WS Fiesta - - El cheapo Tail/Stop bulbs or fault?

Spinner77 · 23-05-2012, 12:31 PM

I had to change the wife's Fiesta's tail/stop bulbs on this cold and windy morning. This is the third time in the last 18 months. The original ones lasted about a year. With the first two changes (I'm changing them in pairs), I used Repco branded bulbs. This time I am trying Narva, although they look cheap and nasty too.

The car is going into service soon. Could it be an electrical fault? Or can you guys recommend a better class of bulb?

Every time it has been a stop filament in one of the bulbs that has burned out. Maybe she uses the brakes a lot!

Spinner77 · 23-05-2012, 12:38 PM

Just should add that I used cotton gloves to handle the bulbs in the last change and this one.

Fiesta God · 23-05-2012, 07:27 PM

I have also changed my taillight bulbs 3 times since early 2009 when I bought the car.

It's always the stop filament that burns out. I do a lot of inner city driving, and even in a manual that necessitates a lot of braking.

After the original Ford ones blew, I used cheapie bulbs from Supercheap Auto and they lasted about 6 months. I then used Narva bulbs, and I got a full 12 months out of them (wow!!).

The third change I have switched to Repco branded. They have been in for only about 2 months, so I can't yet comment on their longevity.

I've also had to replace my headlamp globes twice - both times I've used Phillips globes. I always change both globes whenever one blows, so they've never had mis-matched globes fitted.

Electrical fault? Who knows?

Spinner77 · 23-05-2012, 08:50 PM

Thanks, Fiesta god.

I have to say I have never had to change any bulbs in any vehicle before.

Maybe they are just crappier these days. It wouldn't surprise me if they all came from the same factory.

GoesLikeAZetec · 23-05-2012, 10:48 PM

we have had ours since 2009 and (touch wood) havent changed a single globe in the whole car, the car gets used everyday in city traffic...

i wonder if where people live (ie climate) might affect it... maybe places with more humid weather etc are worse for globe longevity?

vhcbm · 23-05-2012, 10:51 PM

Haven't had to change any bulbs, 2 years 4 months in and 31k Kms

How many K's have you done?

GoesLikeAZetec · 23-05-2012, 10:52 PM

45k for me

Fiesta_Man69 · 23-05-2012, 10:59 PM

All bulbs fine 64K.

vhcbm · 23-05-2012, 11:00 PM

Seems like a strange one, but why would any electrical issue only be causing bulbs to blow...just sounds like something that would take ford forever to work out after they give you the usual run around. Just bare with it I suppose. 45k isn't much though

Franco Cozzo · 24-05-2012, 05:03 PM

I've had my WS for 3 years soon, no brake lights blown, just a headlight.

greenfoam · 24-05-2012, 10:02 PM

I'm still going on the original tail lights (you now have me wondering if they actually do work... lol because I've never checked the brake light, I don't use brakes more than a couple times a day, better check them anyway). But I'm up to pair number eight, yes 8! for the headlights, the first 6 pairs were all narva and lasted 100,000ks for the 6 the seventh pair were from ALDI ($7 bargain) and I've lost one of them at 140,000ks which I replaced, the other ALDI one is still going with a second ALDI one (I bought 4 boxes of them? lol).

I'm not sure sure why the headlights keep failing, it doesn't seem to be road vibration because they most often blow just a few seconds after you start the car. Anyway the lesson of the day is Narva bulbs seem to be rubbish compared to ALDI ones.

The car does spend at least 30% of it's time driving in the dark, but on the other hand I've never in my life had a headlight bulb blow in any other car I've owned and my wife hadn't either... Usually they go for 15 years and then get so dim you just change them to get new brighter ones :! but they never blow

Fiesta God · 26-05-2012, 11:39 AM

I've done 55 thousand km's ... we have a 90's Laser in the family with the original tailight and headlight bulbs ... never been changed.

I live in Victoria, so humidity wouldn't be much of an issue.

I don't go near Ford dealerships, and I wouldn't unless I had a major failure with the car. Maybe it's an electrical fault? It only seems to affect some cars and not others.

There doesn't seem to be any particular reason, except that the globes blow when you turn on the vehicle, never whilst you are driving (at least that's my experience with the headlights).

Franco Cozzo · 26-05-2012, 02:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by greenfoam

I'm still going on the original tail lights (you now have me wondering if they actually do work... lol because I've never checked the brake light, I don't use brakes more than a couple times a day, better check them anyway). But I'm up to pair number eight, yes 8! for the headlights, the first 6 pairs were all narva and lasted 100,000ks for the 6 the seventh pair were from ALDI ($7 bargain) and I've lost one of them at 140,000ks which I replaced, the other ALDI one is still going with a second ALDI one (I bought 4 boxes of them? lol).

