Level crossing stupidity...

[rodent279]

One area that perhaps requires more legislation-if it's a legal requirement to carry spare bulbs, then it also ought to be a regulatory requirement that such bulbs are easy for the user to fit at the roadside, without special tools other than say a screwdriver. It also ought to be possible at night and in under a given time, say 15 mins, for a non-technical person.

I say that simply because lights are a safety critical item, and because there's just no need for it to be a b@llache to change them. Intelligent design should make it easy. Even if you have to remove a bumper, that should be easy.

[royaloak]

They are meant to make the car more visible as it approaches you (same reason any good motorcyclist will have their headlights on as well)... Not much point to have the rears on, it'd be too late by then!

 

It's not just cars with DRLs who forget to turn their main lights on at night, plenty without do as well... If you are on a well lit road and don't look at your dials...

On some cars the dash lights are on any time the ignition is switched on, a bloody stupid idea if you ask me.

[royaloak]

One area that perhaps requires more legislation-if it's a legal requirement to carry spare bulbs, then it also ought to be a regulatory requirement that such bulbs are easy for the user to fit at the roadside, without special tools other than say a screwdriver. It also ought to be possible at night and in under a given time, say 15 mins, for a non-technical person.

On certain Rover models it is necessary to move some of the air-con pipes to get to the bulb, what use a spare bulb in that situation, I agree 100% about making it easy to change any and all bulbs on cars.

[uax6]

I say that simply because lights are a safety critical item, and because there's just no need for it to be a b@llache to change them. Intelligent design should make it easy. Even if you have to remove a bumper, that should be easy.

 

Says He who runs a Moggy Minor, where you have to take the headlamp out to change the bulb (or if its still a sealed beam the whole lamp unit).....

 

Andy G

 

(who also runs Minors on a day to day basis!)

[101]

I say that simply because lights are a safety critical item, and because there's just no need for it to be a b@llache to change them. Intelligent design should make it easy. Even if you have to remove a bumper, that should be easy.

But they have no wish to make it easy.

They don't want you to change it, they want you to find it's difficult and take it back to them so that they can charge you for doing it

[newbryford]

Going even further OT because everyone else has.

 

I find that changing bulbs is quite easy.

 

I dig them up.

Dig a bigger hole.

Put some different bulbs in the hole.

Fill the hole..................................

Edited January 12, 2019 by newbryford

[Bucoops]

Says He who runs a Moggy Minor, where you have to take the headlamp out to change the bulb (or if its still a sealed beam the whole lamp unit).....

 

Andy G

 

(who also runs Minors on a day to day basis!)

 

Don't even need to open the bonnet to do it though - couple of screws My Dad has two - one since 1972 and one since 1981. 

[rodent279]

Says He who runs a Moggy Minor, where you have to take the headlamp out to change the bulb (or if its still a sealed beam the whole lamp unit).....

 

Andy G

 

(who also runs Minors on a day to day basis!)

Ha ha, yes it is a sealed beam unit, so not eat to replace, but I'd rather replace the indicator or side lights on the Minor than on the Micra any day. Really fiddly to get at, no space behind the light unit, easy to break the plastic or the connector.

[rodent279]

But they have no wish to make it easy.

They don't want you to change it, they want you to find it's difficult and take it back to them so that they can charge you for doing it

Yes, probably, that and they are so hung up on styling that ease of maintenance doesn't seem to get much priority.

[stewartingram]

On certain Rover models it is necessary to move some of the air-con pipes to get to the bulb, what use a spare bulb in that situation, I agree 100% about making it easy to change any and all bulbs on cars.

My Rover 75 has access panels under the wheelarches but it is very difficult to change the bulbs through them. Far easier to remove the front bumper, & then each headlight unit, to achieve a bulb change. Even so, I can the change both in less than 10 minutes total. And, just to add, having done it that way, and seen how everything is put together, I can now change them through the access panel fairly quickly, by feel only! I prefer to dismantle though.

 

Stewart

[Hobby]

So if you try to change a car light bulb on a level crossing, the longer it takes the more likely you are to be hit by a train.

 

That's what he was doing, then...

