Help Identify This Bulb

bash247 · 17 Oct 2016 at 17:09

So this reverse / brake light bulb came out of my 2008 BMW E93 and I can't find this bulb anywhere. I was on the phone to BMW and they want £18 per bulb :eek:

I've used bulb finders on many websites and they're either coming back with a 955,380 or 921 bulb.

Could you guys help?

Luke · 17 Oct 2016 at 17:12

Is that the whole thing? There is only one terminal protruding as far as I can make out.

bash247 · 17 Oct 2016 at 17:14

Yup that's the whole thing. I compared with the other bulb and it looked the same.

Nasher · 17 Oct 2016 at 17:14

How does that bulb even function?

Cuchulain · 17 Oct 2016 at 17:16

It looks like it's missing the metal casing, is that bit possibly still stuck in the socket?

grudas · 17 Oct 2016 at 17:18

it does indeed look like it's missing the metal casing, I can't see how else it would work.

bash247 · 17 Oct 2016 at 17:32

Hmm, I'll remove the rear light cluster and upload what it looks like.

bash247 · 17 Oct 2016 at 17:51

Here we are

there isn't a metal casing around the bulb as it just pops in and out

Higher Res: http://imgur.com/a/Hrx7C

Dis86 · 17 Oct 2016 at 18:13

There is a casing...it's what's stuck in the socket!

slick rick · 17 Oct 2016 at 18:19

It's a PH16W, it is written on the base that has come off an is still in the cluster.

Cuchulain · 17 Oct 2016 at 18:24

slick rick said:
It's a PH16W, it is written on the base that has come off an is still in the cluster.

Bingo!

Iron-man · 17 Oct 2016 at 18:25

get the pliers out and gently retrieve what is left behind

Diddums · 17 Oct 2016 at 18:28

That, my dear friend, is called a light-bulb.

bash247 · 17 Oct 2016 at 19:15

Each one of those bulbs apart from the indicator bulb pops out just like the one I removed. Surely not all are broken?

At first I thought the housing broke too but it looks its stuck / soldered on

slick rick · 17 Oct 2016 at 19:22

What car is this, a Merc? It could actually be soldered on.

xs2man · 17 Oct 2016 at 19:24

slick rick said:
What car is this, a Merc? It could actually be soldered on.

First post, first line, BMW 3 Series.

slick rick · 17 Oct 2016 at 19:28

xs2man said:
First post, first line, BMW 3 Series.

Oh yeah

GeX · 17 Oct 2016 at 19:33

bash247 said:
Each one of those bulbs apart from the indicator bulb pops out just like the one I removed. Surely not all are broken?

Certainly sounds like you just broke them all. Do they still work?

Looking at the base of what you have there, the metal pin in the middle is to keep the glass in the base - and the two smaller holes are where the two wires that connect to the filament enter.

xs2man · 17 Oct 2016 at 19:37

bash247 said:
Each one of those bulbs apart from the indicator bulb pops out just like the one I removed. Surely not all are broken?

At first I thought the housing broke too but it looks its stuck / soldered on

Need much force?

They probably needed a little turn. Possibly with a little push too.

rodenal · 17 Oct 2016 at 19:40

Was just going to say you usually need to push down slightly and turn to remove the full assembly.

That said it does look awfully like the soldered in Merc types - those can still be replaced but usually that involves either replacing a section of the track ornre soldering