Hi Tech cars cost a fortune to fix!

[Dustydog]

SWMBO 8 year old Kia Cee’d has a failed flickering daylight running head lamp.
Kia changed the electronics design two months after ours. Pattern parts are available for the newer model but not ours. Kia part only and fitting looking like £700 or so🙀🙀🤬🤬
There are no bulbs as we know them nor height adjusting screws. All done electronically, with sleight of hand, electric motors and high voltages the Daleks would be proud of.
Not happy but can’t use the car with DL flashing. First big expense , we’ve had from three months old so can’t complain.

But why is such a simple essential part on a middle of the road car so ridiculously expensive🙉

I wonder how much the VW headlamp will be ? A King’s ransom?

 

[Beachball]

My wife car a Volkswagen Up a orange light came up on the dash look in the handbook it says tyre pressures rang a place called Bush Tyres near me bring it in we will have a look so off i go with her car and waited only ten minutes . ask the mechanic both the rear tyres were out he pump them up and the light had gone off and the best bit there was no charge ,If it was anything else the car is under warranty.

 

[RogerL]

SWMBO 8 year old Kia Cee’d has a failed flickering daylight running head lamp.
Kia changed the electronics design two months after ours. Pattern parts are available for the newer model but not ours. Kia part only and fitting looking like £700 or so🙀🙀🤬🤬
There are no bulbs as we know them nor height adjusting screws. All done electronically, with sleight of hand, electric motors and high voltages the Daleks would be proud of.
Not happy but can’t use the car with DL flashing. First big expense , we’ve had from three months old so can’t complain.

But why is such a simple essential part on a middle of the road car so ridiculously expensive🙉

I wonder how much the VW headlamp will be ? A King’s ransom?

Touareg headlights are about £500 per side for the "basic" HID that my SE gets, more for the R-Line - when the R-Line DRLs fail, as they all do sooner or later, a new headlamp is the only solution.

 

[Dustydog]

Touareg headlights are about £500 per side for the "basic" HID that my SE gets, more for the R-Line - when the R-Line DRLs fail, as they all do sooner or later, a new headlamp is the only solution.

Mine’s the R line so that’s something to look forward to🥲

 

[otherclive]

That’s outlandish and given the difference between your model and the slightly later one looking at a breakers isn’t a low risk option.

 

[Hutch]

That’s outlandish and given the difference between your model and the slightly later one looking at a breakers isn’t a low risk option.

I recently had to get a replacement DRL ,( it's a fog lamp and DRL in one unit) for the Santa Fe, New part on E bay, £75 , posted from China, but they sent the wrong unit twice.

 

[Buckman]

The days when you could replace the bulb for a quid are long gone. On out previous Jeep the bulb needed changing and to access the bulb, the battery needed to be removed. As we were away on holiday we got it done by Halfords with labout cost about £2 for over 30 minutes work. Bargain!

 

[AndrewAventura]

There are still lots of places advising that it is the law to carry spare bulbs in France. Which is hugely impractical! Thankfully, it's not actually the case. If one of your lights fails though, I suppose that you'd be easy pickings for a Gendarme fine.

 

[Dustydog]

That’s outlandish and given the difference between your model and the slightly later one looking at a breakers isn’t a low risk option.

I looked around the UK for a head lamp repair specialist. There are a couple, mostly for BMW . Expensive with no guarantee it won’t fail again. Will contact Kia tomorrow and see if they help to reduce the price

 

[audiorob]

Assuming its a 2016 model there seem to be headlamp units available (at for example 'EuroParts') for in region of £200 if its a matter of 'plug and play' to replace the faulty unit.

 

[otherclive]

Assuming its a 2016 model there seem to be headlamp units available (at for example 'EuroParts') for in region of £200 if its a matter of 'plug and play' to replace the faulty unit.

I bought a complete headlamp unit for a Nissan Note from a German pattern supplier. My headlight had developed a crack. But it was quite a simple unit and did not have LED strings.

