lanceuppercut

iTrader: (1)

for the life of my i can't see to be able to remove the fog light covers on my rb5, there seem to be 2 screws on either side at 3 and 9 o'clock positions but i'm not sure if its just me but they don't seem to be unscrewing or catching on anything so the screw just spins and spins!

i would assume its just a case of unscrewing those 2 screws then popping the cover off, yes but its not working!

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Sounds like the fastening might have come loose and is just turning.
Can you prise it up and look with a torch?

MIGHT be time for some brute force followed by repair.......

lanceuppercut

iTrader: (1)

is there any sort of clear protector/cover available for the piaa driving lights? i don't mind not having the covers on, but quite wary of them going boom due to random road shrapnel..

joey_turbo

iTrader: (26)

The cover just slots over the screws that hold the glass in.
Have you ever had them off, or have you just bought the car? Those driving lamps do corrode alot, and look quite bad. Maybe the previous owner glued them on.

lanceuppercut

iTrader: (1)

never had the cover off and just brought the car, today was the first time i was able to do anything with the car in daylight.

oh wait, so the screws aren't the things that are holding the covers on to the lamps?!

lanceuppercut

iTrader: (1)

got home and had another go at them, they seem pretty solid in place, which isn't a bad thing but i sure hope the previous owner hadn't glued them as i'd like to be able to use them or have the option to!

also with the screws are 3 and 9 o'clock, its impossible to reach the ones near the center as the bumper gets in the way.

anyone got a video to show how they are taken off their RB5 whilst making me look like a fool at the same time?

2big2daft

look on the OC pal im sure iv read something there...

paul 439

Mine just has 1 screw at the bottom, they are a little flexible so should be able to prize them off gently. If there's no movement they are prob glued on as the Piaa's were common to break and at £200 a pair not a cheap replacement.

joey_turbo

iTrader: (26)

You should be able to pull the top of the lamp, so its pointing towards the floor more, its on a hinge. That'll give you some space to pull the covers off.
The screws don't hold the covers on. so just pull them off with two hands over the screw area.
As mentioned, chances are they are glued on, as taking them off should be a real quick job, ie 10 seconds.

D6ale

iTrader: (1)

The screws don't hold the covers on. They just slip over the lamp. Corrosion will probably be holding them on.

lanceuppercut

iTrader: (1)

i'll try with a bit more effort tonight. was raining a bit this morning and gave it a quick go on the way to work but i didn't fancy standing there yanking it in the rain ..the lamp cover, the lamp cover!

JDM_Stig

iTrader: (3)

If you push the cover in can you feel the glass solid behind it ?

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

AFAIK, there are no clear covers.

I DID find a source for covers for the Hella 1000FF lights that came later.

joey_turbo

iTrader: (26)

I'm pretty sure you can get a thickish plastic sticker that helps with some protection.

Yes you can, bottom of this list:

http://www.piaa.co.uk/lamps/lampshow.asp?ID=80XT

lanceuppercut

iTrader: (1)

was pouring with rain on the way home and just ran into the house tbh. will check it on the way to work tomorrow morning but from what i remember (didn't try pushing the cover in though), it feels like its quite sturdily attached to the lamp and i spoke to the previous owner, he says just yank it straightforward with a bit of force!

bit of googling around based on that info and found this: http://www.priracing.com/product.php?xProd=1014, ordered a pair of protectors along with the PIAA wipers at the same time, just hope i can get to my PIAA's!!

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Wow! Typical PIAA.........£22.80, and worth about a quarter that.
I remain to be convinced that a 1/16" piece of vinyl stuck to the lens glass will protect it from a flying stone.

My Hella covers are rigid plastic, and stand about 10mm proud of the glass. They DO work.

Let us know what you find if/when you get the covers off.

I rather suspect you MAY be disappointed......I HOPE the reflectors are OK............but..........

lanceuppercut

iTrader: (1)

still no luck, taking the car in for a service on monday anymore, might get them to look at them whilst they have the car.

sonicvr6

iTrader: (2)

are there defo light's there i have cover's but no light's

lanceuppercut

iTrader: (1)

it came back from service today, need a new lamp required (which is on order) as the fixings are broke and also the wiring needs to be looked at as atm the front fog switch does nothing at all.

am noticing that there is a little condensation inside the lens, i'll get them to re-seal (?) around the lens, when i take it back to them.

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

OK, let's deal with stuff in order:
Firstly, the foglight switch. If they have been fitted like MOST people fit them, being driving lights, they should come on with main (high) beam and off with dip (low) beams.

The foglight switch wiring CAN be modded, or a second relay fitted to allow the driver to decide if they will come on with main beam, but they MUST go off when dip is selected.

Thus, the foglight switch will control the lights on/off when, and only when, main beams are illuminated IF it has been incorporated.

Condensation inside the lens: remove lens, remove bulb, place in a warm place, bulb hole upwards for 24 hours or so.
Place into freezer for 8 hours, same.

