General Question about headlights

[motsllih]

Hi, I have just discovered that my main bulb on passenger side seems to have blown (sidelight still working) but it can only have gone today as they were both working yesterday. Anyway, obviously there is no light on that side when dipped beam is on, but when I put the full beam on it works fine.....I'm a bit baffled by that as I'm sure both dipped and full beam work from the same bulb in the Panda? Am I just being an idiot or could this be a wiring/fuse failure rather than the bulb itself? There is a possibility that I'm a complete tool and haven't noticed that they are separate bulbs.....however I have replaced my bulbs before (for more powerful ones) and definitely didn't come across anything resembling a separate full beam bulb in there whilst jamming my hands into the smallest space ever.......please enlighten me (excuse the pun).

Also, I drive a lot at night and don't really want to risk being pulled over, but also don't want to waste the money on buying a new bulb if it's not needed. Can you compensate for one light being out by having fog lights on, or am I just being a tool again?

 

[AskCy]

not checked on the panda, but usually one bulb with 2 filaments, one for dipped and one for main beam, so perfectly possible that it works on highbeam but not on dipped..

Steve

 

[Herts Hillhopper]

The Panda (and most other cars) uses a single bulb in each headlight which has two filaments -- one, nearer the front and part shrouded by a metal shade provides the dip beam, the other the main beam - see picture. (When buying a new bulb you need an 'H4' type bulb)

Highly recommend you replace quickly: one of mine failed on the Wednesday before Christmas, and the other just two days later. Had I not replaced the first one (using the spare from the kit that I carry in the car) I would have been plunged into darkness when the other side went.

(By the way, the bulbs in the pic have a blue end -- these are 80% brighter bulbs that work very well. Note that its 80% brighter than the first generation H4 bulbs. Many cars these days have bulbs that are already brighter by 30%, so you wont see a full 80% improvement)

Pete

 

[Most Easterly Pandas]

The Panda has standard H4 twin filament bulbs. Simply a case of one filament has failed.

Best of luck with the change as replacing the rear cover on the headlamp units can prove to be a pig

Jon.

 

[Herts Hillhopper]

Bes[t] of luck with the change as replacing the rear cover on the headlamp units can prove to be a pig

Others too have made this comment, but I have not found it a problem: just make sure the two pegs on the cover have located properly by aiming them towards their locating holes in the plastic of the housing nearest the wings at an angle, then swing round towards the front of the car and flip the retaining clip across. The only slightly tricky bit I found was that the wiring connector was a very tight fit on one bulb which made it difficult to remove.

 

[Most Easterly Pandas]

Others too have made this comment, but I have not found it a problem: just make sure the two pegs on the cover have located properly by aiming them towards their locating holes in the plastic of the housing nearest the wings at an angle, then swing round towards the front of the car and flip the retaining clip across. The only slightly tricky bit I found was that the wiring connector was a very tight fit on one bulb which made it difficult to remove.

Stilo is easier than the Panda.

Panda I had issue a I couldn't get that angle due to the fact the the was some bodywork in the way

 

[AskCy]

Others too have made this comment, but I have not found it a problem: just make sure the two pegs on the cover have located properly by aiming them towards their locating holes in the plastic of the housing nearest the wings at an angle, then swing round towards the front of the car and flip the retaining clip across. The only slightly tricky bit I found was that the wiring connector was a very tight fit on one bulb which made it difficult to remove.

I suppose a lot will depend on how dexterous you are and if you have hands like steam shovels...! (sometimes I physically struggle to get my hands in and turn in the space etc, where someone with smaller more nimble hands can get in there while still holding a brew and this mornings paper)....

Steve

 

[udtrev]

The Panda has standard H4 twin filament bulbs. Simply a case of one filament has failed.

Best of luck with the change as replacing the rear cover on the headlamp units can prove to be a pig

Jon.

Spot on Jon,

As said doing the rear cover can be a pig, unfortunately for you it's the passenger side. In other words hide the swear box as the passenger side is much more of a PITA


Trev

 

[Most Easterly Pandas]

Spot on Jon,

As said doing the rear cover can be a pig, unfortunately for you it's the passenger side. In other words hide the swear box as the passenger side is much more of a PITA


Trev

Try owning a Stilo. Bumper off job in my view :bang:

 

[motsllih]

Okay thanks guys, that clears that up then! Once again my poor knowledge of cars shines through!

 

[Bad Panda]

Changed both of my headlamp bulbs this weekend on My 100HP, start to finish 5 minz very easy, even putting the covers back on.
i just wanted brighter bulbs.
In the last few weeks ive noticed more and more dead Badgers. :idea:
Where i travel from work to home there are a lot of Badger's and they can just appear from now where.
The Badger that i hit in my Seicento on this particular route, bent my inner wing, i lost half the bumper and the car left the ground. (but they are only small cars)

 

[jrkitching]

...however I have replaced my bulbs before (for more powerful ones)...

Brighter bulbs generally don't last as long. All my OEM bulbs are still good after 8yrs/80k (there's tempting fate); some folks who've fitted nightbreakers have had them fail in the first year.

The manufacturer is upfront about this; the extract below is from their website:

Please note: due to their increased brightness, these bulbs are expected to have a shorter lifespan. We can only offer a 6 month warranty on the OSRAM Night Breaker Laser range.

I bought some Philips high intensity LED's for the house about a year ago; the claimed life was up to 10,000 hours. They sure are bright, but I've needed to replace half of them already.

 

[FarNorthPanda]

I have a 2006 1.2 Dynamic, and about 3 years ago I replaced the original bulbs with Philips Xtreme vison 130. Just recently both dipped beams failed within a few days of each other.

The car does not have daylight running lights, so during the day we run with dip beam headlights on all the time. Philips rate the life of these bulbs as 450 hours, and given the limited use we make of the car, the bulbs failed just about on their rated lifetime.

These high power bulbs do make a real improvement to night driving so they are worth fitting, but if you do fit either the Philips or the Osram equivalent you just have to accept that the price of better lighting is having to replace the bulbs more often than the original type.

I would suggest to that if one bulb has failed, it would be worth replacing both now, as the other one might also fail fairly soon. The price of these bulbs has reduced in the years since they were introduced - a pair of replacement bulbs last week cost me £20 at Europarts.

 

[Bad Panda]

Brighter bulbs generally don't last as long. All my OEM bulbs are still good after 8yrs/80k (there's tempting fate); some folks who've fitted nightbreakers have had them fail in the first year.

The manufacturer is upfront about this; the extract below is from their website:

Please note: due to their increased brightness, these bulbs are expected to have a shorter lifespan. We can only offer a 6 month warranty on the OSRAM Night Breaker Laser range.

I bought some Philips high intensity LED's for the house about a year ago; the claimed life was up to 10,000 hours. They sure are bright, but I've needed to replace half of them already.

ive gone to Xenon bulbs they last longer than halogen ....so the facts and figures say...direct replacement for my Panda...
if i have to replace the bulbs on a more regular basis, it's not a problem.
I'd sooner do that, than my car getting F**d by the sneaky hard to see at night Badgers / fox's, deer etc