Daniel J. Stern wrote:
> On Thu, 26 May 2005 wrote:
>
> > went through FIVE headlights, Even today when I see a new Beetle driving
> > past me with one headlight working, I'm reminded to stay away from the
> > brand until they work on their supplier issues.
>
> Beetles' appetite for headlamp bulbs has nothing to do with any "supplier
> issues". It has everything to do with VW's engineering stupidity. They
> picked a high-output, short-life bulb type...and then ran it full time as
> nighttime low beams and daytime running lights. Had they picked a
> different daytime running light implementation (or left the DRLs off,
> since they're not yet required in the US), or picked a different bulb
> type, there would've been no such problem.
>
> Of course, since they were VW, they also built the car such that replacing
> the dead bulb is a royal PITA.

IIRC the Beetle uses a similar headlight switch to the Golf IV so it
should be trivial to replace the switch with a Euro version (available
for less than $100) and disable the DRLs, since they're still not
mandatory equipment. That is what I would do... also gives you the
benefit of having a parking light position as well.

In VW's defense, at least they did not do what GM would have done and
make the DRLs the *high* beams... and tie them to some system computer
making them near impossible to defeat...

nate