What's wrong with my headlights?

peter12345678910

So do you have 2 bulbs or a dual-filament bulb, which is full beam and dipped in one bulb?

On country roads if the dipped lights do not work, you have to put the full beam on and off so the other driver knows where you and is also not blinded by you.

arcon5

Halfords for bulbs is fine
Halfords for anything else is not
Kwikfit for anything is not

Turn_to_Grey

The scenario of two dipped beams failing at exactly the same time has happened to me in a Toyota Avensis. Whether one blows and the other is affected by that, I don't know. Had to drive home on full beam but used the switch function to lower the beams to avoid too much dazzle.
Replaced next day and both dipped filaments had failed.

Strider590

It's quite rare for cars now to use the H4 dual filament bulbs, the use of two H7 bulbs per light unit has become fairly standard, partly because the H4 is so damn expensive and designing the headlight unit is trickier too.
The H4 are a leftover from the 50's/60's/70's when most cars had the same 7 inch sealed beam headlight units where the entire headlight was the actual bulb (like you see on old Mini and Landrover Defenders)

As for cars with H7, the main beam bulb is usually visible, the dipped is usually behind a small shield, unless you have projection headlights with the dipped bulb inside that (look like a glass dome inside the light unit).

tonyh66

my grand vitara had dual filament bulbs, had a pair of osram nightbrakers in for years. Its really easy to change the bulbs on them.

Kim_kim

Been to Halfords.

One bulb - dual filaments.

It was the bulbs, I've got Bosch (long lasting ones) not quite so bright, but I couldn't have as bright AND long lasting.

Franz_Ferdinand

arcon5 wrote: »

Halfords for bulbs is fine
Halfords for anything else is not
Kwikfit for anything is not

They're OK for tyres.

Nebulous2

Franz_Ferdinand wrote: »

They're OK for tyres.

Book and pay them online. Cheaper than turning up and getting a quote.

Last time I got a price they were also offering to do mobile fitting.

Kim_kim

Turn_to_Grey wrote: »

The scenario of two dipped beams failing at exactly the same time has happened to me in a Toyota Avensis. Whether one blows and the other is affected by that, I don't know. Had to drive home on full beam but used the switch function to lower the beams to avoid too much dazzle.
Replaced next day and both dipped filaments had failed.

The reason I was in such a panic about the reason for the fault was the short dark winter days.
I knew I wasn't able to sort it out until about 3pm today & I was worried I'd go to Halfords & find out it wasn't a bulb or fuse and I'd have to take it to an auto electrician, I didn't fancy my chances trying to sort that out at 4pm with darkness falling.
So if it was a garage job, I wanted to head straight there.