Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[markrl]

Having messed around with a couple of pairs of second hand headlamps in order to repair the adjusters with the excellent aluminium repair kit I was rather thwarted by the joke chroming on the reflectors. Out of 4 headlamps (2 pairs) everyone had some evidence of peeling (one quite bad). Well in the end as I had not paid very much for them (99p for one pair) I decided to bite the bullet and order a shiney new set from dear old Mr Vauxhall (after all GM is bust and they need the money ).

Items ordered and on back order to Germany (no surprise there really).
Today items finally arrive two shiney new Xenon projector headlights in nice sealed boxes straight from the GM Europe parts warehouse in Russelhiem.

Open boxes admire contents for a couple of minutes then realise that the nearside lamp has a broken adjuster (just like the one on my car) 

You just couldn't make it up brand spanking new headlamp and the adjuster is already busted 

I can now understand why they call GM American Leyland 

Item now on back order again 

 

Worse still they tried to tell me that the price is now going up and I think they were expecting me to pay the difference in price for a replacement item 

Do these clowns really expect to be in business making cars in 10 years time? 

I give up I really do 

[VXL V6]

That's why most of the breakers on here won't send them in the post....

I would have thought GM would have had some sort of packing specifically to stop this happening when shipping them. Guess you'd have to strip the headlight to get the packing out though!

[markrl]

Thats a very good point they were very well packed but there was nothing to stop the lens slapping about inside on the ball joints. All that they would have had to do is hold the lens in place with a packing socket that plugs into where the lift motor goes. Alternatively supply the lamps with motors fitted.   

Its the British Leyland style indifference thats the most annoying. It'll kill them in the end once the German bailout money runs out.

[russ0205]

Go on shock me haven't had the nerve to go into vauxhall for the price,

[markrl]

Total retail price is £148 +Vat = £177.60 each

That is for the basic plastic shell with no bulbs or fittings.

And it seems you still dont get a working adjuster 

[Cliffo B]

Why are you so sure the headlight damage is a Vauxhall/UK issue?

[markrl]

Well actually I consider it a GM Europe issue Vauxhall is merely a UK brand name and the item came from their (GM Europe's) parts warehouse in Germany.

[ffcgary1]

More like the carrier or lovly old royal mail staff for the careful handling of our fragile packages. (not). frankly the level of care with post of any type is the handlers, dont give a toss, just chuck in about who cares as long as it aint on there premisis any more. Someone elses problem.
Yes it does seem like they expected you to pay extra because you ordered them and they got broken, if you had'nt ordered them they wouldent get broken.

[russ0205]

Price isn't as bad as i thought,

[Carfix]

The problem of broken adjusters is not just a GM thing.

I have xenons on my Jaguar S-Type and all the adjusters have given up the ghost over the past 6 months. Lamps are original equipment and made by Hella (is this the same as the GM ones?)

I don't know if its the additional pot holes in the roads?

The replacement parts (complete unit) are around £450 each!!!

Obviously the adjusters are not sold seperately. So its out with the two pack apoxy until I can work out a better fix. 

[twiglet]

Total retail price is £148 +Vat = £177.60 eachThat is for the basic plastic shell with no bulbs or fittings.

And it seems you still dont get a working adjuster 

Bloody criminal!!

[Martin_1962]

The problem of broken adjusters is not just a GM thing.

I have xenons on my Jaguar S-Type and all the adjusters have given up the ghost over the past 6 months. Lamps are original equipment and made by Hella (is this the same as the GM ones?)

I don't know if its the additional pot holes in the roads?

The replacement parts (complete unit) are around £450 each!!!

Obviously the adjusters are not sold seperately. So its out with the two pack apoxy until I can work out a better fix. 

Yes it is

[Andy B]

Total retail price is £148 +Vat = £177.60 eachThat is for the basic plastic shell with no bulbs or fittings.

And it seems you still dont get a working adjuster 

Bloody criminal!!

Cheap compared to a Senator's. They were over £300 each in their day.  Useless though unless it was daylight. 

[markrl]

Actually Andy I thought the lights on the Senator B weren't that bad the main beam had two halogen bulbs per lamp and was better then the one bulb job on the Omega. Dipped wasn't brilliant though. 

The Senator A if I remember correctly had two dipped beam and two main beam halogen bulbs per lamp (just like the Monza) and was pretty good (very good in its day).

Best of all though the lights were glass and not the sub standard plastic rubbish we have now.   

[Andy B]

Actually Andy I thought the lights on the Senator B weren't that bad the main beam had two halogen bulbs per lamp and was better then the one bulb job on the Omega. Dipped wasn't brilliant though. 

The Senator A if I remember correctly had two dipped beam and two main beam halogen bulbs per lamp (just like the Monza) and was pretty good (very good in its day).

Best of all though the lights were glass and not the sub standard plastic rubbish we have now.   

I never thought my Senator's lights were that bad until we went to the Highlands of Jockanese Land where you really appreciate how dark the night is without the aid of street lights. I changed my main beam to 100W when we got back home.