Notices

Damn numberplate bulbs!!!

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old 20 April 2006, 04:41 PM
  #1  
PPPRob
Scooby Regular
Thread Starter
 
PPPRob's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Essex/E London
Posts: 779
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default Damn numberplate bulbs!!!

I had a V5 sti that seemed to blow number plate bulbs every month or so and I just kept replacing them.

Now I've got an 04 sti the same things happening!!! Anyone shed any light (hahaha ) on why this is?

Almost every scoob I see in the dark has at least 1 bulb out

Check for yourself!
Old 21 April 2006, 01:08 PM
  #2  
John 37
Scooby Regular
 
John 37's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Oxfordshire
Posts: 478
Received 29 Likes on 24 Posts
Default

Originally Posted by PPPRob
I had a V5 sti that seemed to blow number plate bulbs every month or so and I just kept replacing them.

Now I've got an 04 sti the same things happening!!! Anyone shed any light (hahaha ) on why this is?

Almost every scoob I see in the dark has at least 1 bulb out

Check for yourself!
This is an unfortunate little known side effect of Subaru's decision to optimise their specification for the US LHD market and the fact that most of the vehicles development took place much closer to the equator than we are here in UK.
Subaru vehicle wiring is designed to resist the effects of other vehicles electro-magnetic influence when passing left side to left side. This is managed by loom routing within the body shell and cable bunching and arrangement within the loom. There were many problems with this during the development phase and the use of switched ground load control was an attempt to overcome these by minimising the inductor/capacitor imbalance.
The induced EMF that results when vehicles pass right side to right side is much greater and when this is combined with the Corriolis hysterysis due to the bulb filament being coiled anticlockwise, early failures are inevitable.
In higher latitudes, the earths magnetic flux is at a much more acute angle to the surface. The result is the creation of a much greater torroidal component of the phase differential within the vehicle wiring in much the same way as the Corriolis effect above. As I’m sure you all realise, this generates an ELF (extremely low frequency) reverse EMF operating (typically) in the nanoHertz range. This can cause the relevant lighting circuit to phase from normal to dormant over many days or even weeks of use. The effect is frequently assumed to be a blown bulb and as replacing the bulb seems to cure the problem, the diagnosis is taken to be correct. In fact, replacing the bulb with one containing a different coil inductor signature simply resets the ELF EMF to a null condition. However, the effect is short lived as the traxational characteristics still apply so the problem re-establishes itself in the usual time frame.
Hope this helps everyone. It’s quite simple really when the base cause is understood.

Last edited by John 37; 21 April 2006 at 02:51 PM.
Old 26 April 2006, 12:21 AM
  #3  
SCOOBY TOWERS
Scooby Regular
iTrader: (7)
 
SCOOBY TOWERS's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Lancashire & District Subaru
Posts: 2,989
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default

Best answer I've seen in ages
Old 26 April 2006, 02:45 PM
  #4  
PPPRob
Scooby Regular
Thread Starter
 
PPPRob's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Essex/E London
Posts: 779
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default

Originally Posted by John 37
This is an unfortunate little known side effect of Subaru's decision to optimise their specification for the US LHD market and the fact that most of the vehicles development took place much closer to the equator than we are here in UK.
Subaru vehicle wiring is designed to resist the effects of other vehicles electro-magnetic influence when passing left side to left side. This is managed by loom routing within the body shell and cable bunching and arrangement within the loom. There were many problems with this during the development phase and the use of switched ground load control was an attempt to overcome these by minimising the inductor/capacitor imbalance.
The induced EMF that results when vehicles pass right side to right side is much greater and when this is combined with the Corriolis hysterysis due to the bulb filament being coiled anticlockwise, early failures are inevitable.
In higher latitudes, the earths magnetic flux is at a much more acute angle to the surface. The result is the creation of a much greater torroidal component of the phase differential within the vehicle wiring in much the same way as the Corriolis effect above. As I’m sure you all realise, this generates an ELF (extremely low frequency) reverse EMF operating (typically) in the nanoHertz range. This can cause the relevant lighting circuit to phase from normal to dormant over many days or even weeks of use. The effect is frequently assumed to be a blown bulb and as replacing the bulb seems to cure the problem, the diagnosis is taken to be correct. In fact, replacing the bulb with one containing a different coil inductor signature simply resets the ELF EMF to a null condition. However, the effect is short lived as the traxational characteristics still apply so the problem re-establishes itself in the usual time frame.
Hope this helps everyone. It’s quite simple really when the base cause is understood.
So if I print this out and hand it to a copper he won't give me a fixed penalty for having no numberplate bulbs working then
Old 26 April 2006, 03:27 PM
  #5  
SCOOBY TOWERS
Scooby Regular
iTrader: (7)
 
SCOOBY TOWERS's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Lancashire & District Subaru
Posts: 2,989
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default

Doubt a copper would be able to read that - never mind understand it
Old 26 April 2006, 03:42 PM
  #6  
D1CCY
Scooby Regular
 
D1CCY's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: East Yorkshire
Posts: 1,966
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default

Reminds me of ask Elvis on Radio 2 Thurs teatime.
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
Manford
Lighting and Other Electrical
5
02 October 2015 07:51 PM
Lillyart14
ScoobyNet General
24
01 October 2015 01:29 AM
jonnyboy82
Lighting and Other Electrical
0
29 September 2015 01:59 PM
Aaron_P85
Lighting and Other Electrical
1
28 September 2015 09:24 PM
TylerD529
Lighting and Other Electrical
5
20 September 2015 12:10 PM



Quick Reply: Damn numberplate bulbs!!!



All times are GMT +1. The time now is 08:52 PM.