance!
|
|
|
|
I've started to wonder whether, at least in London, the high level brake light only is a gang thing or something? Reason I wonder is I've seen a number of new (57 and newer) cars with this 'feature', and I saw a 57 plated Corsa with the affliction get pulled by a police armed response unit..
No idea if there's anything to my theory, but it's more interesting than lazy bulb replacement.
|
|
|
|
