DS5 Lights

[qprdude]

Noticed yesterday that my nearside front fog light was out.
Squeezed the car into my garage and stripped off the front part of the undertray for assess. Eventually managed to get my arm in and pull the H11 bulb. Nipped up to Halfords in SWIMBO's Clio, and bought a new one.
Fitted the bulb into the holder and tried it before going any further.
The new bulb works fine, but THE OTHER SIDE one is now not working. OK, so maybe not the bulb, so I fitted the old one back into the holder and it works!!!!
Still nothing from the offside one.

Strange situation, and quite beyond me. I don't want to strip off the other side of the undertray as it's a pure B*****d to get in to the bulb, and all done by feel.
I don't know how I'm going to get the nearside bulb holder back in and the tray refitted yet so dismantling the offside. is scaring me. Any ideas as to whats gone wrong?

[GiveMeABreak]

Only that they can be funny bu**ers if one is out it can affect the other one - so a clean up of the contact plug as they are prone to water instrusion down there.

Actually thinking about it - Some of the DS5s use the Fog Lamps for their 'Angular' directional lighting function, (I know you have the main directional lighting model too) so when cornering at lower speeds or at a junction with the wheel turned left or right it will activate the fog lamp to give the extra vision.

So my next obvious question Rick is are you actually sure it was not working - or it could be that the steering wheel was turned in the opposite direction, so switching it off? This function is enabled and activated with the lights in the AUTO position I believe.

Just another possibility.

[qprdude]

Yeah I thought of that too but when I turn on the front fog lamps it still doesn't work. I think I've tried every permutation possible but no joy so far. The offside light is behind (in front of) the washer reservoir and I have one under-tray panel screw rotating and a couple missing. The car was serviced early this year and the under-tray was supposed to be off to clean off oil spillages and check for leaks. Guess who won't be returning to THAT Citroen dealer!
By pulling the under-tray down and jamming a bit of wood to keep it down, I've reached the other bulb and fitted a new one but no joy again. I'm now thinking about fuses as I remember the C5 had separate ones for different sides?

Even worse, there's no blo**y jack in the car so i have it up on a block of wood to get under the front!
I knew I should have bought a Jag XF!

Oh well, back to work.

[Hell Razor5543]

If the jack for a C5 Mk1 will do give me a shout, and I will see what I can do!

[qprdude]

OK, finally got a full set of lights and everything more or less back in place. Yes indeedy, the fog lights are "pavement lights" so one comes on with the left steering lock and the other with the right. I have directional headlamps on dip and main beam so I thought the pavement lights, like I had on the C5, would have been dispensed with. I eventually took notice of what you said Marc, and had SWIMBO stand in front of the car while I ran through the entire possible choices of lighting. DOH!. I think I've just spent 4 hours lying on a cement floor with my arms torn to shreds for nothing! I do have a spare bulb and a shiny new set of ratchet star drivers though. I also know the shortcuts (no pun intended), to reach and replace the fog lamp /pavement bulbs. It involves nothing more technical than unscrewing as few under-tray screws as you can get away with, and bending various bits of plastic bodywork until it pops out from the edge of the tray, then jamming it open with bits of wood. You could remove the entire Under-tray but there will always be one screw that could defeat you (like mine did). Next job is to source some of these star screws and fit them. Every screw was bone dry, not a speck of grease anywhere and that's why I could never work in a garage. My refitted ones are all copiously coated in good quality copper grease.

No doubt the C5 jack would be OK James,as it looks like a standard scissors jack but I haven't had a close look yet . I shall probably get one from Ebay but thanks anyway.

Thanks Marc for your help. I'll get in touch before I start next time.

[Hell Razor5543]

I did once see on e-bay stainless steel under-tray kits, which could be worth finding. That should help make it easier to remove an under-tray in the future.

[GiveMeABreak]

I eventually took notice of what you said Marc, and had SWIMBO stand in front of the car while I ran through the entire possible choices of lighting. DOH!. I think I've just spent 4 hours lying on a cement floor with my arms torn to shreds for nothing!

Thanks Marc for your help. I'll get in touch before I start next time.

No worries Rick, I sometimes include these sorts of things as they can be quite easily overlooked. Glad you have it resolved, albeit needing a skin graft!