Thursday, July 02, 2009
Can we fix it?
Yes we can!
No, I haven't decided to quit academia and go into the building trade. I've not even being doing household DIY, rather a little car maintenance. A task of laughable simplicity compared to the rebuilding work that my friend A regularly performs, but it worked and thus gave me a small thrill of victory.
I changed a bulb.
Yes, I know that sounds silly, but unlike my previous cars - Fords and Citroens - the Toyota is not a simple reach in, undo the clip, slide out the fitting, replace the bulb and then reverse previous actions job; this one requires you to unbolt the whole light module to gain access to the bulbs. Once you've got the module off it's actually much easier than the other method, as you just have to twist and remove a plastic fitting which has a standard bayonet-plug bulb attached.
The problem, of course, was the detatching the light module. On some Carina models this is attached with large clips, but on mine it is held in place by three 10mm bolts. Three recessed 10mm bolts. My first attempt, armed with an adjustable wrench, succeeded in unbolting the least-recessed of the three bolts. The other two required a trip into town to the car tool shot for a ring-end spanner.
(As a complete aside, one of the shops opposite the tool shop was having a sale. Sitting there in the window were three Celestron telescopes. I was tempted. I was very tempted by the AstroMaster 90AZ. But I was strong (and broke this month). Besides, what I really want is the NexStar 6 SE. One day. When the economy is functional again. Anyway, my Galileoscope should be arriving soon. Mind you, if the 90AZ hasn't been sold by the time I get back from the UK I may have to think again.)
So anyway, I now had the necessary tool to complete the job and the other two bolts rapidly caved in under the appliance of, er, engineering. The bulb change then took mere seconds (although slightly delayed by the fact that the bulbs have asymmetrical bayonets) and the module was refitted. Engine on, and yes, we have a functioning light. Woo-hoo! I can now take the car for its MOT-equivalent tomorrow morning.
No, I haven't decided to quit academia and go into the building trade. I've not even being doing household DIY, rather a little car maintenance. A task of laughable simplicity compared to the rebuilding work that my friend A regularly performs, but it worked and thus gave me a small thrill of victory.
I changed a bulb.
Yes, I know that sounds silly, but unlike my previous cars - Fords and Citroens - the Toyota is not a simple reach in, undo the clip, slide out the fitting, replace the bulb and then reverse previous actions job; this one requires you to unbolt the whole light module to gain access to the bulbs. Once you've got the module off it's actually much easier than the other method, as you just have to twist and remove a plastic fitting which has a standard bayonet-plug bulb attached.
The problem, of course, was the detatching the light module. On some Carina models this is attached with large clips, but on mine it is held in place by three 10mm bolts. Three recessed 10mm bolts. My first attempt, armed with an adjustable wrench, succeeded in unbolting the least-recessed of the three bolts. The other two required a trip into town to the car tool shot for a ring-end spanner.
(As a complete aside, one of the shops opposite the tool shop was having a sale. Sitting there in the window were three Celestron telescopes. I was tempted. I was very tempted by the AstroMaster 90AZ. But I was strong (and broke this month). Besides, what I really want is the NexStar 6 SE. One day. When the economy is functional again. Anyway, my Galileoscope should be arriving soon. Mind you, if the 90AZ hasn't been sold by the time I get back from the UK I may have to think again.)
So anyway, I now had the necessary tool to complete the job and the other two bolts rapidly caved in under the appliance of, er, engineering. The bulb change then took mere seconds (although slightly delayed by the fact that the bulbs have asymmetrical bayonets) and the module was refitted. Engine on, and yes, we have a functioning light. Woo-hoo! I can now take the car for its MOT-equivalent tomorrow morning.