(no subject)
So, the warning light was coming on when I started the engine, “Drivers side parking light has failed”, then when driving, you get this really annoying indicator in the middle of the rev counter, a sort of light bulb picture, just to remind you.
Now, changing the bulbs on this car, any car, isn’t difficult, I even took at look at work in the car park, popped the bonnet, then you remove this hard plastic cover, and there it all is underneath, well the back of the bulbs and stuff. Its buried behind the air cleaner, but you can get your hand in there, just about. The parking light is the lowest of all of the bulbs in the cluster.
So, off the local car parts shop, picked up a pair of spare bulbs, and the girl on the counter says, “Would you like us to fit that for you”. I wasn’t expecting this, and thought for a moment.
Pros: its easy and would be less hassle.
Cons: Would cost a couple of quid, would take time, (I’m already late for dinner), I wouldn’t find out how to do it, (no learning point and I would like to know more about this car).
Decided against the shop fitting the bulb, and drove home, had dinner, then went out to the car at about eight to fit bulb.
Over the years I’ve come to realised that doing any mechanical work, its all about your approach and state of mind, you need to me cautious, inquiring and slow. Last night, I was rushing, thought I knew what to do and generally, over confident.
Removed the cover, found what I thought was the back of the bulb, the bulb holder, and found it would not budge. Tried pulling, then twisting, no luck. Tried twisting harder, and it moved slowly, quarter of a turn and it comes loose, and I can pull it out, but what I have in my had is not a bulb, it’s the headlamp adjustment servo. I try fitting it back in to the headlamp, no luck, I struggle for a few minutes, still no luck, just won’t locate.
After struggling for a while, I decide I need to change my fumbling, ‘hap hazard’ approach, I remove the servo and take a good look at it. I need to understand the part more. I can see there are three locating teeth, but one is bigger than the other, meaning it can only go in one way. With this knowledge I reinstall the servo, I think its done. More of this later.
So, I have now correctly identified the parking bulb and its holder, and manage to pull it out. I feel happy that the bulb is obviously blown, so I’ve found the right part. I remove the bulb and after a bit of fiddling, put the new bulb in and re-insert it into headlamp cluster. I then start the car, and check that the warning message has gone, it has, great. I then need to check that I’ve re-inserted that Servo correctly.
Shining the main beam down the road, its now dark, and the whole exercise has taken me about an hour so far, I can see the left, untouched beam is on the back of the car a few doors down the street, the right one however, is half way up the lamp post, clearly, there’s something wrong here.
Looking again at the back of the headlamp, I can see the servo has a ball on it and the headlamp has a sort of socket, trouble is, they are not connected, the ball is resting on and not engaged with the socket. Trouble is, this is way down behind the headlamp, and there’s just enough room to get my hand down there, let alone any tools or a torch.
I then spend another half a hour, getting screwdrivers, a pair of pliers and bending a welding rod, all in an attempt to get the servo ball to locate with the socket, none of which worked. I gave up when it was clear it was pointless, it wasn’t going to happen and was too dark to see.
I will now have to make a special tool and try again tonight.
That is all.
P.S. 10 Minutes with a hacksaw, a vice and a strip of metal that's been in my garage for at least 20 years just waiting to be used, and I have this special long two fingured looking tool. I only have to adjust it once in the vice, and within another 5 minutes its all fixed.
I guess the garage mechanics have the same sort of thing.
Now, changing the bulbs on this car, any car, isn’t difficult, I even took at look at work in the car park, popped the bonnet, then you remove this hard plastic cover, and there it all is underneath, well the back of the bulbs and stuff. Its buried behind the air cleaner, but you can get your hand in there, just about. The parking light is the lowest of all of the bulbs in the cluster.
So, off the local car parts shop, picked up a pair of spare bulbs, and the girl on the counter says, “Would you like us to fit that for you”. I wasn’t expecting this, and thought for a moment.
Pros: its easy and would be less hassle.
Cons: Would cost a couple of quid, would take time, (I’m already late for dinner), I wouldn’t find out how to do it, (no learning point and I would like to know more about this car).
Decided against the shop fitting the bulb, and drove home, had dinner, then went out to the car at about eight to fit bulb.
Over the years I’ve come to realised that doing any mechanical work, its all about your approach and state of mind, you need to me cautious, inquiring and slow. Last night, I was rushing, thought I knew what to do and generally, over confident.
Removed the cover, found what I thought was the back of the bulb, the bulb holder, and found it would not budge. Tried pulling, then twisting, no luck. Tried twisting harder, and it moved slowly, quarter of a turn and it comes loose, and I can pull it out, but what I have in my had is not a bulb, it’s the headlamp adjustment servo. I try fitting it back in to the headlamp, no luck, I struggle for a few minutes, still no luck, just won’t locate.
After struggling for a while, I decide I need to change my fumbling, ‘hap hazard’ approach, I remove the servo and take a good look at it. I need to understand the part more. I can see there are three locating teeth, but one is bigger than the other, meaning it can only go in one way. With this knowledge I reinstall the servo, I think its done. More of this later.
So, I have now correctly identified the parking bulb and its holder, and manage to pull it out. I feel happy that the bulb is obviously blown, so I’ve found the right part. I remove the bulb and after a bit of fiddling, put the new bulb in and re-insert it into headlamp cluster. I then start the car, and check that the warning message has gone, it has, great. I then need to check that I’ve re-inserted that Servo correctly.
Shining the main beam down the road, its now dark, and the whole exercise has taken me about an hour so far, I can see the left, untouched beam is on the back of the car a few doors down the street, the right one however, is half way up the lamp post, clearly, there’s something wrong here.
Looking again at the back of the headlamp, I can see the servo has a ball on it and the headlamp has a sort of socket, trouble is, they are not connected, the ball is resting on and not engaged with the socket. Trouble is, this is way down behind the headlamp, and there’s just enough room to get my hand down there, let alone any tools or a torch.
I then spend another half a hour, getting screwdrivers, a pair of pliers and bending a welding rod, all in an attempt to get the servo ball to locate with the socket, none of which worked. I gave up when it was clear it was pointless, it wasn’t going to happen and was too dark to see.
I will now have to make a special tool and try again tonight.
That is all.
P.S. 10 Minutes with a hacksaw, a vice and a strip of metal that's been in my garage for at least 20 years just waiting to be used, and I have this special long two fingured looking tool. I only have to adjust it once in the vice, and within another 5 minutes its all fixed.
I guess the garage mechanics have the same sort of thing.