Level crossing stupidity...

[Catkins]

Can't understand these cars that only have DRLs on the front. (Quite a few makes)

Why?

 

Keith

That is a result of well intentioned - but poorly drafted - euro-legislation, enacted on car manufacturers that are ran by bean counters. (see my comments in the third paragraph)

 

Weren't the Saab (and, the more well known, Volvo) lights set so you couldn't have anything else but front and backs, they were more like extra-bright front sidelights, the rears were just standard brightness.

That was common to any car that was sold in Scandinavia, the Scandinavian countries had a law that required some sort of road / driving lighting when the engine was on.

 

On the subject of car lights, and why things seem to take a retrograde step, I am of the age when cars were built by engineers and had some common sense applied, for example a car of the late 70's / 1980's had two rear foglights and two reversing lights - common sense for if one bulb fails the other one still works. Now it seems that cars are built by bean counters and every piece of common sense is costed, and removed, most cars now only seem to have one reversing light and one fog light - if a bulb fails what happens?

And the car designers are putting form over function now, you only have to look at the rear of the Ford Focus, or the window / waist line of any JLR product to see what I mean.

 

Anyone know of a good Mark 2 Ford Granada saloon for sale?

[Coryton]

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...

 

Since this thread appears to have become a free-for-all, I'd like to point out that Germans appear to think that light comes out of pear, not bulb-shaped objects.

[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.

It looks like someone has killed the spider

and the thread has disintegrated.

[RJS1977]

This thread usually gets back on topic when there is an accident or near miss on a crossing.

 

Therefore the fact this thread has drifted so much is a good thing :-)

[lmsforever]

When I need bulbs on my Jazz I go to Halfords they ro it for me!

[Hobby]

late 70's / 1980's had two rear foglights and two reversing lights

 

Many just had the one, it depended on whether they were part of the light cluster or a separate fitting, the latter tended to be a single. I'm sure I can remember some cars where the rear light cluster had a fog light on one side and a reversing light on the other! TBH most of those reversing lights were pretty useless back then. The Law said that a fog light had to be fitted, it didn't say how many!

[boxbrownie]

The Law said that a fog light had to be fitted, it didn't say how many!

And it had to be mounted centrally or on the drivers side of the vehicle.

[jamie92208]

Many just had the one, it depended on whether they were part of the light cluster or a separate fitting, the latter tended to be a single. I'm sure I can remember some cars where the rear light cluster had a fog light on one side and a reversing light on the other! TBH most of those reversing lights were pretty useless back then. The Law said that a fog light had to be fitted, it didn't say how many!

It cost me about 100 Euros to have mt reversing and rear fog lights swapped over to get my Volvo thought the French CT (MOT). However on my way to the garage I do have to cross an old level crossing where the only stupidity nowadays is the odd Combine coming out too quickly.

 

Jamie

[boxbrownie]

Of course the reason Volvo/Saab had DRLs earlier than any other country was that for most of the year the Northern parts of their countries are in darkness, the use of them proved to be a positive safety fitment and this was taken up by the bods in Brussels, which actually was a good idea because they are a positive improvement to safety, if only all vehicles came with fixed auto light activation as well.

[corneliuslundie]

If you think this thread has topic drift you have obviously never visited Castle Aching - in the Special interests/Pregrouping area.

And in the lighting industry lamps are what give out light. Bulbs are what GLS lamps and similar have to protect the filament and keep the air out etc. Most modern lamps are not bulb shaped anyway.

Jonathan

Former Secretary, the Society of Light and Lighting

PS I endorse the comment about the thread drift being positive, much better than more level crossing accidents.

[avonside1563]

Try the headlight bulbs on an 08 Astra! In through the wheel arch getting your arm covered in whatever you last drove through and kneeling in whatever is on the ground, grope around in the recess till you find the right bulb then struggle to fit the new one as it has to twist in place under two fixed screws, the chances of getting it under both are slim so usually just ends up held in place by one side! Replace the back cap and then the cover in the wheel arch, change clothes!

[rodent279]

change clothes!

Change car....!

