Stored under: Off-line Life
Tagged: Rants, Vehicles
A new bulb, and an awkward clip.
Tuesday, October 27th 2009 at 19:52pm.
For, I think, the past two months; I have been driving around with another dead head-light bulb. Not web-log worthy, but I’m here to semi-rant at the annoying clips used to lock and hold the bulbs into place.
Firstly, a new bulb cost me £4. 
I need an e-bay account. 
Having opened the hood of my car, I set to work un-screwing the cap and removing the rubber seal around the bulb and the socket it was connected to. Easy. The first bulb I replaced had blew, but this one simply rattled. 
I can only guess the rattle was due to the forcefulness of my step-dad fitting it. One of the pins had snapped, which I had to pull out of the socket with pliers. With everything out; un-screwed; hanging; e.t.c. I re-positioned the rubber seal, which had been put back wrong the previous time. 
After plugging in the new bulb, the issues with the clip began. The theory behind it is to let it hang loose; place the bulb into the light case; push the clip into the case, tightening around the bulb; and locking the clip into holes either side. The theory is nice. The practical is not. After a lot of time and swearing and moaning and prodding and pulling and finger pain, I took everything apart to try and figure it out. This is the moment I under-stood the theory.
Round two. I managed to half lock the left side of the clip into the hole. However, the right side wasn’t playing fairly. The bulb still jiggled about, and I managed to remove it. Not good. Sighing heavily for a moment, I tried again. After many more moments, and pulling and prodding and finger pain, I had finally managed to position the clip relevant to the bulb. With one big push, I locked the left side of the clip into position. Success! 
Partially. I still had the right side to lock. Pushing against the clip yielded little results. So after several attempts I have left it as is. The left side locked, the right side un-locked. 
Damage it your-self job complete, I topped up my washer fluid. Two litres. The reservoir took two litres of fluid. I know I wash the wind-screen on occasion, but that is ridiculous. 