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I recently went into 2 separate Esso ststions in our locality (Reading). All I wanted was some spare brake light bulbs, however it now seems these stations sell virtually no automotive items apart from a couple of bottles of oil and screenwash. Okay you can get a loaf of bread or a pastie, but whatever happened to petrol stations stocking basic car items such as bulbs ?
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Ah, but these are now shops that sell petrol, not petrol stations that sell the odd bit of confectionery as it used to be.
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Try a Shell station - full range of oils at my local one. Texaco used to be quite good as well but not used one for ages
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Probably due to lack of demand, judging by the amazing number of cars in my area with one, two or more bulbs not working and apparent failure of police to mop up such offences.
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What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
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No market for them,going by the number of cars running about with lights out,they leave it until MOT time.
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Snap..:-)
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What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
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Probably because bulbs are so difficult to fit on modern cars , "just take the wheel off , the arch liner and front bumper , then remove the headlight " I'm sure years ago constuction and use regulations said that bulbs had to be fitted without tools .
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Too many types of bulbs too maybe?
Every inch of shelf space has to be making as much money as possible, and if it isn't, the product is no longer put on sale.
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Not a new problem, no bulbs on Leicester Forest East services c1983. Watford Gap, run in those days by independent Blue Boar Services, had a full range.
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Too many types of bulbs too maybe?
I thought 90%+ of all cars and light commercials used the same sort of dual-fillament brake light bulb ?
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There's still only about 10 common automotive bulbs that are sold in volume. Problem is that the average customer wouldn't have a clue which one to buy and then expect the person behind the counter to know. Even if there was application information it would still be the retailers problem if the customer selected the wrong bulb.
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>>Probably because bulbs are so difficult...>>
Did you miss the point of the Snap...:-)
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What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
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If only all brake and tail lights were the same. My VW has got an offset pin arrangement and took me several hours to find a replacement on the eve of our French holiday last summer (Halfords was shut). The brake filament in the replacement has just blown!
My SIL, a magistrate, pointed this out today. Fitted the spare quickly.
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I wasna fu but just had plenty.
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If only all brake and tail lights were the same. My VW has got an offset pin arrangement and took me several hours to find a replacement on the eve of our French holiday last summer! Fitted the spare quickly. --
I do not trust any manual or bulb sellers look up table.
I have checked all my bulbs and noted what type they are.
I have collected a full set that I know are the right ones.
They are sandwiched in two blocks of foam ( made up at home) and conveniently stored inside the rear light cluster of my Mondeo where they are instant, no tools, access.
Together with an in dash indicator of bulb failure I think I have the best of all worlds.
Oh I stll have to remove a panel, the front grill and the headlamps in order to unplug them to change a dip bulb.
A day before Christmas a dip bulb went. I swopped it for a used spare and that too went within an hour or two.
I found that an ordinary locally sourced replacement was the same price as an Online Silverstar.
I received new bulbs from www.consumabulbs.com in under 24hours ( Christmas Eve)
So even if you buy a spare bulb kit you may not have the correct bulbs.
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I also have some spare fuses.
To my surprise the Focus and the Mondeo have different very large fuse, types that I had not seen before.
The Focus has big big blade fuses and the Mondeo square plug in types
If one of these fails ( as I hadwith an intermittent fault ) then no lights and no engine so it is pretty important.
The Yaris has some different large capless bulbs and also very small blade fuses.
Keep motoring simple?
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Most people would only discover that they had a bulb out while they were driving out at night.
In most circumstances surely most people would drive on home and investigate it the next day in day-light rather than fumble about in the dark. Many would then drive to Halfords or someone and buy the bulb there.
I'd go to a garage to buy a bulb if I was passing and I happened to know they had the correct range; but it wouldn't be my first choice.
A garage would be my first choice for a newspaper and a pint of milk. Oh yeah, and petrol.
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sorry to bother you lot , just passin thru (and honest)
all esso petrol forecourts are bring bought up/reposessed by esso , there aim is by the 1st april 2007 most leases have been timed out by that day, and any oustounding leases will not be honoured by fuel.
esso have realised that there is more money to be made by selling food//groceries/booze/etc than fuel.
they can now buy in bulk from "warbutons" (bread) and the likes ,,,at a realistic price ,,good by shop corner shops? (i owm one)
a friend of mine currently runs the 6th most profitable esso site in the UK , has done for 14 yrs ,,he is out as well.
alan
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As far as I'm concerned Texaco has the perfect sales ploy. They sell cheap gadgets and nick-knacks. Every couple of weeks a new 'must have' gadget appears just by the checkout till. I've got a billion candlepower rechargeable lamp, mini binoculars, diy breathalizer, a small black and white tv and loads of other stuff that I can't find right now. The thing is, I would rather buy Texaco than Esso just to see (and probably buy) the latest junk gizmo. I don't know if they sell bulbs though..........
As for ease of removal / replacement, I was talking to a lorry driver a couple of weeks ago who had all of his rear lenses and bulbs nicked whilst he was asleep in his cab, he found out about it when he resumed his journey the following morning, and was pulled over by the police.
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Local Shell had a (limited) range of bulbs which were less than 2/3rds same cost at Halfords.
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"I was talking to a lorry driver a couple of weeks ago who had all of his rear lenses and bulbs nicked whilst he was asleep in his cab, he found out about it when he resumed his journey the following morning, and was pulled over by the police"
And so he should! as a HGV driver myself its drummed into new starters before taking the test that you check over your waggon and trailer every day regardless if you parked up for the night in some service station. Then the problem arises of where is he going to get hold of some lens and about 10+ blubs if Transport manager is not going to pay for it in expenses?
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Chuffing Heck. I would have thought that all car buffs on a website such as this would carry spare bulb kits. I have a couple of kits in each of my cars just in case - I replace straight away then. Halfords sell loads of different kits, and they aren't too dear.
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The Sierra estate has a handy little storage compartment in the N/S/R trim,don't know its original purpose but it is a good place to store bulbs and other odds and ends.They are all so easy to change I am happy to replace at the roadside.
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The Sierra estate has a handy little storage compartment in the N/S/R trim,
>>don't know its original purpose but it is a good place to store bulbs and other odds and ends.
Ford get some things right ( same in my Mondeo) but some of the bulb configs are "unusual"
>>They are all so easy to change I am happy to replace at the roadside.
Yep! My Cortina & Sierra were fine but not the Mondeo front lights.
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Chuffing Heck. I would have thought that all car buffs on a website such as this would carry spare bulb kits. I have a couple of kits in each of my cars just in case - I replace straight away then.
IF you trust the contents. Also see my earlier postings re bulb changing and fuses
>>Halfords sell loads of different kits, and they aren't too dear.
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IF they are correct!!
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