headlamps

Road safety week: upgrading a car’s headlamp bulbs

Stay safe this road safety week: upgrade your car's headlamp bulbs

Improve road safety and upgrade your car’s headlamp bulbs (Picture © Ford)


This year’s national Road Safety Week promotes the message that drivers should use their car less and live more. It’s a heartfelt and honest sentiment, but not necessarily entirely practical for those who rely on their car to commute, get the children to school or carry out their job. So what simple but proven things can drivers do to make them and our roads safer?

Upgrading a car’s headlamp bulbs is an ideal starting point at this time of year. For one, it’s an affordable improvement that won’t deplete the Christmas present fund. A pair of the best-performing halogen headlamp bulbs costs around £20 or less, and even the least mechanically minded motorists should be able to fit them.

Continue reading

Changing car light bulbs: How much does it cost you?

Changing car light bulbs

It may cost nothing for a dealer to change the headlight bulb in this Renault Captur. Or it may cost you £40. (Picture © Renault)

Changing car light bulbs used to be something anyone with the scantest mechanical know-how could manage. But as cars become ever more complicated, so replacing a broken bulb has become increasingly expensive – for some drivers at least.

A new investigation has revealed a shocking variation in the price charged by motor makers for this simple repair. Some dealers offer free bulbs, some do the actual fitting for free, and some provide both at no cost. However, others can charge upwards of £70. And there’s no uniformity across manufacturers.  Continue reading