MOT Fail - Positioning Light

[NickandRach]

Hi there

Newbie and also a bit clueless and overwhelmed. My V40 D4 LUX (15 plate) has failed its MOT today, am told its because of the failure of the positioning light in the nearside headlight - fair enough.

The garage has been trying to source a part and is struggling, we are trying to resolve as cheaply as possible as we want to sell the car, no longer need 2 cars and right now this is a headache.

The part number is 31420009, the garage have said its a full component replacement rather than a bulb, would this be right?

I have done some googling and browsing on this forum and I am tying myself up in knots as to what we should be doing. I am loathed to pay the currently quote £950 to replace a full component if its a bulb swop out, but equally if its a full component any recommendations of salvage/breaker/OEM part dealers who we could look at for a more cost effective solution. I am always so weary when confronted with stuff like this, I want to trust the garage but after previous bad experiences I don't want to be taken advantage of again because I am a woman.

Thanks in advance

[Tannaton]

I think they're about £200-£300 on ebay...

[ele288]

Looks like standard xenon light (NOT LED THOR), there is few bulbs and no reason to replace the whole unit. There the main bulb xenon D3S - 31290593, another side marker yellow (HY21W-30640997, H7 long life, and position bulb WY5W - 987945. BTW if you look on ebay for nr you posted, there is few headlights for less than 100. Ring the dealer with your part and ask for the correct bulb. Don't know the garage you did mot but my advise :run

[Kev0607]

Originally Posted by NickandRach

Hi there

Newbie and also a bit clueless and overwhelmed. My V40 D4 LUX (15 plate) has failed its MOT today, am told its because of the failure of the positioning light in the nearside headlight - fair enough.

The garage has been trying to source a part and is struggling, we are trying to resolve as cheaply as possible as we want to sell the car, no longer need 2 cars and right now this is a headache.

The part number is 31420009, the garage have said its a full component replacement rather than a bulb, would this be right?

I have done some googling and browsing on this forum and I am tying myself up in knots as to what we should be doing. I am loathed to pay the currently quote £950 to replace a full component if its a bulb swop out, but equally if its a full component any recommendations of salvage/breaker/OEM part dealers who we could look at for a more cost effective solution. I am always so weary when confronted with stuff like this, I want to trust the garage but after previous bad experiences I don't want to be taken advantage of again because I am a woman.

Thanks in advance

I wouldn't let that garage near my car. Its just a bulb you need, not a whole headlight unit...Bunch of clowns.

Stay clear of them and go elsewhere in future. Although, you could remind them by phone that they're crooks when you fit the bulb that'll cost a few quid.

[Tannaton]

I believe there is a LED side light/drl in the headlamp assembly… which is not replaceable separately. This will be the mot fail.

[ele288]

The nr you posted is for xenon light not led.

[Tannaton]

Originally Posted by ele288

The nr you posted is for xenon light not led.

Correct - a Xenon ABL lamp. But the position lamp/DRL is LED.

BTW - I'm not the OP. The the H7 bulb is main beam assist, not side marker.

This badger here - the garage is possibly correct, a new headlamp unit needed.

To the OP - I think the connections are the same - I would ask the garage to swap over the headlights L to R. Although they wont physically fit into the car - it will tell you whether the fault with the position lamp is the lamp itself or the headlamp module/CEM that switches it.

[RS3100]

In the 2013 MY V40 owners manual, the section re bulb replacement says, for the front side/position lamps, "Not applicable to cars with xenon headlights as these are equipped with LED lamps". With no further explanation for bulb replacement on those models it does suggest, like the later full LED units, that a new headlight unit is required to fix a failed position lamp.