IME weak/old bulbs tend to fail when there's a cold weather snap. Couple it with the idiotic propensity on modern cars to state you need to visit your dealer to have it swapped and you'll get a fair few cars with duff lights in this weather.
Headlight issues on the road
- Thread starter Rilot
- Start date
Was she fit? Clearly a swallower
To be fair its probably quite difficult to notice if your headlights are misaligned, it's not like you look at your own car from the front with lights on very often. Missing bulbs is not cool though, especially in the weather we're having where everyone's steamed up and you can't see out the windows too well. Just lazy people I'll bet, not like bulbs are terribly expensive or hard to install.
I notice people a lot who don't switch their fog lights off when it's no longer foggy. How don't they know it's on? Another thing is people who leave their indicator on while going down a straight for miles. How do you miss a flashing green light and the clip-clop sound for so long?
So basically people are morons.
I notice people a lot who don't switch their fog lights off when it's no longer foggy. How don't they know it's on? Another thing is people who leave their indicator on while going down a straight for miles. How do you miss a flashing green light and the clip-clop sound for so long?
So basically people are morons.
Worst 2 I've seen in the past week were:
1) A twonk who had both headlights blown and was using front fog lights instead
2) Someone in a new BMW X3 (62 plate) who I thought wasn't using their lights in foggy conditions. I only realised after overtaking them that all their rear lights were out, not something I'd like to meet when driving at night!
1) A twonk who had both headlights blown and was using front fog lights instead
2) Someone in a new BMW X3 (62 plate) who I thought wasn't using their lights in foggy conditions. I only realised after overtaking them that all their rear lights were out, not something I'd like to meet when driving at night!
Yeah there are quite a lot of people who leave their fog lights on, especially their rear fog light when in close proximity to other cars.
Another thing that can irritate me is the number of cars where only one brake light is working.
![[TW]Fox](/data/man-of-honor/2009.png){kind=avatar}
Probably just driving with no lights at all, but the fact it has DRL's made it look like they'd bothered to turn the front lights on.
I would disagree. When following a car, going over a brow of a hill for example, your headlights will shine in through the back of the car infront. If someone doesn't notice that when driving on a flat bit of road then they probably need their eyes tested. They're probably blind which is why they've got their lights up so high though! Make everyone have eye tests seems better option.
On my way home from work yesterday I had 4 or 5 cars in a stretch of 2 - 3 miles with fogs on, I don't see why the Police don't enforce it more then they do as it's fairly dangerous.
[TW]Fox;23564946 said:
Yes! This!
Every time I see a BMW or a Merc or Jag or any other modern car with a light out. I KNOW that every time they turn the ignition on they will be presented with "BONG! Bulb Failure" and they just can't be arsed to do anything about it.
Then again, my GF's housemate was telling me the other day how she ran her Ford Ka out of fuel because the low fuel warning light doesn't work. When I pointed out to her that she has a fuel gauge she said "Oh I don't look at that" as if I was bonkers to even suggest it. I guess it's this sort of mentality.
I guess they just figure, BMW will fix at the next service. Like the girl I worked with a while back who's front tyres on her 3-series cab were down to the cords. When I pointed this out to her she said, and I **** you not; "It's in for a service in a couple of months, BMW will put new ones on then" as if this was totally fine.
Rilot- how many people didn't have their lights on at all? Very common here, brilliant when almost all cars are grey or silver
None, thankfully.
The roads I use to get to and from work are un-lit, country roads so they'd be pretty blind without any lights at all.
[TW]Fox;23566537 said:
I thought the headlights were on, but with the eyeball searing brightness of the DRL I may have been mistaken. Still, someone stupid enough to be driving in foggy conditions without their lights on is someone I'd not want to be on the same stretch of road.
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I had the same thing a few days ago in the morning fog. Single light coming towards me turned out to be an oncoming car not a bike. Both of us driving in the middle of the road to get pass the cars parked on both sides. Idiot had his sidelight and dip bulb out on one side.
Sidelights and fogs in town I can get, the streets are well lit anyway and everyone can see how cool you are because you own a car with front fogs.
But on the moor? It's like the black hole of Calcutta out there!
Yep! Out the back of Tavistock heading towards Lifton - not exactly the most well lit of roads
Mines are a fair bit out.
/Holds hands up.
"This requires BMW optical equipment"... I've just not had a chance to park it up against a wall and adjust them. Well, truth be known, I've had thousands I just forget or cba.
It did pass its MOT like that, and it shouldn't, but it did. And it was a reputable independent in the borders and he has a monopoly on MOT certificates in that region. So, the whole risk v laziness thing isn't always that straight forward.
I also got stopped at a police road check on vehicle condition about a week ago, I think a cover to not upset people it was drink driving campaign, and he had a cursory look around the front (ignoring rear tyres) and as I had turned engine & lights off he stepped back and asked for me to test the lights.
Once checks came in I was free to go.
They looked like traffic officers but I couldn't tell who was from which car.
True story bro.
/Goes off to find car keys
/Holds hands up.
"This requires BMW optical equipment"... I've just not had a chance to park it up against a wall and adjust them. Well, truth be known, I've had thousands I just forget or cba.
It did pass its MOT like that, and it shouldn't, but it did. And it was a reputable independent in the borders and he has a monopoly on MOT certificates in that region. So, the whole risk v laziness thing isn't always that straight forward.
I also got stopped at a police road check on vehicle condition about a week ago, I think a cover to not upset people it was drink driving campaign, and he had a cursory look around the front (ignoring rear tyres) and as I had turned engine & lights off he stepped back and asked for me to test the lights.
Once checks came in I was free to go.
They looked like traffic officers but I couldn't tell who was from which car.
True story bro.
/Goes off to find car keys
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Regarding the 'aiming high' headlights we all see, I wonder if it's more just a case of people filling their cars with crap and not adjusting the aim properly?
It's easier to change the bulbs in my Mondeo than it has been on any other car I've had
Just seen this - are you serious? I can't remember the last time I changed a bulb in a modern car that didn't descend into an orgy of tears, swearing, scratched knuckles and angrily flung tools.
You would have thought that manufacturers would be required to make bulb changing something that can be done quickly and easily so it can be done at the side of the road.
It's no excuse for driving around for extended periods with blown bulbs, but it does probably explain why people put it off.