Technical DRL again

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Technical DRL again

Mick F

Happy Chappy
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Nov 2, 2014
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Location
Tamar Valley, Cornwall
Our 500TA's DRL has gone again.

We bought her on her third birthday at 14,000miles in Oct 2014.
At 18,200miles in August the next year, the RH DLR light failed and was replaced.
At 21,400mies in February this year, the RH failed again .......... and was replaced again.
Today, at 22,450miles, the LH one has gone.
That's three gone in only 8,500miles of ownership.
I wonder how many have blown since brand new?

What's the cure?

The LED ones are illegal, but I'm tempted. :cool:

Regards to all,
Mick.
 
What's the cure?

I've still got the original bulbs after 6+ years.

Turning them off in the menu was the first thing I did after driving it off the forecourt :devil:.

More seriously, I've not had a single bulb blow on either of the Fiats - that's a total usage of 12yrs & almost 100,000 miles. IIRC that's the best bulb life I've ever had on any car, ever.

Makes me wonder if there's some problem with the voltage regulation or (perhaps more likely) earthing on yours? Cleaning and protecting the main earthing lead is probably worth doing just on general principles - it can't make it any worse.
 
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We have a Clio, bought brand new in April 2001. She's done just short of 100,000miles.
In all that time, i've replaced a tail light, and then a year later, the other tail light. That's it, in fifteen years and 100,000miles.

Yes, I could turn the DLR lights off on the 500TA and the bulbs would last the lifetime of the car.

Knowing what I know about changing these DRLs, they are a bugger to do. I know someone on here can change them in a jiffy, but I personally have to jack up the front and remove the front wheel to get my big chunky fingers in there. If I drop the bulb inside, I have to get the vacuum cleaner and a thin hose to suck it back out. :bang:
(Please read my other posts on this subject)

Two cures - only - as far as I can see.
Turn them off permanently.
Fit "everlasting" bulbs.

Rant over with thanks. :D
Mick.
 
Led ones will not be a direct swap, you will get a bulb out error even with those advertised as canbus, unless you fit resistors, all a bit of a pain IMHO.
 
We have a Clio, bought brand new in April 2001. She's done just short of 100,000miles.
In all that time, i've replaced a tail light, and then a year later, the other tail light. That's it, in fifteen years and 100,000miles.

Yes, I could turn the DLR lights off on the 500TA and the bulbs would last the lifetime of the car.

Knowing what I know about changing these DRLs, they are a bugger to do. I know someone on here can change them in a jiffy, but I personally have to jack up the front and remove the front wheel to get my big chunky fingers in there. If I drop the bulb inside, I have to get the vacuum cleaner and a thin hose to suck it back out. :bang:
(Please read my other posts on this subject)

Two cures - only - as far as I can see.
Turn them off permanently.
Fit "everlasting" bulbs.

Rant over with thanks. :D
Mick.
it's funny i replaced one brake light 3 years after buying, while the other is fine after 6 years with equal usage. it's a random thing it seems!
 
Have you actually checked the bulb has failed rather than assuming it's failed and removed it? Is it possible that the bulb holder is faulty giving the impression the bulb keeps failing? Also use quality Bosch or Osram bulbs, have to say I've noticed people tend not to pull out on me as much with the drl's on so do believe they are a benifit. ..
 
Hi guys, and good morning.
When the first one blew, I went to the local motorfactors and bought two, considering that if one had gone, the other wouldn't be far behind.

I paid (I keep records!) £8.76 for the two. Can't remember the make, but they wouldn't have been cheapo discount store ones.

The RH one had gone, so I replaced it. The next one to go was the RH yet again. This time it's the LH one.

Last time we had a discussion on here regarding LEDs, this site came up and I bookmarked it for future reference.
http://www.autobulbsdirect.co.uk/7443-Twenty20-Cree-LED-12V-580-Canbus-Wedge-Bulb.html
They work with CAN Bus stuff so you don't need a resistor or anything. They are "plug and play" items, but don't have white ones in stock at present.

They aren't E marked and so aren't actually legal, but it's a moot point whether you'll get away with them with an MOT.

Meanwhile, until I make my mind up what to do, is turn the things off.

Regards to all,
Mick.
 
Hi guys, and good morning.
When the first one blew, I went to the local motorfactors and bought two, considering that if one had gone, the other wouldn't be far behind.

I paid (I keep records!) £8.76 for the two. Can't remember the make, but they wouldn't have been cheapo discount store ones.

The RH one had gone, so I replaced it. The next one to go was the RH yet again. This time it's the LH one.

