Sidelights lead to car kicking!

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FFX-DM
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Joined: 22 Oct 2002, 21:45
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Sidelights lead to car kicking!

Post by FFX-DM »

More trouble with my lights! (Cit ZX)
I successfully replaced my dipped beam bulbs with some super Xenon ones so that could see to drive around. However, a couple of months later one of them blew. I had to put in a temp standard bulb just to get me up to the frozen North for Christmas (didn't want to run over the polar bears you know!).
Everybody has been kindly flashing me to let me know that my headlights are wonkey. They never seem to flash anybody else, am I just being paranoid?
Anyhow, the chap who I got the bulbs off (on EBay) sent me two replacement bulbs for my blown one, and I have fitted the new bulb and hooray, my headlighs are now a working pair again. I did notice that Wyatt Earpp and Co. who I asked to check the alignment for me seem to have done something weird to the adjusters, as the NS one was way off, so I have moved it back to the 0 position.
Now I am kicking the car. The sidelight on the side that I have just replaced now does not work. As I understand it, this is the same bulb, the inside pair being the main beam and the outside pair being dipped/sidelights. If the dipped beam works, how come the sidelight doesn't? Is there anything obvious I can check before I head back down to Mr Earpp's corral?
Dave Burns
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Post by Dave Burns »

Sidelights are on seperate bulbs Alison, 5watt caples IIRC, go back in and fetch one out before buying a replacement.
Dave
jeremy
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Post by jeremy »

I expect you have dim-dip on your car - as david says you have separate sidelight bulbs, but with the headlights off the dip bulbs light at reduced power and put the headlight warning bulb on fully on a ZX, dimly on a BX
You can check the alignment by pointing the car at a wall on level groung. Put the car right up against the wall and mark the main beam centre on the wall (with tape, marker pen or whatever) then drive the car STRAIGHT back for about 25 feet and see where the main beam centre is. On a ZX it is simple to adjust using an allen key. The centre of the bright part of the MAIN beam should be on the centre of the marks - certainly not above or to the right. A better view can be obtained by checking one side at a time by putting a coat over the other light.
Jeremy
FFX-DM
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Post by FFX-DM »

I have not noticed any warning light on when I am sidelights only. I found this curious at first, but have got used to it now. The warning tone tells me if I open the door when the sidelights are on.
Thanks for your helpful replies, so I will devlve under the bonnet once more and have a look for this sidelight bulb. If I am feeling particularly optomistic, I may even look in the Haynes manual (ha ha!).
FFX-DM
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Post by FFX-DM »

... and then they started working again ALL BY THEMSELVES! Gah!! <img src=icon_smile_angry.gif border=0 align=middle>
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