Many thanks for all the replies and hello to biggus richus who, I believe, is posting for the first time.
I don?t think the failing bulbs are due to speed humps as we don?t come across them very often on our usual routes. Anyway, Mrs W doesn?t attack them at any sort of speed. After the first bulb failed, I considered the vibration effect of dropping the bonnet too rapidly ? so I now treat it as though I were dropping it over a basket of eggs. I am wondering about looseness of the lamp fitting and the connections ? in fact, Mrs W did mention that she felt the lamp was ?a bit dim? at one point, then seemed OK. Maybe that?s a clue to a dodgy connection?
I?ve a feeling that someone once mentioned about not starting the car while the headlights are switched on. My wife had driven the 14 or so rural miles from work, during which the lights seemed OK, then she noticed the problem after stopping for petrol. She was almost certain that she had turned the lights on after starting the car though her thought-train was slightly different as she was also going through the action of re-setting the trip-mileage etc. Could she have stalled the car, then re-started it with the lights switched on???
I?ll check the old bulb for blackening when it?s removed and make a note to get the alternator checked when it is next in for a service. Last time, like biggus richus, I took the car to Halfolds but when the lad saw the failed bulb was on the battery side, he didn?t want to know. When I took it to our regular (independent) dealer on the Saturday morning, the service dept was shut, but luckily one of the technicians was in the bay doing his own car. He came out and did the job in 2 minutes using the bulb that I had as a spare. He didn?t want to take anything but I gave him a fiver for a drink. Each time I?d done the job previously, it had taken approaching an hour with much cursing and angst. The technician confessed that he too had used his partners make-up mirror the first few times he changed these bulbs.
This morning, I went out chasing for a Bosch bulb, but couldn?t get one locally. There are all sorts of fancy blue bulbs, extra-light bulbs and super-duper bulbs but, in the end, I settled for a bog-standard Osram for £4.20. These are supposed to be supplied commonly as ?original? equipment and compare favourably with the £10.40 that I paid last year for a ?Motorcraft?. Hopefully, tomorrow morning, I'll be able to find my man fixing his own car again!
PS. (Peter D) Mrs W toots her horn probably less often than I use my fog lights i.e. about once every two years and, incidentally, it isn?t a road traffic offence to sound your horn on your drive (according to the Highway Code).
Edited by Waino on 23/01/2009 at 11:38
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I?ve a feeling that someone once mentioned about not starting the car while the headlights are switched on.>>
My Focus has auto lights and has been started (in garage) with the lights on every day for three and a half years without a headlamp failure. And I drop the bonnet with a hefty thump after the weekly fluid level checks.
Edited by Old Navy on 23/01/2009 at 12:13
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And I drop the bonnet with a hefty thump after the weekly fluid level checks.
Me too. If I don't it won't shut properly. The owners guide suggests dropping it from 20 to 30 cm but I daren't do it from that high.
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After the first bulb failed I considered the vibration effect of dropping the bonnet too rapidly ? so I now treat it as though I were dropping it over a basket of eggs. I am wondering about looseness of the lamp fitting and the connections ? in fact Mrs W did mention that she felt the lamp was ?a bit dim? at one point then seemed OK. Maybe that?s a clue to a dodgy A?
Find a nice long road where you can watch the car - get Mrs. W. to drive towards you in the dark with the lights on - you should be able to see any flickering.
I don't think that speed bumps, starting the engine with the lights on, etc., ought to be very significant.
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I noticed that a headlight had failed on my Mazda 626 two nights ago, whilst stuck in slow moving traffic on the M62. Arriving home I changed it (I dont want to sound smug but I always carry a spare) in the pouring rain in less than 90 seconds.
Later that evening in the pub, friends said that with some vehicles bulb changing can be a pain in the butt. Something to consider when I next change my car...up until then I had never given it a seconds thought.
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Find a nice long road where you can watch the car - get Mrs. W. to drive towards you in the dark with the lights on >>
Thanks for that suggestion, FT, you should have been here to see the grin on her face when she came back from work and read it ....... and what is she doing now - isn't that the file where I keep insurance details?
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Cheers Waino. I registered and delurked in a moment of Focus headlamp solidarity.
Halfords chap said that changing bulbs on the Focus is a breeze compared to those where you have to go in via the wheel arch - I guess we have something to be thankful for.
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I registered and delurked in a moment of Focus headlamp solidarity.>>
If you've been lurking for some time, you probably know that 'difficulties in changing bulbs' is a constant moan on here. It's interesting to see that you got on OK at Halfords, but then, I'm not sure if your slightly later model Focus might be a bit different in the headlight department. Having accepted that changing bulbs is a pain, I'm curious to find out if some bulbs are better than others and any likely underlying problems.
BTW, Fullchat, I looked at the bulb via the front lens and it was clearly blackened. I'm wondering if there is a bit too much zizz from the alternator.
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Check the good side, if that's blackened too it could be an indicator that there is too much zizz from the alternator.
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Tip , after starting do not switch headlights on immediately especially after cold start .
My wife would not notice if a headlamp bulb failed !
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Tip after starting do not switch headlights on immediately especially after cold start .
Why not? My auto lights come on with the "ignition" in the dark.
Edited by Old Navy on 23/01/2009 at 20:43
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>>Halfords chap said that changing bulbs on the Focus is a breeze compared to those
>>where you have to go in via the wheel arch - I guess we have something to be
>>thankful for.
Halfords don't fit headlamp bulbs on the KA.
They are fine and dandy in the shop about fitting bulbs until you mention KA..
But, they do sell Bosch bulbs (type 477).
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I have a 2001 (Y) 1.8 petrol, its now covered 122k miles and I have owned it for 7 years.
After the initial problem of unhooking the bulb holder, I can now replace either bulb in just 2 mins.
My headlight bulbs first failed at about 70k miles, I replaced them with Bosch 50% brighter bulbs, these only lasted 12 months.
These were replaced with Halfords 50% brighter bulbs, again these only lasted 18 months.
It was only last month I replaced them with Halfords 80% brighter bulbs.
I have also had a pair of side light bulbs replaced.
I always replace a pair rather than 1 at a time.
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The sequel to this is that I took the car up to my local garage on Saturday morning where the same chap as last time was working on his car. He came out, did it in 2 minutes, refused 'a drink' and I forced one on him anyway. As Viz says, it's all to do with the knack of hooking the bulb holder back on in a restricted space when you can't see what you are doing.
The duff bulb was black and 'metalled' in appearance, though the other looks fine through the lens.
The garage, although not a main dealer, concentrates on Fords and I asked about his experiences with TDCis. His opinion was that the TDCis in Mondeos give more problems than those in Focuses (Foci?) but he had no explanation for why that should be the case.
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