Front Light Bulb

[Duce D]

Hello, Yesterday my Aygo was serviced, and i commented on how the passengers side headlamp looked a bit odd when parked up against a wall, as ther was no beam pattern it just seemed to be a ball of light.

Anyway a technician looked at it and apparantly the light bulb was in upside down (although it must have been upside down from when i brought the car as i have never touched it). It looks better now so i guessed they fixed it.

Can a bulb be installed upside down? and if it is what does it do differently?

Is it simply the case that it swappped full beam and dipped headlights?

Sorry if this makes no sense, but it just seemed odd that a bulb can be installed upside down!

Brilliant service by Steven Eagell in St Albans. Unlimited hot chocolate seemingly on tap!

[MikeSh]

Wrongly fitted brake/tail bulbs are fairly common (so tail is bright and brake is dim). They have a keying to ensure the lamp is fitted the right way round, but it can be easily forced by those who don't know what they are doing.

But getting a headlight bulb in 180deg out needs a specialised level of dim I think.

You can't connect the plug wrongly as it has 3 pins laid out so you just can't.

There are also locating lugs to ensure the bulb itself is fitted the right way. However, I guess you could fit it upside down with a bit of effort, but the keying won't engage and I expect the bulb won't go right in. You might bend the lugs but I suspect it still won't go right home. Not being fully inserted will mean the filaments are not in the focal point of the lens which would explain the 'ball of light' effect - it was literally out of focus.

[Duce D]

Wrongly fitted brake/tail bulbs are fairly common (so tail is bright and brake is dim). They have a keying to ensure the lamp is fitted the right way round, but it can be easily forced by those who don't know what they are doing.

But getting a headlight bulb in 180deg out needs a specialised level of dim I think.

You can't connect the plug wrongly as it has 3 pins laid out so you just can't.

There are also locating lugs to ensure the bulb itself is fitted the right way. However, I guess you could fit it upside down with a bit of effort, but the keying won't engage and I expect the bulb won't go right in. You might bend the lugs but I suspect it still won't go right home. Not being fully inserted will mean the filaments are not in the focal point of the lens which would explain the 'ball of light' effect - it was literally out of focus.

Thanks, i thought it was a bit odd.

Oh well all is fixed now!