Replace on car.

The lens can be sealed to the reflector with silicone, etc, but this is better: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CARAVAN-SE...item43ab8f8f58

Then, wrap a strip of electrician's tape around the light to seal the reflector/lens to the shell.

lanceuppercut

iTrader: (1)

rb5's come with driving lights set up, so assuming that the people who had it before me wouldn't have missed about with it.

i quickly tested to see what was what, the rear fogs work only when the main beam is on and the rear fog switch is on (and the light for the switch comes on too). however same situation and the front fog switch neither the light on the switch or the lights themselves come on.

the comments on my reciept say:
that caravan sealant you mention, is it a "permanent solution"? so if i need to replace the lens (from damage etc), will i likely need to cause damage to the lamp housing in order to remove and replace?

and when you say wrap a strip of tape around it to seal, do you mean at its widest point as in the edge of the lens? i've not had a close look at how the PIAA lamp housing is but wouldn't that stop the covers from easily coming on/off easily?

joey_turbo

iTrader: (26)

Bearing in mind the price of replacing one of them lamps, I would consider changing them to something else.
The PIAA's are 80XT's. I'm on my second set, only because I got a nearly new set cheap. They are metal backed, so the corrosion issue will come up again. Consider something plastic. I believe alcazar has Hella's hat are plastic backed, but there are other cheaper options.

As for the working of the lights, you didn't mention if you had full beams on at the same time as the switch, which is how these work. The fact the garage have called them foglamps, may indicate they are looking for a direct feed from the switch, which wont work until the full beams are on. Try it, garages have been known to be wrong before.

lanceuppercut

iTrader: (1)

since i've already put a deposit down for the replacement driving housing so will go with that, for now. if it knackers out then i'll consider a replacement later on (when i've got a bit more money to play with, christmas, full service, set of scoobyworld mats/flaps = gah!)

the main/full beam was definately on when i tried yesterday.

D6ale

iTrader: (1)

If anyone has a set of covers for the RB5 driving lamps I would be interested

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Agreed, but NOTHING would surprise me.........

MAIN BEAM? As in the one you would use out of town with no-one coming towards you? Distance beam?
The rear fog should work with dips, town beams.

Have you/the garage checked fuses?

It's most definitely NOT permanent, that's why I recommend it. If anything bedded in it HAS to come off again, it can, albeit it's a bit messy. But don't be tempted to use silicone...........

I mean place the lens/reflector unit back into the housing and tighten any screws. Then wrap a strip of tape along the joing between reflector/lens and rear housing, hopefully stopping MOST water enetering behind the reflector/lens.
Shouldn't affect covers.

lanceuppercut

iTrader: (1)

oops!

tried it again with the headlight stalk twisted to the second position (to turn on the lights) and only when the stalk is pushed away to dip the lights, does the front driving light work but still only on the one side.

so the front switch itself does work, in a way.

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Lance, you STILL have it wrong, (unless your car is VERY odd).

On the stalk, you push it AWAY for MAIN BEAM, pull it back for dip, and pull it backwards against a spring for mainbeam flash. That last one works even without the lights on.

If only one PIAA works, it'll be the bulb gone.

NOW you have to get the bulb out and find out what's in there.

The bulb is an H3, but could be 55W, 100W, 120W (original) or 130W.
Fit whatever is in there now, so as to keep them paired.
If it's 120W, those are PIAA bulbs and cost ££££'s, so might be cheaper to fit 2 130W lamps, one for each

But DO buy decent quality, branded, not Far Eastern stuff.

lanceuppercut

iTrader: (1)

might have got the terminology wrong.

its only when i push the stalk away from me that the driving lights work, if i pull towards on the spring, it flashes.

the "middle" position as it were, doesn't work with the driving lamp switch. how easy is it (for a novice) to open up the working driving lamp and check the bulb wattage?

lanceuppercut

iTrader: (1)

on the O/S lamp, the bulb doesn't work, now i don't know if its because the bulb itself thats has gone or if its the side where its "not getting any power/current/whatever" as detailed on the service report.

going to call up tomorrow and ask if they have spare H3 bulbs in stock just in case. i'm hoping its just a case of needing to rewire the O/S lamp to make it work.

the N/S lamp is fully working but its the side that needs the new housing as the lens is currently being held together by black tape around the edge and looks woeful.

basically both my driving lights are screwed in totally different ways! :/

joey_turbo

iTrader: (26)

So it sounds like the setup is correct for driving lamps, just you or the garage didn't know how to work them. Doesn't say much for them if they don't test things properly.

Anyway, terminals inside the lamps are easy to accidently unplug. Mine were, and I kept wondering why a working bulb in one side, wouldn't work in the other. It might be a case that the spade connecteor is not seated properly, and needsbending to hold it on. As far as I can remember, the black was the earth, that connected to the lamp body.