MOT Failure Lamps - Are Brighter Bulbs an Option?

[rie]

Hello,
I wonder if anyone can please help me?

My bongo has just failed its MOT due to the headlights not being bright enough. It’s been suggested by garage that whilst the ideal is to replace the lamps we could try a brighter bulb. Wondering if anyone has had similar problems and whether it is safe from an electrical point of view to put in higher wattage bulbs? If yes, any recommendations?

Any advice would be much appreciated.

(Bought bongo last year from JAL so first time had independent MOT – I still know very little about maintaining bongos. Garage we took it to for service is not bongo expert so wanted to check in on whether there are any known problems.)

Thanks so much

Marie

[Driver+Passengers]

The plastic (or more accurately, the coating) on Bongo headlights can yellow quite badly with age. You can clean them up by sanding the yellowed coating off and polishing them back up again - if this is the case with yours, you may gain brightness by doing so... just a thought.

I'm doing this with mine at the moment - 800, then 1000, 1200 and 1500 grit wet and dry, followed by a machine polish.

[rie]

Hello
Thanks for getting back to me. Yes, apparently it is a problem with them going yellow.

Is that something garage can do for me - the last bit of your post didn't quite make sense? (I'm doing this with mine at the moment - 800, then 1000, 1200 and 1500 grit wet and dry, followed by a machine polish.)

Sorry, I am not very technical!

Thanks again

Marie

[Driver+Passengers]

Hello
Thanks for getting back to me. Yes, apparently it is a problem with them going yellow.

Is that something garage can do for me - the last bit of your post didn't quite make sense? (I'm doing this with mine at the moment - 800, then 1000, 1200 and 1500 grit wet and dry, followed by a machine polish.)

Sorry, I am not very technical!

Thanks again

Marie

I believe it's a UV-resistant coating or something that's applied to the headlights when new, but it deteriorates. I'm basically rubbing it off with "automotive" sandpaper - the "grit" is how coarse it is - you'd use 80, 120 or 240 on wood but 800 to 1500 on plastics, spritzing it with water as you go to make a slurry to sand with rather than "dry sanding" it without water - polishing is basically abrasive as well, so you're removing the coating and then gently bringing back the smooth, clear surface by working your way through finer and finer grades of abrasive to reduce and remove the scratches you introduced with the relatively coarse 800 grit.

I've been advised on what to do by a car detailing perfectionist! I think you might be able to use toothpaste or Brasso or something like that, instead... There'll be various different approaches/techniques on here if you search for "yellow headlights". The garage could probably do it, but it needn't be difficult - you should be able to get the wet and dry papers from a local auto paint shop for 50p a sheet or thereabouts.

[rita]

This should give you an IDEA of basically what is involved..

Good Luck.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpLZkhDLbBQ


http://www.amazon.co.uk/3M-Headlight-Re ... B0078IHJ1K

[rie]

Thanks so much. That is really helpful. Makes perfect sense now! I will begin my bongo ex-foliation shortly and let you know how I get on

Really appreciate your help

[jojay5]

T-Cut and a bit of elbow grease does the trick with mine.

[rie]

T-cut seems to be a reoccurring theme on some of the other posts I have now managed to find on this subject.
thanks
Marie

T-Cut and a bit of elbow grease does the trick with mine.

[Driver+Passengers]

I think it depends how much of the old stuff you want to take off - working from a coarser grit up to something like T-cut will obviously take more off, going straight for T-cut will only address the very surface. Also worth considering what you might put on it (and periodically reapply) afterwards to keep them clear... I don't know the answer...?

PS - my mate's just taken mine away this lunchtime as he's offered to do them for me. He enjoys stuff doing stuff like that.

[janie]

Sometimes I think it depends on the mood of the tester. Last year my only advisory was that the headlight casings were dimming the lights but not enough to fail. This year I was worried that the problem would be worse and it passed with no advisories at all (I have done nothing to the lights in the interim). Makes you wonder!

[rie]

I wish I had mates like that - sure what you say about how much you want to take off makes a lot of sense. Really appreciate your help.

I know what you mean about mood of tester - not had a problem with visibility - on a different day it may have got a pass. Oh well, it was a new import so at least there was nothing major with it!

[teenmal]

I think it depends how much of the old stuff you want to take off - working from a coarser grit up to something like T-cut will obviously take more off, going straight for T-cut will only address the very surface. Also worth considering what you might put on it (and periodically reapply) afterwards to keep them clear... I don't know the answer...?

PS - my mate's just taken mine away this lunchtime as he's offered to do them for me. He enjoys stuff doing stuff like that.

IF you can find it...Crystal Disc cd repair fluid will prevent the discolouring from coming back.

[hwyaden]

we had the same problem with our old toyota van. we used whitening toothpaste which worked a treat and stuck some brighter bulbs in for good measure.

[mickc]

My headlights were extremely dim due to yellowed lenses, I bought 2 tubes of cheap toothpaste from Lidl, a bit of elbow grease and they came up like new. A dirt cheap fix.

[rie]

Thanks so much everyone. I had some t-cut in so gave them a quick polish up last night and it seems to have done the trick. The yellow film had gone all gloopy so it lifted off pretty easily. They need another going over, perhaps with some toothpaste but I think they are going to be fine (especially if I have new bulbs at the ready). Thanks so much for all your help - wish me luck for the retest on Tuesday.