ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade General Discussion Area Quality control? What's that?!

This is supposedly a regular automotive stop/tail lamp bulb, a European equivalent of the #1157. The make is Gerlux, which I've never heard of before. A whole box of them were like this.

Looks O.K. from this angle with the offset locating pins:



But when you look at it end-on.......

Are you sure they aren't supposed to be that way? I know in the US lamps like the #1157 have the pins directly opposite or 180 deg apart. Maybe european sockets are different?

-Hal

That's a Chinese misprint, Paul. It should read "Bolux".
Alan

The British/European bulbs are the same fitting as American physically. The only notable differences between them and the #1157 are:

1. The silver-colored base instead of plain brass.

2. "E" approval marks instead of SAE/DOT.

3. The filaments are rated slightly lower than U.S. bulbs -- 21 and 5 watts


Actually that last point is interesting because this Gerlux bulb is stamped 21/4 watts. I've never seen that before. Very strange.

It's not that convincing Paul.
I'd have to side with Alan here.
Personally I stick with the Delco brand of Auto lamps.
That or Hella.

There's a lot of European Ring brand bulbs around in the stores here these days. We still have Lucas, as well.

There was a time in the 1950s/60s/70s when just about every British-made car was fitted with Lucas electrical equipment, from lights to switches, to dynamo regulators.

The oddball spaceing of the pins would make that bulb fit only one way into its socket. If the pins were 180 degress apart, then the bulb could fit the socket in two possible ways. If the filaments are different wattages, the car manufacturer wants the brighter filament for one purpose (say turn signal) and the other filament for some other use (say running lights).

Sounds like someone supplied your supplier with the wrong inventory....

The regualr #1157 (or equivalent) has the pins 180 degrees apart, but it still fits only one way because of the offset in the other plane which you can see in the first photo.

(Or at least on decent J-slot sockets it fits only one way -- On some of those no-brand trailer light assemblies with the el-cheapo holders you can actually fit them the wrong way round.)

Isnt Lucas' nickname "The Prince Of Darkness"? Heard the reason the Brits drink warm beer is, that they have Lucas refrigeraters.

Having been the owner of BSA, and Triumph motorcycles, I can personally affirm that Lusas is indeed the "Prince of Darkness". Both brands have left me hanging, and I've personally designed and threw away the stock wiring harnesses for ones I built out of scrap wire brought home from work, and learned how to substitute ANYTHING for the Lucas components.