Presently going through a careful and considered process of 'upgrading' headlight bulbs within the adaptive cornering headlight unit (pictured). This morning, my attention was draw to the driver's sidelight and cornering unit bulb housing where the outer rim of the bezel looked just a little mis shapen to the point that I started to query whether a 2 day installed cornering LED bulb could have started to melt the unit.

However, I checked this photograph that I took of the same headlight weeks ago, whilst it still had the OE bulbs in situ and before I ever touched any bulbs on the car; and the issue was present then and is no 'worse' now.

From this picture, if you view on an ipad or have a zoom function, you should just about be able to see the small affected area I'm referring to at around the 10 o’clock position of the sidelight/ cornering lamp housing.

Is anyone else’s car like this indicating a slight design/ finishing flaw or has it melted a teeny bit at some point before our ownership?

Thoughts welcome, thanks.

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Same here , on both of mine . LED are cooler I thought ? Alcohol and eBay is never a good mix

2006 4.2 Supercharged, Java Black

Hi, as mentioned, this was present on ours before I changed from OE halogen to LED. I've been careful in selecting any LED bulbs thanks to research helped hugely by Prop and Stan and whatever flaw is on our headlight unit, it's nothing to do with LED additions that I've put on the car. This flaw was there before I changed to LED bulbs.



Last edited by pld118 on 13th Dec 2013 4:42am. Edited 1 time in total

I might have a spare insert to fit as I have spare headlight not sure if both sides are uniform for that lens though  Present :2008 TDV8 HSE
Gone Audi A5 2.7TDI
Gone Discovery 3 HSE
Gone Mercedes CLK
Gone Range Rover 2.5 DSE

can you do a close up pic ryan?

you can fit 55 watt h11 bulbs into the cornering lights as opposed to the OE h8 35w bulbs and the higher wattage would have melted the lens....it is possible that in the past this might have happened or it could just be a design flaw.. ... - .- -.




Y. O. L. O.
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Think this has been mentioned in another thread. Somebody had got stuck at a junction for a few minutes. Cornering light was on due to wheels being turned. Housing melted. I'll see if I can find the original post. 2016 3.0 Vogue
2006 4.4 V8 Vogue SE-sold
Honda CBR 1000cc Fireblade
Bultaco 350 Sherpa

if that is the case then its a valid reason to stick leds/crees in place of the halogens.. ... - .- -.




Y. O. L. O.
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Which I have done, but the damage has already been done

Just another thing that I wish I had noticed before buying !  Alcohol and eBay is never a good mix

2006 4.2 Supercharged, Java Black

Thanks for all of the replies.

Firstly, as some forum members might know, I'm pretty particular about visual imperfections on a car but... I think I could live with this issue as it is not horrendous, just caught my keen eye when checking something else today

@ Conor - How would we know if your part would fit mine please. Having looked into these lights during recent weeks, I would now be perfectly comfortable using the oven method to dismantle the headlight unit if necessary (thanks for the replacement suggestion too by the way)?

@ E4GUY - the original picture I posted was definitely before 'my upgrade' LED bulbs were fitted and the defect was definitely there then/ is no worse now. My understanding of the LED bulbs I've bought to date is that they are not going to generate sufficient heat that will cause any damage. I checked and double checked with the suppliers and with knowledgeable forum members before fitting to ensure that I did not fit bulbs with too much power output.

Stan makes an interesting point that if not a slight design flaw, perhaps the previous owner tried a Halogen bulb upgrade that was a tad too powerful. However, I spoke with a main dealer technician about this very issue many months ago after I'd read on the forum that Bellini had a melted headlight and said technician told me it was a known issue on these cars, the primary thought always being though that people have put too powerful replacement bulbs in the cornering bulb holder, hence this occurrence.

@ Stan, here are 3 photographs of the affected area which is at the 10 o'clock position. You will see that within this part of the headlight bulb unit are fitted 2 x LED bulbs. It is the sidelight bulb that is illuminated and the cornering bulb that is not illuminated in these pictures (again, whatever imperfection you can see on the bezel is definitely not as a result of fitting these 2 LED bulbs).

Thanks again to all replies

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ouch...

paranoia has just set in and i had to go outside with a flashlight and have a look at mine which thankfully are ok... ... - .- -.




Y. O. L. O.
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Well I've just checked the Halogen cornering bulb that was fitted previously to that headlight (or static bending lamp as the owners handbook calls it).

The bulbs says it is OSRAM H8 12V 35W (pictured).

Can't work out from the handbook if it was a correct LR approved bulb or not?

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thats a OE fitment bulb...  ... - .- -.




Y. O. L. O.
.

thanks Stan.

Unless someone put that OE bulb in after the occurrence then or unless I've just highlighted a wee deign flaw that was on the unit when new, perhaps standard OE fitment can cause the unit to overheat if the steering is turned too long when these cornering lights are active?

Last edited by pld118 on 13th Dec 2013 4:45am. Edited 1 time in total

Okay, I've located at least 2 historic threads that cover the cornering part of the headlight housing melting. The first thread was by Bellini and see the pictures of how his headlights had really melted which confirms that ours is 'nothing' and might even be a slight design flaw as opposed to a melt.

The second link was by JFB who did a headlight/ bulb upgrade and experienced his cornering housing melting due to upgrading to 100W bulbs instead of the recommended 35W.

Without honest posts from members experiences, this forum would not be what it is

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Admin note: this post has had its images recovered from a money grabbing photo hosting site and reinstated

This is a very common issue and has been since the facelift in 2005... 9 out of 10 customers cars have melted plastic above the cornering lights...
Anyone worried about this issue should change the lights to LED's as they run much cooler and won't melt the plastic