The right front main headlight blew a bulb. Apparently this is a bit of a known issue on the diesel version of the i30, which is the one we have.
Interestingly the light overlap of the headlights is so good that we did not notice. It was only when Andrew told Kirsten and then Kirsten told me that I even knew. And I had been driving the car at night.
So I headed out to purchase a new light bulb. It was some research that made me understand that the bulbs blowing were a problem on the i30 CW, but still, we have gone over 60,000 km. I was not unhappy.
The headlight unit uses two bulbs, a H1 and a H7. Reading the text I decided we needed a H1. It is then that I discovered the massive price range. The first web site I cam accrues with a price was charging a whopping $60 for a single globe. I was unimpressed.
Eventually I bought a H1 globe, lost it, bought a replacement, realised I had purchased the wrong globe and then purchased a H7 globe.
The next issue was getting the globe in. Apparently there is not much space, according to the Internet pundits. After watching a few you-tube videos, I went out and found that it was very easy. There was plenty of space compared to the impossible to access headlight unit on the old 1999 Ford Fairmont.
In my shopping I found different price schemes for car head lights.
Bottom Tier: eBay in England about £5 for the lamp. Mo’s Parts in Croydon < $10. But the basic unit all, I want or require and in a plain box.
Middle Tier: $20-$30, repco, autobarn. 30% more light, no option of just a basic unit. It was in fancy sealed plastic packaging. So no choice but to pay the higher price and support fatter profit margins. Also some fancier options at double the price.
Top Tier: fancy lights with special chemicals, different colours and probably quite a few that are illegal t use of the road: $30 to $100.
The upshot of all if this is that we now have a working headlight and I have decided to buy my auto parts from Mo’s Parts in Croydon.