[Reorte]

Try the headlight bulbs on an 08 Astra! In through the wheel arch getting your arm covered in whatever you last drove through and kneeling in whatever is on the ground, grope around in the recess till you find the right bulb then struggle to fit the new one as it has to twist in place under two fixed screws, the chances of getting it under both are slim so usually just ends up held in place by one side! Replace the back cap and then the cover in the wheel arch, change clothes!

That's why I got those clowns at Halfords to do it for me. It being Halfords it then fell out of the fitting before I'd gone half a mile.

[PaulCheffus]

if only all vehicles came with fixed auto light activation as well.

Hi

 

However auto lights don't work when its foggy so how would you put your lights on then?

 

Cheers

 

Paul

[PhilJ W]

Hi

 

However auto lights don't work when its foggy so how would you put your lights on then?

 

Cheers

 

Paul

Use fog lights, oh I forgot, some drivers use them when it isn't foggy.  

[boxbrownie]

Hi

 

However auto lights don't work when its foggy so how would you put your lights on then?

 

Cheers

 

Paul

Sometimes they do other times they don’t, but at least during normal they will be on at night......technology can only compensate for a percentage of idiocy.

 

Ideally the off position on the light switch would be the “auto” position, and the other position would be “on”..........and side/parking lights only operate when engine is off.......it might sift some of the Darwin Award contestants out of the pile!

[Hobby]

However auto lights don't work when its foggy so how would you put your lights on then?

 

Mine do... They work when the light gets below a certain level, on a sunny day I can even find they come on when I'm passing through a forest and the road is in the shade. Fog is normally much darker than that. However true fog (as opposed to the mist most drivers seem to think is fog) require more than the standard lights which the "auto light" function gives you so I still have to turn on the rear fog lights... The front "driving lights", the ones most people call fog lights are a pain in the backside when they are left on by most drivers in the dark even though they are only supposed to light up the ground just in front of the car (but don't because they are badly adjusted!)...

 

(BTW there's a switch which over-rides the auto function!! )

Edited January 14, 2019 by Hobby

[Boris]

Someone else wishing to joining the tards are us club:

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-46868951

[PaulCheffus]

Sometimes they do other times they don’t, but at least during normal they will be on at night......technology can only compensate for a percentage of idiocy.

 

Ideally the off position on the light switch would be the “auto” position, and the other position would be “on”..........and side/parking lights only operate when engine is off.......it might sift some of the Darwin Award contestants out of the pile!

Hi

 

Thats exactly how my car is and its a pain as I can't turn the lights off in bright sunlight when it decides the lights should be on.

 

Personally I can manage to switch my own lights on as and when required. 

 

Cheers

 

Paul

Edited January 14, 2019 by PaulCheffus

[PaulCheffus]

Mine do... They work when the light gets below a certain level, on a sunny day I can even find they come on when I'm passing through a forest and the road is in the shade. Fog is normally much darker than that. However true fog (as opposed to the mist most drivers seem to think is fog) require more than the standard lights which the "auto light" function gives you so I still have to turn on the rear fog lights... The front "driving lights", the ones most people call fog lights are a pain in the backside when they are left on by most drivers in the dark even though they are only supposed to light up the ground just in front of the car (but don't because they are badly adjusted!)...

 

(BTW there's a switch which over-rides the auto function!! )

Hi

 

Every single time?

 

What manufacturer is this?

 

Cheers

 

Paul

[boxbrownie]

Hi

 

Thats exactly how my car is and its a pain as I can't turn the lights off in bright sunlight when it decides the lights should be on.

 

Personally I can manage to switch my own lights on as and when required. 

 

Cheers

 

Paul

What vehicle is this please?

[PaulCheffus]

What vehicle is this please?

 

Hi

 

2015 Vauxhall Astra (K model new for 2015)

 

Cheers

 

Paul

[rab]

Mods, is it possible to separate off the car bulb discussion to a different thread please?

[Compound2632]

What's needed to keep this topic on-topic is a really nasty level crossing incident. In my view, on this thread thread drift has to be a good sign.

[Hobby]

Sorry folks. Boxbrownie it's a Mk7 Golf and yes it does. If anything it's slightly over keen (going through shaded areas for instance). Overall it works well. I've never had to turn them on manually. This is my third Golf with them and they've all been the same. The auto wipers are not as good, though.

Edited January 14, 2019 by Hobby