weird VW turn signal bulbs?

milktree

milktree

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The bulb is a standard 1156 type bulb, (actually a 1073)
The socket the turn signal in an E-code headlight.
It doesn't fit. The slots in the socket that the pins on the bulb go into aren't 180° apart, so the pins on the bulb don't line up.
I've never seen or heard of anything like this.



So.. what am I missing? I confess I've never looked too closely at an amber 1156, are the pins on them not 180° apart? I always thought they were interchangeable (mechanically) with clear 1156 bulbs.
 
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NarfBLAST

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Weird. I've used amber 1156's in my tails and they are identical. Are you sure the pin does not go under (inside) that copper bit on the left in the last picture? I would like to see a close up of the inside of that copper side contact.

Worst case it might be possible to use the turn signal holder from your original assemblies?

Interesting.
 
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FOG

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Go to your VW, Audi or Porsche dealer and get amber bulbs for a car that has clear lens for turn signals. The three of them started to use that type bulbs in mid 2005 and up cars.
FOG :)
 
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milktree

milktree

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NarfBLAST said:
Weird. I've used amber 1156's in my tails and they are identical. Are you sure the pin does not go under (inside) that copper bit on the left in the last picture?
Click to expand...
Not that I can see. Or perhaps I'm misunderstanding what you're saying.
The fit is very close, the ID of the socket is nearly an interference fit with the OD of the bulb.
I would like to see a close up of the inside of that copper side contact.
Click to expand...
Like this:
closeup.jpg
Worst case it might be possible to use the turn signal holder from your original assemblies?
Click to expand...
The holders on the car now are dual filliment, not single like the E-codes (E-code uses the city light for a running light, US spec uses a dimmer turn signal)
But that's not really the problem. The US socket has a three pin connector, the E-code a two pin one, so it would mean soldering and cutting, which I'd rather avoid if possible. I'm not spooked by soldering, but Plug-n-play should mean "no cutting or soldering"
 
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milktree

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FOG said:
Go to your VW, Audi or Porsche dealer and get amber bulbs for a car that has clear lens for turn signals. The three of them started to use that type bulbs in mid 2005 and up cars.
FOG :)
Click to expand...
Wait... are you saying that the VW bulbs *are* different from every other 1156 type bulb out there?

????

Ok, I just looked at the parts fiche and found "PY21W" to be the bulb. I stuffed that into teh google, and came up with a bunch of "150° offset pin" quotes about the oddball pins, and "VW/AUDI/BMW bulbs" and the like.

And a bunch of sites suggesting you can simply cut off one of the pins on the bulb to make it fit.

I guess that answers that.

I had this plan to swap out the yellow lenses from the OEM units into the E-Code ones 'cuz I like the visible yellow better, and because it'd allow me to use the high efficiency/high brightness Honda spec 1156 type bulbs. But I guess that's not gonna happen unless I modify the bulbs or the socket.
 
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Birdman

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milktree said:
Wait... are you saying that the VW bulbs *are* different from every other 1156 type bulb out there?

????

Ok, I just looked at the parts fiche and found "PY21W" to be the bulb. I stuffed that into teh google, and came up with a bunch of "150° offset pin" quotes about the oddball pins, and "VW/AUDI/BMW bulbs" and the like.

And a bunch of sites suggesting you can simply cut off one of the pins on the bulb to make it fit.

I guess that answers that.

I had this plan to swap out the yellow lenses from the OEM units into the E-Code ones 'cuz I like the visible yellow better, and because it'd allow me to use the high efficiency/high brightness Honda spec 1156 type bulbs. But I guess that's not gonna happen unless I modify the bulbs or the socket.
Click to expand...
I have done this on 3 sets of ecodes with out a problem, only takes a few munites a side. On the last set in my car I went with the amber city light and while not as bright it does a decent job.
 
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milktree said:
Wait... are you saying that the VW bulbs *are* different from every other 1156 type bulb out there?

????

Ok, I just looked at the parts fiche and found "PY21W" to be the bulb. I stuffed that into teh google, and came up with a bunch of "150° offset pin" quotes about the oddball pins, and "VW/AUDI/BMW bulbs" and the like.

And a bunch of sites suggesting you can simply cut off one of the pins on the bulb to make it fit.

I guess that answers that.

I had this plan to swap out the yellow lenses from the OEM units into the E-Code ones 'cuz I like the visible yellow better, and because it'd allow me to use the high efficiency/high brightness Honda spec 1156 type bulbs. But I guess that's not gonna happen unless I modify the bulbs or the socket.
Click to expand...
If Audi, BMW, MB, Porsche and VW all use them it must be a FRG thing then.
FOG :rolleyes:
 
silverbox

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Fog, as you found out the sockets in the ecodes take a different bulb.
Can you get the Honda bulbs in a wedge base type like the North American VW bulbs?
If so you could get some NA type sockets at the VW dealer.
 
Nuje

Nuje

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Picked mine up at the local Volvo dealership as VW didn't have them at the time I got my E-code headlights. As stated above, gotta be a Euro spec.

With that said, these have lasted for ever and ever. Probably six years now (?).
 
milktree

milktree

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FOG said:
If Audi, BMW, MB, Porsche and VW all use them it must be a FRG thing then.
FOG :rolleyes:
Click to expand...
Further googling suggests that a couple of the Japanese companies are using them too, at least Nissan. I found a reference to them on the Nissan Cube forum site.

I gotta say, making it so you have to try really hard to put a white bulb in a socket that really should have an amber one doesn't seem like a bad idea. I hate white turn signals nearly as much as red ones.
 
Nuje

Nuje

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Whoa - nice job dredging up a thread that was dormant for almost EIGHT YEARS!! :D
 
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