Back light+side light bulb out!

[nickbell69]

Noticed today drivers side backlight and also front side light are out. Looked at bulb on rear and it looked fine but as persisting it down i wasn't going to look further.
Do these 2 lights have anything in common ie: fuse or could it be just both bulbs that have gone?

Cheers in advance of any ideas.

[Toodeep]

The right-hand sidelights share a fuse with the following - cruise control and speed limiter - Electronic Stability
Program - gear lever display - heated seat control. All of these are unusual options or difficult to establish if they are working. Unfortunately the fuse (7.5 amp Fuse no. 7A) is in the engine compartment fuse box so I would maybe swap the rear bulbs over first.

[nickbell69]

The right-hand sidelights share a fuse with the following - cruise control and speed limiter - Electronic Stability
Program - gear lever display - heated seat control. All of these are unusual options or difficult to establish if they are working. Unfortunately the fuse (7.5 amp Fuse no. 7A) is in the engine compartment fuse box so I would maybe swap the rear bulbs over first.

Mmmm well i have none of those extras fitted, so it'll be wait for nice weather and test power supply+bulbs. Engine fuse box is that the one behind the battery? That if i remember correctly battery has to be removed to get at?

[Toodeep]

Engine fuse box is that the one behind the battery? That if i remember correctly battery has to be removed to get at?

That's the one. Hence why I would swap the bulbs to eliminate them as the cause first. Am I the only one to think it's ridiculous having to remove the battery simply to check a fuse. How hard would it have been to have an opening, preferably in clear plastic, at the top of the fuse box?

[nickbell69]

Engine fuse box is that the one behind the battery? That if i remember correctly battery has to be removed to get at?

That's the one. Hence why I would swap the bulbs to eliminate them as the cause first. Am I the only one to think it's ridiculous having to remove the battery simply to check a fuse. How hard would it have been to have an opening, preferably in clear plastic, at the top of the fuse box?

Come on Toodeep think before you type, that might make it easy for people to change a fuse and less likely to take it for an hours work at a Dealer. Afterall i'm certain a dealer would have to remove the bumper to get to the battery 1st

[andywills]

just because the bulb looks fine, dosent mean it hasnt blown...try changing bulbs first before investigating other avenues, it may be just bad luck that two have gone at the same time, or just simply that you've only just noticed...

[Toodeep]

Engine fuse box is that the one behind the battery? That if i remember correctly battery has to be removed to get at?

That's the one. Hence why I would swap the bulbs to eliminate them as the cause first. Am I the only one to think it's ridiculous having to remove the battery simply to check a fuse. How hard would it have been to have an opening, preferably in clear plastic, at the top of the fuse box?

Come on Toodeep think before you type, that might make it easy for people to change a fuse and less likely to take it for an hours work at a Dealer. Afterall i'm certain a dealer would have to remove the bumper to get to the battery 1st

Too right; I'm so silly! But while the dealers are boosting their Christmas boxes, there is a safety issue here. I once had a failed indicator bulb on a BMW X5 just prior to a motorway journey. Naively I thought I'd pull into a local petrol station, buy a pack of overpriced bulbs and change it myself. Easiest thing in the world?. After 10 minutes of head scratching I called the dealer I bought the car from, which was about to close for the night, to be informed that the "front indicator bulb is not an owner serviceable item . . . . . book the car in . . . . . . . 1 hour to perform . . .etc. " I went loopy. So loopy, in fact, that they agreed to stay open for me but it still meant I had the inconvenience of a 6 mile drive in the opposite direction from where I was heading. London labour rates were over £100 an hour at the time and I was waiting to launch into the guy the moment he leant towards his keyboard to print off the dreaded invoice but I think he sensed my mood and he sent me off with a cheery wave instead! I kind of accept begrudgingly manufacturers desire to make easy money out of us and I know Renault are not saying owners should not change their own fuses, but to make it so difficult encourages owners to put off maintenance that possibly renders their cars unsafe and illegal.

[dougie89]

guess i best take my battery out then!! ive just had an rac guy scratching his head because he didn't know where the fuse box was and all his gadgets n engineers on the phone couldn't tell him either....all just for a 7.5a fuse! is it easy enough to get at once the battery's out?

[dougie89]

got told a ridiculous price by reanult, and no other garage wanted to touch it...so got my hands dirty and stripped out the battery, ecu and battery tray, took about an hour, would upload some pics if i knew how to!