car bulbs in France

In France it's a requirement to carry a set of replacement bulbs in your vehicle. I'd guess that the idea is that as soon as it's noticed that one of your bulbs has gone, you can replace it? ? in the supermarket car park or on the roadside. Seems like a good idea.

Until I came to replace a brake light on my Megane Scenic the other day. Rear light cluster is held in by a couple of T20 Torx screws. Now as it happens I had such a tool, but only by accident! I'm sure not many people would have one, so should the manufacturer be supplying such tools as a safety feature?

John

Reply to
JTM
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On many cars nowadays, bulb replacement is supposed to be done at the garage, and there are no instructions in the handbook (and in the case of headlamps, it can require removal of things like air filters before you can get to them).

Reply to
Andrew Gabriel

You were lucky.. the last model of Smart cars had to have the front removed to replace a bulb. About 10 torx screws.

Then you had to take the lamp out if you didn't have a child there with small hands.

Reply to
dennis

Isn't the "requirement" something of an urban myth? I thought it was more that French coppers were less tolerant of letting you drive on after they'd pointed out a blown bulb. See eg

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So if you don't carry spare bulbs you may have to call someone out to change one. But AIUI you can't be done simply for not carrying the bulbs (unlike the fluorescent jacket).

Reply to
Robin

You can't put ..... in the middle of a hyperlink or it won't work.

You meant:

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*is* a requirement for driving in Croatia, but not France, although it is reccomended. Warning triangles and one refelctive jacket per car are compulsory in France

Reply to
Phil L

I have 2 Rover 45's and the first time I tried to change a headlamp bulb, I took out the connector for the head lamp adjuster, thinking that it was where the bulb was. These days, I go to my local Rover man. He charges £1-00 for a rear bulb and I think, £5-00 for a headlamp bulb.

Dave

Reply to
Dave

JTM wrote on Aug 28, 2010:

About once a year I drive across Europe, going through Belgium, France, Germany, Austria, Italy, and Greece. The equipment you are required to carry in these various countries includes: GB sticker, spare bulbs, spare spectacles (if needed), first aid equipment, warning triangle, reflective jacket, fire extinguisher, headlight beam converter - I think that's about it.

In practice I have never, ever, had anyone abroad show the slightest interest in anything I have got in or on the car. I do try to take most of the above, but I don't carry spare headlight bulbs - they're expensive and I've never had one fail in the last 20 years or so. Also I've stopped putting those nasty little stickers on my headlamps - I'm not convinced they do anything and nobody's complained (so far).

Reply to
Mike Lane

Properly designed, and fitted, headlamp stickers do work effectively so it is selfish and inconsiderate not to use them,quite apart from any strict legal requirement. Exactly how do you expect the drivers you dazzled to complain to you? As for bulbs the problem is if you do get stopped by the French police and don't have a replacement bulb the hassle involved is really not worth the cost of having a full set of spares.

Peter Crosland

Reply to
Peter Crosland

A spare bulb isn't going to break the bank - It makes sense to carry a spare as sods law will ensure that one fails on a dark miserable night when you are on a long journey. Just not worth the risk of not carrying one.

Reply to
John

A full set of spare bulbs costs less than a gallon of fuel unless you have gas discharge lamps where its half a tank. What else do you skimp on? Tyres? Brakes?

Learn French and you will hear them complaining about the nasty Englanders that dazzle them all the time.

Reply to
dennis

In a recent inspection the brake light in my old Mazda had failed. I discovered that I had a set of spare bulbs in the glovebox. The bulb cluster in the boot had carpet over it secured by Velcro, and the cluster just unclipped. So I was able to replace the bulb in about 20 seconds without tools.

Reply to
Matty F

They may not have complained about your lack of headlamp adjusters because you dazzled them off the road and they're lying in a ditch somewhere.

Reply to
Pete Zahut

Sorry about that. (I've had to disable "Display PDF in Browser" and haven't come to grips yet with the loss of the link in the address bar.)

Reply to
Robin

Right click on the link & select "Copy Shortcut" (with Internet Explorer) or "Copy Link Location" (with Firefox) then paste it into your message. Other browsers will have slightly different wording in the menu.

Reply to
Mike Clarke

Ummm ... Do you drive in daylight only then;?...

Reply to
tony sayer

Peter Crosland wrote on Aug 29, 2010:

You may be right but I'm not convinced that the 'one size fits all' little plastic discs on sale at Halfords and the like, meet either of your criteria. Even if they were 'properly designed' I imagine the precise position of the sticker is vital. The instructions consist of the usual incomprehensible diagrams so in the end one just has to guess and hope.

They flash their lights if they are dazzled - just like they do here. I don't ever drive after dark when abroad so the problem actually doesn't arise much. I lower the headlight beams as far as possible so if I do use headlights during the day I don't think anyone is dazzled.

The French policeman who stops me would, I suppose, have to check all the spare bulbs I am carrying to make sure that I had a correct replacement for each of the dozen or so external lights on the car. (I presume it doesn't apply to the internal lights as well?) It all seems rather unlikely somehow. I think if he were so determined he could find some other technicality to charge me with.

Reply to
Mike Lane
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You need to use the ones designed by the headlamp manufacturer not a one size fits all type.

Peter Crosland

Reply to
Peter Crosland

Peter Crosland wrote on Aug 29, 2010:

Really? I didn't realize such things existed.

I wonder where I could get a pair designed for the Toyota Corolla?

Reply to
Mike Lane

A Toyota dealer would be the obvious place to start.

Peter Crosland

Reply to
Peter Crosland

My original post was not quite right. The actual requirement (as in UK) is that all lights etc. are working correctly. But while english bobby might give #advice# the gendarme (certainly in the past) is likely to issue an on-the spot fine

Reply to
JTM

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