Dipped beam

[JoePeddos]

Just fitted the Nightbreakers today. And had a short run just now.

 

Light certainly improved compared to the tired looking originals. The beam cutoff is very obvious now - it's like somebody tweaked the contrast control !

 

However - doing the switch-over was quite the pig. Think my hands and fingers are not as strong as they used be.

Took the battery out completely, to do the near-side. Even then, it is so difficult to get a good purchase on the fittings - either to remove or install. Taking out that panel in the wheel-arch was a waste of time - apart from giving a view of the fitting. It didn't help getting a hold on the bulb-fitting.

 

Took pics of the bulb-holders - dips slightly different to main-beam - even though both are twist, bayonet-type fittings.

It is also a puzzle as to why they offset the access hole for the main-beam bulbs. Were they considering shoe-horning a bigger engine in there? As it is, no need to offset those - it's really difficult to get good purchase on mains too. Especially re-installing. (didn't change bulbs on Mains - just took one out to see how stupidly awkward they are.)

Switching a sealed beam would have been easier! Even if it meant popping a grille out.

 

Having re-installed battery - clock needed resetting (but not the date), short and long logs were zeroed - but .. the speed limiter still held its set-speed. Odd these days for clock not to have a backup.

Hi Dithane I must have been lucky the garage I used serviced my old Skoda for years they kindly fitted the bulbs at list price only, a good deal after reading your experience of fitting them. I must admit I was expecting a bigger bill Joe

[CapstanPlug]

I used to have a B5 Passat 4Motion and did all my own servicing over 13 years of ownership from new, except for the first - in warranty one and cleared the service "terms" using VCDS, so I know that it should not mean losing trip reading when resetting these service "terms".

On that car, Passat, it had HIDs so changing headlight, well, side light and mainbeam (I think) meant removing the ballast assemblies, which was a bit tricky as these screws had tiny heads and by 11 years old had corroded a lot! I seem to remember that the sidelight bulbs needed some force to get them out, by yanking them out by the wires!

One thing I found with newer bulb designs, it really pays to, if possible, look in from the outside to see the bulb while removing/fitting it as some of these newer designs of bulb holders do tend to give a "correct" feelings when the bulb is not in right! Same goes for knowing how to hold the bulb so that it just pops back into the holder.

Yep - my B5, which I still have, since new in 1999, just has regular halogen lamps. Sidelight bulb-holders got heat damaged and yeah, they're a bit tricky.

But headlight bulbs were generally easy enough.

 

On the Fabia, looking in at front of lamp is a good point though- it's almost essential, to get the bulb lined up.

I'm sure I'll be better the next time !

 

Hi Dithane I must have been lucky the garage I used serviced my old Skoda for years they kindly fitted the bulbs at list price only, a good deal after reading your experience of fitting them. I must admit I was expecting a bigger bill Joe

That was nice !  The dealer where I bought mine said he had a Polish guy with very long fingers who was a master at changing headlight bulbs.

 

On the positive side - I can vouch that, in comparison to a B5 Passat, taking the battery out of a Fabia is quite the joy!

 

Nightbreakers got a run on dark country-road this evening, and they really light up the left verge. Very pleased to have them before the winter.

Edited 5 September, 2016 by Dithane

[rum4mo]

Quote:-  On the positive side - I can vouch that, in comparison to a B5 Passat, taking the battery out of a Fabia is quite the joy!

 

Hum, yes that would not be hard to be!  I replaced the battery at about 11 years and the new battery was about 1/2" narrower - every little bit helped, plus a good opportunity to check the plenum drains! I fitted the B5.5 extended water deflector to that area of that car plus  same for front callipers from B5.5 to get rid of some silly issues!

[CapstanPlug]

Quote:-  On the positive side - I can vouch that, in comparison to a B5 Passat, taking the battery out of a Fabia is quite the joy!

 

Hum, yes that would not be hard to be!  I replaced the battery at about 11 years and the new battery was about 1/2" narrower - every little bit helped, plus a good opportunity to check the plenum drains! I fitted the B5.5 extended water deflector to that area of that car plus  same for front callipers from B5.5 to get rid of some silly issues!

 

Ha haaaa - the plenum drains - one of very few cars where you can witness a battery up to its neck in water. Luckily in mine, the water didn't find it's way to the CCU ! After that - just popped out those stupid rubber clog-friendly "drains".

Good to idea to put the 5.5 cover on though.