[Merfyn Jones]

Going even further OT because everyone else has.

 

I find that changing bulbs is quite easy.

 

I dig them up.

Dig a bigger hole.

Put some different bulbs in the hole.

Fill the hole..................................

 

When my old boss in the S & T used to say, bulbs are planted, you put lamps in signals and level crossing wig wags.

(see what I did there)

[big jim]

[rab]

Well it is rm WEB.

 

Spiders tend to wander a lot but they usually find

their way back to the centre of the web eventually.

Edited January 12, 2019 by rab

[royaloak]

When my old boss in the S & T used to say, bulbs are planted, you put lamps in signals and level crossing wig wags.

(see what I did there)

But we are talking about car headlight BULBS.

[Titan]

Bulb is a description of shape, like sphere, and is not limited to describing a specific object. Since light bulbs are bulb shaped, it is correct to describe them as bulbs. Similarly as the plants are also bulb shaped, they can be described as bulbs too. It is not like we are calling bulbs onions...

[rodent279]

Bulb is a description of shape, like sphere, and is not limited to describing a specific object. Since light bulbs are bulb shaped, it is correct to describe them as bulbs. Similarly as the plants are also bulb shaped, they can be described as bulbs too. It is not like we are calling bulbs onions...

I like the thought process there!

[bigherb]

But we are talking about car headlight BULBS.

They are headlamps, light is what comes out of them.

[rodent279]

To-may-to, to-mah-to, what does it matter?

 

I get the point, but headbulb doesn't quite work.

 

Anyway, back on topic-it's relevant to level crossings because if your lights aren't working properly, you may fail to see warning signs for a crossing. Or you may pull up in front of one and find someone runs into you because your brake lights aren't working, or your tail lights are out.

Edited January 13, 2019 by rodent279

[talisman56]

On some cars the dash lights are on any time the ignition is switched on, a bloody stupid idea if you ask me.

 

If my dash didn't illuminate when I switched on I wouldn't be able so see a d*mn thing.

 

Renault Scenic with a LCD display...

 

[it once didn't come on, but that is a whole 'nother story...]

 

...and yes, the headlamp replacement thingy is a b@llsache or expensive labour exercise...

Edited January 13, 2019 by talisman56

[newbryford]

Headlamp bulb?

Headlight bulb?

 

I'm still in the dark.............

 

I'm morbidly hoping for a level crossing incident to occur...........

Edited January 13, 2019 by newbryford

[davefrk]

In all my years of having Veedubs I've never had to change a headlight bulb, the longest ownership was 18 years, present cars are 13 and 14 years old. (We keep them if we like them).  Stop lamps on madam's Touran though, six years then every two/three years but then they are Halfrauds bulbs.... The Jetta has LED clusters so I hope they don't go futt. £££££sssss.

 

On Topic...   I remember an incident on the Strathspey Railway a number of years ago, Taxi hit by train on a crossing to a new housing estate, taxi driver claimed he didn't know that trains were still running on that old line, yeah right.

 

Dave Franks.

[boxbrownie]

On some cars the dash lights are on any time the ignition is switched on, a bloody stupid idea if you ask me.

Interestingly, there was a design for a certain vehicle manufacture which the instrument lights were on all the time as the cluster was quite dark without, BUT also it incorporated a light sensor which when ambient light outside dropped the instrument light went out thus reminding the driver they needed to switch lamps on, the design was dropped for cost reasons and also the vehicles had “auto lights on” sensor (same sensor was used) but even in that design it relied upon the driver having the light switch turned to auto!

[boxbrownie]

Oh yes.....easiest headlamps bulb change? Porsche 911/Boxster type series.......open hood, turn bolt half a turn and pull the whole headlamp assembly out, it takes about 10 seconds......then you have easy access to every bulb.....

 

Now then, back to railways crossings.

[Mark Saunders]

Oh yes.....easiest headlamps bulb change? Porsche 911/Boxster type series.......open hood, turn bolt half a turn and pull the whole headlamp assembly out, it takes about 10 seconds......then you have easy access to every bulb.....

 

Now then, back to railways crossings.

 

Similar but pull back off was a SAAB 95.