lanceuppercut

iTrader: (1)

i definitely didn't know how they worked so that's my fault but you're right, the garage should have picked up on it. i did have to explain to them when i picked it up on tuesday that they needed to order a replacement driving lamp housing and not fog!

called them up this morning and explained the situation with what works and what doesn't, as i've described it here and asked them to clarify that they will be able to look at and fix the O/S lamp so they know what needs to be done when i bring the car back to them.

i will get them to recheck the connectors on the O/S lamp, this time i won't have to rush off to work so can hang around and be more questiony.

their mechanic is going to call back this afternoon as i basically got the receptionist. i asked her if they had spare bulbs, in case its the O/S bulb that has gone and she said they should do, they're listed as my local PIAA dealer after all.

and just to clarify alcazar, i'm not driving around with the main/full beam (stalk pushed away), i'm driving about with the dipped beam. damned terminology!!

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

As above, they sound as if they are wired as they should be, and my guess is that you have a bulb "out" on the non-working side.
It's child's play to open one up and check.

Here: http://www.piaa.com/Lamps/Lamp-pages/80proxt.html

Two screws, one either side of the housing, the reflector/lens should then come free.

lanceuppercut

iTrader: (1)

how recessed/far out should the lamp normally be into the bumper?

as it stands, i dont think i can reach the screw on the inner side of the lamps properly. will check when i get home though, damn winter, too dark when i get home to do anything useful!

joey_turbo

iTrader: (26)

Bend the lamp pointing down, its on a hinge. You may need to loosen the 17mm nut underneath, iside the bumper. Stubby spanner is best.

lanceuppercut

iTrader: (1)

thanks, looks more and more like i'm going to spend saturday playing around with all this!

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Hope the weather is better than this afto: been a right storm here.

lanceuppercut

iTrader: (1)

me too!

my rb5 covers need new stickers which are order and i need to stick them on, now the holes line up on the sides but on one edge there is a section missing from the edge, is that the top or bottom?

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Now that I dunno, never having used PIAAs which I reckon are over-priced.

joey_turbo

iTrader: (26)

cant say I've noticed, but its most likely the bottom, to allow water out.

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

And in.

My Cibies had similar. First thing I did with them was to seal the lens/reflector unit to the rear casing with electrican's tape.

Never had any water in mine.

lanceuppercut

iTrader: (1)

called garage up, still waiting on stock of the replacement lamp housing.

monday is looking more and more likely and my scoobyworld mudflaps aren't due to arrive before they are likely to call either, grr!

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

I daren't ask how much this is setting you back doing it via a garage.........

I've found lens/reflector for £56...

lanceuppercut

iTrader: (1)

the new housing is £90ish seem to be piaa's RRP unfortunately.

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Is the housing rusted too?

AFAICS, PIAA lists a complete unit at that price, the lens/reflector being £56

http://www.piaa.co.uk/pricelist/pricelist.asp

lanceuppercut

iTrader: (1)

the N/S housing is done for, hence the replacement. i have "PF661" on order.

what part number from that site is the 120w bulb i'm after?

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

H3X120, FFS DO NOT buy the PIAA bulbs, at £22 EACH they are a TOTAL rip off.

Try something like this: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Ring-Rally...item27b92dfdb9

That's HALF price FOR A PAIR!

lanceuppercut

iTrader: (1)

cheers,

i thought the bit on the ebay ad that said it wasn't E-marked/road legal would be a problem, looked at the PIAA list and H3X120 isn't E-marked either! so ordered a set of those but a shame i can't change the delivery method as 6-8 days sucks *****! :/

i'll just stall the garage and tell them that i'm waiting for the mudflaps to be delivered (i actually am!) before bringing the car to them to do all the work at once.

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

No, any bulb of a higher wattage than 55W for driving lights and 60W for headlights, cannot be e-marked.
They must then be marked "for off-road use only, not for use on the highway".

But so long as your lights are decent, no-one will mind. And in driving lights, they get turned off when you dip anyway
The problem occurs when people put cr@p higher wattage bulbs into cr@p lights, (like Scoob classic headlights). Then you get scatter everywhere, and the result is dazzle.