 

Looking forward (?) to finding the quirks in the Fabia.

 

When doing those lights - I wondered if the young engineers on Autocad had ever actually changed light-bulbs, on a rainy night on the side of a road in the middle of a long journey. On a Bank holiday, Sunday night.

[Jeffchiz]

I've just bought some Neolux H7 (477) +50% (which are made by OSRAM) from Euro Car Parts they were in the clearance section at £10 and I used a voucher code got them for £7.50 delivered! even if they are no better its a cheap set of spare bulbs

[jeleoto]

Who ever designed these lights has never had to replace a bulb on a wet night out in the country.

 

Halfords tell me they charge £7 for each bulb fitting... Although this is not cheap they have done it before..

 

Problem is.  You cant have Halfords in your boot waiting  to replace just a bulb

 

I have tried a few times now to uprate the dipped beams, but just cant get my digits into a position where I can pressure the fitting.

 

Has any one found an easy way to get the b....... bulbs out ?  

 

I can see me taking the front off to get to the bulbs, did it on the earlier Mk 1 Vrs when I fitted Hids, but then that was a much better

car to work on..

 

HELP please someone out there

[CapstanPlug]

Don't have an immediate fix, (other than squeeze eyelids really hard, grit teeth, growl and use magic language to get that energy down into the fingertips ),

 

but ... was thinking along lines of some old 1/2" or 3/4" coolant tubing I have in the back of a shed here - leftovers from Cortina days .. and fashioning that to go in and over bulb fitting and rotate - the heavy outer might have enough strength to pass the torque onto the bulb-fitting.

 

Tests to commence once rain stops and I find the tube!

 

Some kind of aid will need to be developed :- by all accounts, these Osram Nightbreakers have a short life - even going by their own packaging, they're not promising long life. Whatever that is. Don't want to be like all the one-eyed Saabs that used to be going around a few years ago.

Edited 9 September, 2016 by Dithane

[JoePeddos]

Don't have an immediate fix, (other than squeeze eyelids really hard, grit teeth, growl and use magic language to get that energy down into the fingertips ),

 

but ... was thinking along lines of some old 1/2" or 3/4" coolant tubing I have in the back of a shed here - leftovers from Cortina days .. and fashioning that to go in and over bulb fitting and rotate - the heavy outer might have enough strength to pass the torque onto the bulb-fitting.

 

Tests to commence once rain stops and I find the tube!

 

Some kind of aid will need to be developed :- by all accounts, these Osram Nightbreakers have a short life - even going by their own packaging, they're not promising long life. Whatever that is. Don't want to be like all the one-eyed Saabs that used to be going around a few years ago.

I am sure garages have developed bits of home made kit to help remove awkward bulbs let us know how you get on with the tubing if you can fined it. Sod's law you can never find what you want when you need it Glad you found the bulbs an improvement after fitting them.

[jeleoto]

Have been thinking on the lines that Dithane has hit on

..Some sort of two finger short extension .

 

Am thinking of possibly a length of aluminium strip 8cm long 2cm wide formed into open end tweezers about 2cm open end

.That might just slip over the bulb holder and enable a decent turn to be made.

 

At the moment its only an idea but am desperate to fit some better dips..

 

Anyone care to add to this problem ?

[punyXpress]

That little Filipino lass you were going to employ as an au pair - forget it!

Her big sister with the crooked teeth has mighty strong and long fingers. She'd do the trick!

[AGFalco]

I have a Fabia III with the 4 H7 bulbs and the LED DLR/side light bulbs.

When I changed all mine to Osram Nightbreaker's I tried this.

 

I made a spanner/lever out of a wooden wire brush handle and cut it out to suit to back of the bulb holder.

The main beam/inner bulbs are a little easier to remove than the dipped beam /outer ones.

Tighty righty and loosey lefty but from behind.

I took out a Main beam bulb holder first to use as a guide and then cut the in to the wooden handle at about 30 degrees away from the handle length.

This was because you can not put it in side on as the headlamp housing is in the way.

The hole/slot/cut in the handle is about 20mm wide and 20mm long.

 

Before refitting them I also put a very small amount of grease on the two lugs that attach to the bulb holder to the headlamp housing.

This will make it easier next time I need to change them.

 

I also found that the headlight aim, when set to zero inside, was as low as it could be on a MOT headlamp aim tester.

