Astra 14 plate headlights

lisa701

I'm sure there is something wrong with the headlights on my car but I keep getting mixed answers. Maybe someone here can help?


In my earlier Vauxhall cars there have been two bulbs - small bulb which came on when you turned the dial to 1 (going to call these sidelights) and a single large bulb which came on at dial position 2 (going to call these headlights), then turned brighter when the left control stick was pushed away.


In later Vauxhall cars there have been three bulbs - small bulb which came on at position 1, one large bulb which came on at position 2, and a further large bulb which came on when you flicked the left control stick away.


My new car appears to have three bulbs, from what I can tell without removing half of the engine bay (ok I'm being a bit dramatic) there are two large bulbs and a small bulb positioned on the outer edge of the light fitting.


This car has daytime running lights, but when I turn the dial to position 1 I'm expecting sidelights to come on as they did in my previous cars, but the only thing that happens is the daytime running lights dim. Is this correct?


The headlights still function at position 2 and full beam at a flick of the left control stick so all that works the same. Its just this sidelight issue that bothers me.

Alter_ego

Have you checked in the handbook?

Retrogamer

Yes this is correct.
Daytime running lights are very bright so you can be seen during the day easier.
With Daytime running lights on, the rear lights are still off.

When you put the sidelights on, the rear lights will come on and the Daytime running lights (DRL) will dim. They dim so that the glare produced off them at night time is minimised.

The correct name fo the sidelights is Vehicle Position Lights if i remember so they're mainly to be used when parking on roads with speed limits over 30mph or when traveling down 30mph roads with street lighting.

Strider590

If the DRL is used as a sidelight, it must dim when the sidelights are turned on, this will then be your sidelight.

lisa701

Thanks for your replies. Good to know everything is working correctly. Had a horrible fear I'd have to attempt to replace a bulb which doesn't look like an easy job!!


Thanks again.

jbainbridge

I wondered this too ... my Megane has sidelight bulbs which seem to serve no purpose as the DRLs stay on instead.

EssexExile

They're all different aren't they? With our old Volvo the only difference between lights switched off (daytime running lights on) & lights switched on was that you could switch to main beam with them on.
On our present Honda the dashboard lights are always on, so I sometimes forget to put the lights on when in well lit areas.