 

[Dustydog]

Assuming its a 2016 model there seem to be headlamp units available (at for example 'EuroParts') for in region of £200 if its a matter of 'plug and play' to replace the faulty unit.

Those ones Rob don't have DRL or motors that auto dip and adjust . Ours is the Cee’d 4 with all the whistles etc.
So today my engineer tells me the Kia replacement price is £1134 plus Vat and labour. The bonnet rest bar and front bumper and wheel need to be removed to facilitate fitting.
I have investigated and this is correct 😢😢.

One option is a firm in Oldham who do repairs for £200.
I’m seeing my local Kia dealer CMC next few days . The car they sold me is only worth say £6 k and two headlights will be £3k. Bonkers!

 

[audiorob]

Wow that is a big ouch especially when the car has served you so well and who would dream it could be so expensive

 

[otherclive]

Looking at the Wakefield business on EBay I think I’d be prepared to use them.

 

[GTPete]

Xenon Headlights 2006 Ford Mondeo Mk3 £500 each...Mk4's are over £1000 each...And £1200 each for my current LED Ford Ranger MS-RT...

 

[Mr Plodd]

My car has super whizzo "adaptive LED headlights" (which are simply awesome) I dread to think what the replacement cost might be though

 

[Dustydog]

Looking at the Wakefield business on EBay I think I’d be prepared to use

Found it. Yes Wakefield looks promising.
The pcb is available eBay £55.. Armed with a dremel I reckon I could open it up myself per the video. Getting the headlamp out is a mechanic job.
It’s ridiculous that these lights are so expensive on a used car.
If I do a px with a Kia Dealer , car has 11 months MOT, do I tell them about the DRL?😉
I have progressed a step further but have to wait until 6 January for CMC to inspect whilst I wait . Any earlier date they want the car the entire day which is impractical because of the distance!

 

[Sam Vimes]

Lo tech cars can also be expensive to repair. It seems the manufacturers focus is on ease (read cheap) assembly, not repairability.

I remember the days when I could open the front of my Triumph Herald and step in to fix just about anything.

 

[Buckman]

Lo tech cars can also be expensive to repair. It seems the manufacturers focus is on ease (read cheap) assembly, not repairability.

I remember the days when I could open the front of my Triumph Herald and step in to fix just about anything.

Most of us probably remember those days!

 

[otherclive]

Now it’s clear why a perfectly good car gets written off by insurers after what might be a relativity slow speed accident that may take a front light out.

 

[Dustydog]

Now it’s clear why a perfectly good car gets written off by insurers after what might be a relativity slow speed accident that may take a front light out.

The chap in Wakefield will also remove and refit the repaired headlamp for Circa £100. If Kia don’t help looks like Wakefield for a visit , will get both lights done.

 

[otherclive]

The chap in Wakefield will also remove and refit the repaired headlamp for Circa £100. If Kia don’t help looks like Wakefield for a visit , will get both lights done.

That would come in useful as you never know how the other light will fare. Good price too. Be interesting to hear what Kia say.

 

[borderbilly]

I saved my mate a fortune, he has a sportage, went round one day and he was in at the boot area fiddling around. Asked what is wrong, he said no rear screen wash, he thought it maybe had been frozen. He had it booked in at local kia dealers. I jumped in and proceeded to wash the rear windscreen. How did you do that he asked? I showed him, turn end of stalk and push it away from you to activate the wash. I didn't know that, he thought it activated when turning end of stalk and holding it. I then asked him have you read the handbook? To which he replied No! Lesson learned.

 

[Buckman]

There may be issues with some high tech cars, even if you change a light bulb they require re-programming by the dealership as we found out after having a fuel injector changed on a previous vehicle. The injector was changed by a professional diesel shop.

 

[otherclive]

There may be issues with some high tech cars, even if you change a light bulb they require re-programming by the dealership as we found out after having a fuel injector changed on a previous vehicle. The injector was changed by a professional diesel shop.

I can't see the linkage between the injector and a light bulb change?