I'm not sure sure why the headlights keep failing, it doesn't seem to be road vibration because they most often blow just a few seconds after you start the car. Anyway the lesson of the day is Narva bulbs seem to be rubbish compared to ALDI ones.

The car does spend at least 30% of it's time driving in the dark, but on the other hand I've never in my life had a headlight bulb blow in any other car I've owned and my wife hadn't either... Usually they go for 15 years and then get so dim you just change them to get new brighter ones :! but they never blow

I blew a headlight globe at like 20,000km, I'm on pair number 3 on my Focus in 30,000km, they blow when you start the car then turn the lights on, goes really bright then pop, no light.

I drive with my lights on all the time though.

bzhu · 21-06-2012, 11:22 AM

Long time reader, first time poster and though i'd put my 2cents worth into this discussion. I have a WS Fiesta (Jan 2009) and have had to replace the front headlamps (H7, dipped beam) about 3 times since new! At first I put it down to excessive use, as I had been doing a lot of early morning/late night driving. But the last two have both been on the back of very minimal use, and that lead me to look into the issue a bit more. As such this is what I gathered on a few ford forums in europe:

Build Date: Up to 29.09.2010 Build Code: Up to 9C Assembly Plant: Saarlouis
Should a customer express concern about repeated, blown headlamp bulbs on one or both headlamps, the probable cause is a voltage spike in the electrical vehicle system. To rectify this concern, an resistor wire should be installed on both headlamps between the current electrical socket and the headlamp bulb H7.

Resistor Wire FINIS Code 1 715 479

Production Notes : The resistor wire between the current electrical socket and the headlamp bulb H7 has been installed, in Saarlouis production for Kuga 2008.5 since 30.09.2010 (build code 9C) and for Focus 2004.75 since 04.11.2010 (build code BM).

Fiesta 2008.75 (07/2008–)
Build Date: 21.07.2008-23.09.2009
Build Code: 8D-9C
Assembly Plant: Cologne

Build Date: 12.01.2009-23.09.2009
Build Code: 9J-9C
Assembly Plant: Valencia
NOTE: Fiesta 2008.75: It is not required to remove the headlamp assembly on the right-hand side.

As you guys would know, the H7 globe on the WS is the main or 'dipped beam' you use for driving at night etc.

I gave a few Ford dealers a call and they aren't aware of the issue or the part (FINIS code appears to be specific to EU region).

Here is the forum I found the details above in http://www.fordownersclub.com/forums...a/page__st__30

So from what I can see, this actually was/is an issue with not only early build Fiestas but also Focus and Kuga in EU, and could possibly be the reason why some AUS WS Fiesta owners have been experiencing similar blown front globes? Anywho, something to mull over during lunch!

greenfoam · 21-06-2012, 07:01 PM

That's a very good find, someone should inspire Ford AU to make that a recall or at least fix it if you ask because I hassled them about the blown lights for ages with no response other than I must be driving on bumpy roads :??:P. P.S since my last post I did blow the other ALDI bulb.

GoesLikeAZetec · 21-06-2012, 07:55 PM

great find bzhu!!!!

guess what... the driver side normal beam just died today. first globe.

Fiesta God · 23-01-2013, 04:53 PM

Third pair of headlight globes today ...

frankie86 · 23-01-2013, 07:03 PM

try phillips globes, and compare how they are put together against the repco/austa/narva ones, they are more expensive but for a reason

GoesLikeAZetec · 23-01-2013, 10:32 PM

yep we put the philips in as well... they looked much better

Spinner77 · 24-01-2013, 09:27 AM

+1

Have not had to replace the tail/stoplights since putting Philips globes in.

And they are only marginally more expensive than the competition.

greenfoam · 24-01-2013, 09:52 PM

I've only blown one set since putting ALDI globes in about 50,000kms ago. I was blowing narva each 15k, they are junk.

Fiesta God · 25-01-2013, 11:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by frankie86

try phillips globes, and compare how they are put together against the repco/austa/narva ones, they are more expensive but for a reason

Have used Phillips globes with the first 2 sets for the headlights.

Both blown, neither set lasted more than 12 months.

Trying Repco globes now, half the price so we will see how they go.

Franco Cozzo · 25-01-2013, 05:11 PM

Try Phillips Eco, they're a long life globe.

http://www.powerbulbs.com/au/product...eadlight-bulbs

We had a 2009 Ford Territory come in at another workshop I was doing some work in, kept blowing both head light globes in about 2 weeks, we suspected dodgy alternator regulator, so we rebuilt the alternator.

Same problem.

Ford reckons because they weren't using Ford branded globes

.

It ended up being it didn't have any body earth from the battery to the body of the car, we added one, car never blew a globe again and still hasn't. Something must have been earthing through the head light circuit, killing the globes quickly.