Date: Sun, 19 May 2002 12:31:49 +1000
Reply-To: Andrew Jack <andrewxp@AJ.DNSALIAS.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Andrew Jack <andrewxp@AJ.DNSALIAS.NET>
Subject: Re: Brake Light bulb (longish)
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Ed,
> Do you think this will work? Would hate to drive to work and find the
> lenses melted, alternator fried and battery dead.
I can't imagine that this would cause a problem with the wiring, after all
it is less than an amp (each). Common practice over here (Australia) is to
hijack power from the light cluster on the back of the vehicle for trailer
lights. In any case, the fuse should have a lower rating than the wiring.
I would be surprised if anything melted in the cluster, but YMMV.
More of a concern is the fact that your taillights are now considerably
brighter than standard. This raises several issues:
1. Is this legal where you are? In Germany the visibility must be below 50m
(~160') for this brightness to be used.
2. Same brightness as brake lights - makes it less obvious for following
cars when you brake.
3. Annoyance factor for following vehicles.
Some vehicles have a rear fog light arrangement which uses either 21w bulbs
in a dedicated position in the cluster, or the dual filament bulbs you
mentioned (they are also used for tail/brake light combinations). The key
point here is that they are switchable.
I once did this in my Volvo (taillight burnt out, didn't have a spare so
used the 21w backup light), and wasn't too worried as at the time I was
driving regularly in rain/snow/fog, so the extra brightness was a bonus,
however on a night drive down to the snowfields I was passing a convoy of
trucks - one or two at a time - and they were flashing their main (high)
beams and driving lights at me and tailgating me, obviously annoyed.
Finally passed them all, then on a downsope they started catching up with me
again - more flashing - so I sped up - 80mph, 90mph - still there - 100mph+
pulled away from them and changed my taillights back to standard the next
day! (speed limit on that stretch of road is 60mph....)
Andrew
'92 T3 Syncro
('85 Volvo 240GL Wagon - 4cyl 2.3 Mech FI, 4sp stick shift with OD -
420,000km/260,000 miles)
----- Original Message -----
From: "Ed L Lloyd" <elloyd10@JUNO.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Sunday, May 19, 2002 9:03 AM
Subject: Brake Light bulb
> What is the correct Brake Light bulb? So far I have invested $108.99, 26
> miles, and several hours in a search for the right bulb. 87 Vanagon.
>
> It starts out easy enough. unscrew the plastic housing, take out the
> bulb, and put in a new one. Once I opened it up, I found the original
> German bulb (I am the orig owner), with a strange series of numbers and
> symbols that made no sense, and did not match either the VW part number
> or the US standard bulb number listed in the owners glove box manual.
> (The old bulb says 12498 21 w 37R G6 P25-1 )
>
> The book calls for a 1034 bulb.
>
> My first FLAPS had lots of bulbs, but were OUT of the 1034. 26 miles and
> FLAPS #2 later I found the 1034, and also spent $105.00 on neat things I
> just had to have.
>
> With 1034 in hand, I noticed a problem. The old bulb was a single
> element, single bottom contact. The 1034 was a dual element, dual
> bottom contact.
>
> Checking 2 lighting catalogs at the store still confirmed I needed the
> 1034.
>
> Looking over some other bulbs, I found a 1073 and a 1156 and a 93 that
> were single element, single contact, and looked right, so I bought these
> as well.
>
> Sat morning was spent taking out the housing, cleaning it up, sanding
> contacts, and trying out the various bulbs.
>
> There are 4 bulbs in each tailight. 3 of them were all the same.
> Backup, turn signal and Brake were all identical single element, single
> contact bulbs, but the manual called for a 1073 for two and a 1034 for
> the 3rd?? Bentley called each of them a 21 watt bulb. I took a chance
> and put a 1073 in for the brake light in spite of the manul. Besides,
> the double bottom contact would not make contact.
>
> So far it works fine. (Both old and new are 5 ohm)
>
> Problem #2 came up when I noticed the filiment in the regular red tail
> light had broken during the takeout. Same problem, strange German
> markings and a manual that does NOT give much info. It just said
> "Stop/tail lights" use 1034. Again the dreaded 1034. Not possible,
> since the old bulb is a single element, and much SMALLER bulb.
>
> Bentley told me that it was also ONLY a 5 watt bulb. Not a 21 watt like
> the 1034.
>
> I saw that the 93 bulb was a 12 watt bulb, and fit the slot, and worked
> fine. (It is 5 ohm, the orig is 8 ohm) I even liked the noticeably
> brighter light.
>
> Then I had to replicate my work on the other side so they would match.
>
> Do you think this will work? Would hate to drive to work and find the
> lenses melted, alternator fried and battery dead.
>
> Anyone else come across this type of thing?
>
> Ed in Md
> 87 Vanagon
>
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