Last time we had a discussion on here regarding LEDs, this site came up and I bookmarked it for future reference.
http://www.autobulbsdirect.co.uk/7443-Twenty20-Cree-LED-12V-580-Canbus-Wedge-Bulb.html
They work with CAN Bus stuff so you don't need a resistor or anything. They are "plug and play" items, but don't have white ones in stock at present.

They aren't E marked and so aren't actually legal, but it's a moot point whether you'll get away with them with an MOT.

Meanwhile, until I make my mind up what to do, is turn the things off.

Regards to all,
Mick.

Personally for a DRL I doubt anyone would care if it carries an "E" mark or not.
 
Personally for a DRL I doubt anyone would care if it carries an "E" mark or not.

99.9999% of the time, I'd agree. I'd also be surprised if they were picked up during an MOT (unless the colour was way off).

There's that .0001% chance that after you run into someone who pulled out in front of you, they claim they didn't see you, and then some smart-a**e insurance assessor crawls all over the car with a very fine tooth comb...

Sadly we live in an age when legal technicalities sometimes triumph over common sense.
 
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99.9999% of the time, I'd agree. I'd also be surprised if they were picked up during an MOT (unless the colour was way off).

There's that .0001% chance that after you run into someone who pulled out in front of you, they claim they didn't see you, and then some smart-a**e insurance assessor crawls all over the car with a very fine tooth comb...

Sadly we live in an age when legal technicalities sometimes triumph over common sense.

That's very true, we pay through the nose for insurance and when we need them most they try every possible way to wiggle out of it!
 
So, if you turned off your DRLs could a claim be made that you were not making your car visible enough?
 
As suggested above, it is possible that the connection in the bulb holder is not tight. If the bulb is vibrating it is likely to fail sooner. Also a good idea to ensure that the whole lamp is tight, as any vibration there will have the same effect. As they are fitted in the bumper, ensure that is not loose also.
 
Personally for a DRL I doubt anyone would care if it carries an "E" mark or not.
The trouble isn't the DRL but the side light IMHO.

The unit is twin filament and if you used LED, you would have a twin filament LED of course. You could get through an MOT without a DRL working - providing they were switched off - because I reckon that the mechanic inspector either wouldn't know how to turn them on to check, or isn't permitted to alter any function within the car's menu.

You couldn't get through an MOT with a defective side light, but if it's working would the mechanic inspector check that the side light is LED and not E marked?

Cheers,
Mick.
 
The trouble isn't the DRL but the side light IMHO.

The unit is twin filament and if you used LED, you would have a twin filament LED of course. You could get through an MOT without a DRL working - providing they were switched off - because I reckon that the mechanic inspector either wouldn't know how to turn them on to check, or isn't permitted to alter any function within the car's menu.

You couldn't get through an MOT with a defective side light, but if it's working would the mechanic inspector check that the side light is LED and not E marked?

Cheers,
Mick.

I don't think there is any specific requirement that the sidelight bulbs be E marked for MOT testing purposes (note that doesn't necessarily mean that they're legal under the Construction & Use regulations).

If the DRL's in front position lamp mode show a clear white light to the front, I'd expect them to pass with at worst an advisory.

From the offical MOT Testers Manual:
 

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In a local discount shop the other day, and saw these. £3.39 for two seems good value.

However, I wonder how long they'll last?
Maybe not so long. :cool:
I'll fit one as a replacement for the LH DLR later in the week and keep the other as spare .............. for the week after.

Regards,
Mick.
 

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In a local discount shop the other day, and saw these. £3.39 for two seems good value.

However, I wonder how long they'll last?
Maybe not so long. :cool:
I'll fit one as a replacement for the LH DLR later in the week and keep the other as spare .............. for the week after.

Regards,
Mick.

They are good value, I paid just over £4 for 1 Osram type, they do seem expensive in relation to most other bulbs.
 
In a local discount shop the other day, and saw these. £3.39 for two seems good value.

However, I wonder how long they'll last?

Ring bulbs aren't quite the best, but they're OK. You'll often find them on the cards in filling stations & the like. I've fitted them in the past & got many years of service from them.

Obviously more of an issue on a car like the 500 where fitting is generally a pain in the a**e.

As an aside, one thing to be aware of when buying bulbs for use in plastic lenses is that the UV output from cheap bulbs can permanently damage the lens. More important for headlight bulbs as the output is higher; personally I'd be wary of some of the high intensity aftermarket stuff folks sometimes fit.

Ring are supposedly OK in this regard - from their website:

"All Ring Automotive headlamp bulbs are UV cut so are suitable for use with plastic lenses"
 
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