Parking light defective

[QDanzer]

Hi guys

Got a "Front right parking light defective" warning on the dash board recently (a few weeks ago).   I've read some other people say it happened to them and it went away eventually or corrected itself but this hasn't been the case for me, also read some people just pulled the fuses and re-plugged but this also did nothing for me.  I have also tried replacing the bulb with a standard 501 W5W and it didn't seem to work. 

I don't really have the tools to be testing wires etc so is this a common problem with an easy/simple fix or should I be off to the garage?

Thanks

[hockeylad72]

Hi.
I had the same issue and it turned out to be a bad bulb it might be worth trying another bulb on the off chance.
Cheers
Davie

[QDanzer]

Already tried a brand new bulb and unfortunately, no joy :(

[PhilGolfGTi]

I've got this issue right now, half the time the car is fine and the other half the time I get the text warning "Front left parking bulb defective" and little bulb light show up.

Seems odd that it is so intermittent

[QDanzer]

Bump

[GitFlog]

cheap bulbs can do this are you getting decent bulbs??

also if you have tried a new bulb that bub could be faulty try another its common for new bulbs to be broken in transit even more so cheaper brands.

also the wires could be dodgy its easy to pull a wire when fitting some bulbs

[pudding]

I had that for years and then I finally just bought new bulbs from VW and that cured it.  Well, I put the bulb in and out a few times to clear away any corrosion from the terminals and the error hasn't come back since, so maybe just doing that fixed it?

[QDanzer]

cheap bulbs can do this are you getting decent bulbs??

also if you have tried a new bulb that bub could be faulty try another its common for new bulbs to be broken in transit even more so cheaper brands.

also the wires could be dodgy its easy to pull a wire when fitting some bulbs

Honestly I just bought the halfords branded twin pack just until I ordered proper ones but I guessed because neither of them worked, its probably something else like the wiring?  Or is it pretty common for two cheap bulbs not to work?

I'll order some Osram's in the meantime and see if the problem is the cheap bulbs.  Here's hoping lol

[GitFlog]

take the one out the other side that works and use that to test then you will know 100% if its the bulbs i have even had 2 nightbreaker lazers that were  broken really pissed me off  worth a check to be sure.

do you have a multimeter to check for continuity and voltage? make sure its getting to the bulb in the first place?

[QDanzer]

Never even thought of doing that Git!  I'll try it out in the morning.

I don't but if worst comes to worst I could get a hold of one

[GitFlog]

i have a half decent one and it has saved me 10x what i paid for it, so handy for checking for parasitic battery drain and finding ignition live empty fuse slots for hard wireing  stuff in and a whole load of other stuff.

Plenty of how2s on youtube for just about everything electrical in your car.

[QDanzer]

Okay so I fiddled about with it this morning, originally the left one was working fine, the right one was the problematic one so I switched the bulbs, turn the ignition on and they both start working (at this point they were free hanging and not secured into the headlight housing).  So now the halfords parking bulb is in the LEFT headlight, not the right.  So as all is good, I clicked them both back into their sockets in the headlight to find the left bulb now isn't working.  After many ignition starts and restarts I find that the halfords bulb works fine until it clicks into the headlight, literally when I'm pushing it into the headlight and the moment it clicks into place, it goes out.

I explained that as best I could lol but what does this sound like to you guys?  To me it sounds like it is indeed the halfords bulb is causing a loose connection of some kind.

[GitFlog]

if you move the bulb that was still working into the other side and it works it shows the new bulbs are faulty.

If you move the new bulb on the faulty side to the other side that works and now it dosent work that shows the new bulbs are faulty.

Sounds like the bulbs are the problem.



Have you tried taking the original left working side out an putting into the right side you were having the problem  with to see if this then sorts the problem??

[QDanzer]

I’m glad you somewhat understood what I said 

Yeah the original seems to work fine on both sides when clicked into place or free hanging so, yeah..  bulbs it is lol I’ve managed to get lucky with the Halfords bulb iya sitting in the housing and working atm but I feel a bump will knock it off again.

Onto the next part, which bulbs are best? Osram’s?

[GitFlog]

For my front headlights i have the H7 H7 W5W units and i use in

2x H7 osram night breaker laser H7's
W5W osram cool blue intense w5w

With the cool blue i get a nice subtle blue tint nd with the night breakers the light quality for a halogen bulb is brilliant for the cost at under £20 for two.


For the rears i choose to go led apart from indicators Mr @v4rley sells a full set really nice bright reverse 10x better than stock and they are awesome, he even does the red fog light bulb if you want to do the euro mod like i did give him a shout hes sold loads on here and is a thoroughly nice guy.