PIAA spotlamp bulbs failing - possible cure
Thread Starter
Scooby Regular
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 8,897
Likes: 4
From: Newmarket Suffolk
Reasons bulbs fail:
Excessive heat
Vibration
Current surging/overloading/frequent switching on&off
Bad connections
As far as the vibration issue is concerned, the front bumper mounts on the Scoob (or certainly both our MY00's) are crappy allowing the bumper to move.
If you can get hold of your bumper and move it up and down on its mounts, it will vibrate when the car is moving and will probably help finish your bulbs off. The PIAA spots are heavier than the original fogs and this makes the bumper movement worse. Here is the cure:
Under the front of the bumper, just behind the towing eyes, are two 17mm bolts, one on each side. These bolts have a 10mm wide shoulder on them which allows the bumper mount to move up and down on them.
Get a pair of plated washers 2mm thick with a centre hole at least 10mm and an overall width of at least 25mm to spread the load on the plastic bumper mount.
Put one washer on each and refit the bolts. DO NOT use a 4ft tommy bar on the socket because it may split the plastic bumper mount (which is why I suspect Subaru made them floating mounts in the first place).
Did both Carolyn and my cars some time back, and still on original bulbs since July (and I use mine a lot).
Not saying this will cure all bulb failures, but it should help eliminate one of the reasons.
An additional benefit of this is that is cures that bl00dy annoying bumper squeak some of you may get....
[This message has been edited by Dave T-S (edited 20 December 2000).]
Excessive heat
Vibration
Current surging/overloading/frequent switching on&off
Bad connections
As far as the vibration issue is concerned, the front bumper mounts on the Scoob (or certainly both our MY00's) are crappy allowing the bumper to move.
If you can get hold of your bumper and move it up and down on its mounts, it will vibrate when the car is moving and will probably help finish your bulbs off. The PIAA spots are heavier than the original fogs and this makes the bumper movement worse. Here is the cure:
Under the front of the bumper, just behind the towing eyes, are two 17mm bolts, one on each side. These bolts have a 10mm wide shoulder on them which allows the bumper mount to move up and down on them.
Get a pair of plated washers 2mm thick with a centre hole at least 10mm and an overall width of at least 25mm to spread the load on the plastic bumper mount.
Put one washer on each and refit the bolts. DO NOT use a 4ft tommy bar on the socket because it may split the plastic bumper mount (which is why I suspect Subaru made them floating mounts in the first place).
Did both Carolyn and my cars some time back, and still on original bulbs since July (and I use mine a lot).
Not saying this will cure all bulb failures, but it should help eliminate one of the reasons.
An additional benefit of this is that is cures that bl00dy annoying bumper squeak some of you may get....
[This message has been edited by Dave T-S (edited 20 December 2000).]
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Thread Starter
Scooby Regular
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 8,897
Likes: 4
From: Newmarket Suffolk
Sunlip
Of course, you are right, and I knew that.
But it's nowhere near as much fun as winding you up my Croydon curry bucket slurping, kerb crawling, schoolgirl seeking, ugly pot bellied rent boy M8
And I get back to the top again
Of course, you are right, and I knew that.
But it's nowhere near as much fun as winding you up my Croydon curry bucket slurping, kerb crawling, schoolgirl seeking, ugly pot bellied rent boy M8
And I get back to the top again
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