They have now been adjusted to as high as they can be on a MOT headlamp aim tester.

 

This improved the lights a lot.

 

Thanks AG Falco.

[jeleoto]

AGFalco ;;Did you find the need to use the inspection covers under the wings and did you need to remove the battery for better access ?

 

Like the idea of the tool you describe its probably easy to work the strange shape in wood rather than cobble up a bit of metal.

 

Wonder if Dithane cares to add anything .?

[AGFalco]

Hi Jeleoto,

 

Yes I used the inspection covers for the dipped beam bulbs but try from above as well.

Sometimes using your dominant hand from above is easier than your other hand from below.

Yes exactly any piece of wood will do so long as it has the right dimension and you are only trying to turn a piece of plastic.

As you say it is easy to shape a piece of wood to suit the bulb holder.

Don't bother moving the battery though, not worth the effort.

 

Thanks AG Falco

[CapstanPlug]

AGFalco - That sounds like a great idea with using wood.

 

I can see that when using some form of tooling, the inspection panel in the wheel-arch would be a great help. Just using hands though, I found panel of no use, other than to look in and get an idea of the layout inside the headlamp.

 

Taking the battery out was the only way that I was able do it, without tools.

Someone else mentioned about swinging the battery to one side a little - again, whether due to different wiring or something else - I couldn't do that either - taking battery out completely was the only way I could keep my frayed nerves from fraying further!

 

Otherwise - No progress on heavy tubing idea here -- as Joe Peddos predicted - I cannot lay my hands on it now - it's unlikely that I chucked it though.(!)

Edited 13 September, 2016 by Dithane

[AGFalco]

Dithane:

 

With mine I could not see any advantage by moving the battery so I didn't bother.

Different engine sizes would/could have a different size battery.

eg:- With stop/start and/or the Diesel engine I would expect it to be bigger.

 

If you remove a battery from your car then:-

Always disconnect black - Negative first and red + Positive second.

Always connect red + Positive first and black - Negative second.

 

I could try and take a photo of the wooden tool.

Might have to patent it if there is too much interest.

 

Thanks AG Falco

[jeleoto]

AGFalco.   I would very much appreciate a photo of your tool in wood

 

. The metal idea is not working out.

 

. And as you have a proven tool am sure will be of interest to many

.

With approach of darker evenings am getting a bit upset at having these brighter bulbs sitting on a shelf in the garage.

[GeneralPurpose]

AGFalco.   I would very much appreciate a photo of your tool in wood

 

 

 

Hmmmm.....! Is that allowed!   

 

Just kidding lol.   

[AGFalco]

OK as soon as I can find my tool ( it's at work I think ) I will photograph it for you.

 

Thanks AG Falco

[jeleoto]

Following from comment by  Estate Man.

 

I wonder how many are now awaiting the photo of  AG Falco and his wooden tool.

 

Probably runs to hundreds now..

 

No No . no offence officer ... But will await with anticipation and give my pinkies a rest...

 

jeleoto. a poor old fart in Bexhill on sea.. awaiting the inevitable.

[AGFalco]

Even the wife want's to see my wooden tool.

[AGFalco]

Hope this works, Here are some photos of my tool:-

 

 

 

 

 

Note how the slot is deep enough to touch the metal parts of the bulb holder.

 

Thanks AG Falco

Edited 17 September, 2016 by AGFalco

[JoePeddos]

Following from comment by  Estate Man.

 

I wonder how many are now awaiting the photo of  AG Falco and his wooden tool.

 

Probably runs to hundreds now..

 

No No . no offence officer ... But will await with anticipation and give my pinkies a rest...

 

jeleoto. a poor old fart in Bexhill on sea.. awaiting the inevitable.

What's inevitable another birthday I thought like me you had stoped counting I did at 70 that's 2 years ago dam I have given my age away Best wishes Joe

[jeleoto]

AG Falco.

 

 Thanks for the photos.

 

 Appears much nicer than the effort I tried in metal..

 

Well done,  hope others will find your tool to be the answer to .a  difficult problem.

 

(Keep up the good work, am sure the wife appreciates your efforts)

 

Jeleoto.

[rum4mo]

Just a thought, have you never considered the confusion that that tool might cause in 100 year's time when someone/something unearths it - maybe carve "its use" into it? Well, maybe not!

[malcster]

Maybe her could hire it out and post it to people

Or mass produce them and flog them on here

10℅ to me for suggesting it btw