MGF bulbs

Author
Discussion

_Al

Original Poster:

11 posts

208 months

Sunday 14th December 2008
quotequote all
While I'm here, I was hoping someone would know about my recent headlight woes.

As is wont to happen, my headlight bulb blew up, so I nipped to Halfords, it being close, and got a new one.

My first mistake was leaving my manual in the car, because my second mistake was believing the book that Halfords have to tell you which headlight bulbs to use.

Halfords's's little book tells me that my dipped bulb is a 477, and my sidelight is a 485 or similar, so these I bought. Returned to the car, opened my pack, tried to replace bulb.

Wrong.

Both the side and the dipped bulbs in my car are the same. The only different one is the main beam. All six bulbs at the front of my car have a single blade connector, rather than the two the 477 has.

But it gets worse - the manual itself says that the dipped bulb is a 499, not a 477, whereas the physical evidence of the car is that both the dipped bulb and the side bulb are the same, the 485. Furthermore, the 499 is not available in Halfords - it doesn't seem to exist.

Well naturally I have a bit of a fight ahead of me when I try to get a refund for these 477s but can anyone tell me what, exactly, I *should* have in my car?

Worth noting that the dipped bulb I replaced with the 485 has blown again - I don't think it has the right wattage, but it might have just been bad luck. Good thing I got two.

canam-phil

489 posts

266 months

Sunday 14th December 2008
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Regarding your bulb blowing again. Wattage is not the factor. The voltage of 12 v sets the wattage on the bulb ie sets the current through the filament. (thats if they are 12v nominal bulbs! Which they almost certainly are)

If the bulb blows its all to do with the voltage applied to the bulb. I suggest you check the voltage at the bulb with the engine running at say 2500 rpm. If too high then the regulator on the alternator is faulty. Better still just get the voltage checked by an helpful auto electrician.

esselte

14,626 posts

274 months

Sunday 14th December 2008
quotequote all
You have 55w side lights?...yikes

_Al

Original Poster:

11 posts

208 months

Monday 15th December 2008
quotequote all
so ... where do I get a 499 from? :S

Presumably there is a subtle difference between the bulb in the side light and the main bulb but they look the same! That or some idiot put the wrong bulbs in my car before I got it...

MGSteve

197 posts

245 months

Monday 15th December 2008
quotequote all
Sidelight bulbs should be 501 bulbs, which are 5W.
Some MGF's use the H1 bulb for both dip and main beam, others use H7 for dip and H1 for main. Only way to be sure which arrangment you have is to check what is fitted.