BMW 328SE - Low beam failure

In article >,
Terry Pinnell > wrote:
> Pleased to report that I changed the bulb on Tuesday. One snag was
> that in response to my request for "an H7 12V 55W headlamp bulb"
> Halfords sold me the wrong type, so I had to make a second trip.

In all the Halfords stores I've been to the bulb selection is self service.

If you're not capable of selecting the correct one yourself to match the
blown one perhaps you should leave the whole job to a garage? Unless
you're saying the package was incorrectly marked?

--
*Is it true that cannibals don't eat clowns because they taste funny?

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

"Dave Plowman (News)" > wrote:

>In article >,
> Terry Pinnell > wrote:
>> Pleased to report that I changed the bulb on Tuesday. One snag was
>> that in response to my request for "an H7 12V 55W headlamp bulb"
>> Halfords sold me the wrong type, so I had to make a second trip.
>
>In all the Halfords stores I've been to the bulb selection is self service.
>
>If you're not capable of selecting the correct one yourself to match the
>blown one perhaps you should leave the whole job to a garage? Unless
>you're saying the package was incorrectly marked?

And if you're not capable of a civil tone maybe you should leave
replies to those who are?

I asked the assistant on my way into the (empty) store for the
specific requirement I described. He told me the code number. I served
myself to that item and paid for it. Apart from the Halfords code, the
only details on the package were generic, i.e. '12V 55W'. So there was
no way I could have selected the correct one. On removing the old bulb
it was clear that the new bulb was the wrong type. On returning it,
the assistant apologised for his mistake and told me the correct code,
which I duly obtained from the shelf, bought and fitted.

--
Terry, West Sussex, UK

Terry Pinnell > wrote on Fri, 30 Sep 2005 17:41:54 +0100:
>
> And if you're not capable of a civil tone maybe you should leave
> replies to those who are?

You haven't been on usenet long, have you? At least, if you think
that reply was uncivil, you'll probably get a shock fairly soon...

> I asked the assistant on my way into the (empty) store for the
> specific requirement I described.

That was your first mistake. Last time I did that, I brought the old
(interior light) bulb in, along with the Ford part number from the
manual. I eventually got handed a bulb of an entirely different shape
to the original that I'd brought in, and left empty handed.

> He told me the code number. I served
> myself to that item and paid for it. Apart from the Halfords code, the
> only details on the package were generic, i.e. '12V 55W'. So there was
> no way I could have selected the correct one. On removing the old bulb
> it was clear that the new bulb was the wrong type. On returning it,
> the assistant apologised for his mistake and told me the correct code,
> which I duly obtained from the shelf, bought and fitted.

Last time I bought a headlight bulb from Halfords, the H7 (or whatever)
marking appeared on the packaging and it wasn't too hard to get the
right type. I would always suggest ignoring everything said by
a Halfords shop assistant, and basing your choice soley on the
original bulb... (certainly not the little booklets you get in store)

I'm sure at least one Halfords assistant knows what they're talking
about, but I haven't met them yet.

--
David Taylor

The message >
from Terry Pinnell > contains these words:

> >In all the Halfords stores I've been to the bulb selection is self service.
> >
> >If you're not capable of selecting the correct one yourself to match the
> >blown one perhaps you should leave the whole job to a garage? Unless
> >you're saying the package was incorrectly marked?

> And if you're not capable of a civil tone maybe you should leave
> replies to those who are?

For usenet that was /very/ civil!

--
Skipweasel.
In the beginning was the word.
And the word was Aardvark.

In article >,
Terry Pinnell > wrote:
> >> Pleased to report that I changed the bulb on Tuesday. One snag was
> >> that in response to my request for "an H7 12V 55W headlamp bulb"
> >> Halfords sold me the wrong type, so I had to make a second trip.
> >
> >In all the Halfords stores I've been to the bulb selection is self
> >service.
> >
> >If you're not capable of selecting the correct one yourself to match
> >the blown one perhaps you should leave the whole job to a garage?
> >Unless you're saying the package was incorrectly marked?

> And if you're not capable of a civil tone maybe you should leave replies
> to those who are?

Well I could be less civil easily.

> I asked the assistant on my way into the (empty) store for the specific
> requirement I described. He told me the code number. I served myself to
> that item and paid for it. Apart from the Halfords code, the only
> details on the package were generic, i.e. '12V 55W'. So there was no way
> I could have selected the correct one. On removing the old bulb it was
> clear that the new bulb was the wrong type. On returning it, the
> assistant apologised for his mistake and told me the correct code, which
> I duly obtained from the shelf, bought and fitted.

Halfords is a self service store for all common items such as bulbs. And
they have 'look up' charts if you're not sure what you actually need. In
my local one this includes bulbs.

However, most with sense would remove the old one and take it with them to
make sure the replacement is the same - unless they actually knew the
difference between an H4 and H7 in physical appearance.

If you want the expertise of a parts manager to be sure you get an
identical replacement go to your BMW main agent. Then complain bitterly if
this doesn't work.

--
*According to my calculations, the problem doesn't exist.

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

On Fri, 30 Sep 2005 17:11:45 +0000 (UTC), "David Taylor"
> wrote:

>I'm sure at least one Halfords assistant knows what they're talking
>about, but I haven't met them yet.

I have (twice), but they've probably moved on.

The first was the Sunday manager in my local store who sold me four Thule
cycle carriers at the same price as their own-brand "equivalent", and who
cut himself and bled copiously opening the feet fitting box so I could see
how the roof bars attached to the car roof. The second was at another
branch when I needed a new set of feet (don't ask) but found none on the
shelf, and an assistant recalled that someone had maybe returned that item
earlier and it might be somewhere in a store-room. He duly turned up with
the right box a few minutes later, and wrote me a specific receipt for my
insurance company.

Just the other week I encountered a very helpful (older) assistant at B&Q.
When I thanked him for his help, he said "no problem, it's my job".

--
I have a plan so cunning, you could put a tail on it and call it a weasel