The alternative to higher wattage bulbs is to use so-called "uprated" bulbs, which ARE e-marked, being only 60W or 55W, (that's the power they draw), but produce the LIGHT of a higher wattage bulb. They do this by running a THINNER filament at a hotter temperature, but they do tend to have shorter lifespans than standard halogen bulbs.

Lastly, never be tempted by cheap bulbs. They may give more light, but don't always put it in the right place a 1mm mistake in the position of a filament will result in MASSIVE scatter. Buy decent branded bulbs. Halfords are also decent, being BOGOF in the winter and made by GE.

lanceuppercut

iTrader: (1)

as my housing are rusting and needed replacements, i found this: http://www.scoobyparts.com/acatalog/...ING_LIGHT.html and emailed the company and asked them to clarify and they emailed back and said that its the entire replacement housing, just add bulb.

heres are pics of my lamps:
O/S: http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/265/img1126u.jpg
N/S: http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/11/img1125ud.jpg

there is rust at the bottom of both, is there anything on the lens that is likely to have caused the rust, or the housing itself?

joey_turbo

iTrader: (26)

Mine were like that too, but I had a hole in the glass, from a stone.
According to the specs, they are supposed to be aluminium, but mine had actual rust inside, and the relective part was flaking. There are rubber washers that go around the screws on the side of the housing, so maybe it can let water in from there, but its most probably the bulb holder not being sealed properly.

Keep your glass lens, as they look good, and you may need them one day.

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Is all that water INSIDE? If so, that's NOT good.

The refelctors are usually aluminium powder heat flashed onto a mild steel dish. The aluminium is bare, so not to be touched. Any water that gets in will find tiny holes in the aluminium and bingo, you have a lovely place for corrosion, maybe even bimetallic corrosion.

If you are going the PIAA route, I'd be examining the lights for ANY areas of water ingress, and trying to stop it.

I'd look at:
Sealing the rear of the reflector to the glass.
Sealing any screw holes.
Sealing any wiring entry/exits.
Sealing where the bracket meets the rear shell
Sealing the lens/reflector where it joins the rear metal backing.

Apart from the last one, I'd use this: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CARAFAX-ID...item45fbd521bf

...applied from the INSIDE, and for the last one, a decent strip of electrician's tape, NOT parcel tape, applied right round the join.

Thinking about it, the lights are in an area of MAXIMUM wet..........but having said that, my Hellas haven't suffered yet.

lanceuppercut

iTrader: (1)

i think its condensation but on the inside

went to the garage today, still not arrived. they said i did need that part as the housing itself is more or less knackered and the lens unit wouldn't stay in..

at some point i'll need to pick up a shiny new pair of those lens parts from scoobyparts but thats for when i have more money!

waiting on those ring rally sport lights and carafax to arrive now!

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

If you are reusing one of the PIAA reflectors, I hope it's off the car, minus it's bulb, and bulb-holder upwards in a warm place like an airing cupboard?

Thew ring Rally Sports are the bulbs? There used to be a large offroad light called that too.

lanceuppercut

iTrader: (1)

yep will be reusing the bits already on my rb5 but looking to get new lens/reflectors at some point when money permits.

and yes, those rally sports are the bulbs that you pointed me towards, earlier on in this thread.

are there any really really newbie type instructions (with pics would be nice) that i could follow in order to take the lamp off to basically seal it as mentioned but also to change bulbs and if i get shiny new reflectors, to get them put in as well.

i don't want to have to go to a garage everytime for something so basic yet i can't seem to find any sort of fitting instructions.

lanceuppercut

iTrader: (1)

having to have 2 complete lamp units put in (its being done at the moment), as they're brand new units, do i still need to seal them using that stuff + electrical tape or is it alright for a few days at least?

still waiting on the sealant to arrive and till it stops snowing!

lanceuppercut

iTrader: (1)

are these the bits (highlighted in green) i need to seal?

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/842/piaa80xt.jpg/