They would! Bite the bullet

then give the bullet to me and i can re use it to shoot myself lol

I suppose its serves me right for also having a modern car but what on earth are Citroen up to.

My C4 Grand Picasso has been complaining for some time about a side-lamp fault. It complains about a lot of things from time to time, tyre pressures being low that aren't for example. But given what I thought would probably be a correct diagnosis by the on board computer, I got out to check and sure enough the off side front side lamp was out.

Now over here we have to carry a spare set of bulbs, so I rummaged through the box and found I had two types of side lamp bulb. A capped one and a capless type.

So I removed the front side lamp bulb holder which was an easy job from under the bonnet and removed the offending bulb which was of the capped variety. However my new bulb wouldn't fit into the holder. On close inspection the locating pins on my new "ordinary" side lamp bulb were diametrically opposed, i.e. 12 o'clock and six o'clock whilst on the offending dud bulb the pins were 12 o'clock and 4 o'clock.

So off down to the motor factors, bulb in hand only to be greeted by a shake of the head and "you will have to go to Citroen for that". Anyway the upshot is that we passed a Citroen dealer today so I called in. Asked the guy if he had a bulb like the one I was holding, he said yes so I said "Oh I'll have two, one for a spare". He then relieved me of 19.80 Euros that's 9.90 each or 8 and a half quid to you lot, each.

Its exactly the same size and same wattage [5] as the bulbs you can buy for 75 cents in the supermarket but Citroen have decided to offset the pins and charge 9.90 Euros for them.

You can tell this pissed me off a bit, hence the rant. I feel better now. The car no longer whines about a side-lamp fault.

Only now, the driver whines about it....

Very true. very true

File one pin off an ordinary bulb.......

Could just file/cut off one pin! one pin should hold it in! and just as just as long as the wattage etc is right should do the job! Shouldn't it?

I've seen some cheap orange indicator bulbs 12/4 otherwise identical to clear 12/6 ones.... anyone any idea why?

So annoyed I hadn't thought of that, I have just been outside and done just that and the light works but those clever t*ats at Citroen have thought of that it seems as the on board computer now bleeps up a side light fault.

Is this a money making racket or what?

Paul,
maybe worth giving that on-board computer something else to think about?

Something like this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTfiAmuOp5c&feature=channel should keep the b#gg*r guessing, it might even forget about that little local difficulty with a sidelight...

ken

Should be some sorta "reset" thingy on the computer thingy in your "pick-arse-oh" .....there is in my C4Coupe anyways .....[try reading the Drivers Dest... ...... [sorry] Instruction book..... [ignore the part which says "Consult your dealer" .... ]


Yep ..... ....but the name of the game is to out-think them .... ....[or buy your bulbs from another {cheaper} supplier]

T.