Technical Panda Cross, Fitting Main Beam Bulbs

[doctorchris]

A little whinge, here, from me.
I like to keep spare bulbs in my car. It is impossible to be sure, on the Cross, which bulbs are fitted in the spotlight pods to provide main beam. The supplementary 4x4 handbook is no help and looking through the lamp lenses didn't help.
So I followed the handbook instructions for bulb replacement to the letter, to enable me to examine the bulbs. The plastic surround to the pods is released by undoing three screws under the bonnet. It's then held in place by 3 press-in studs, very similar to the studs that hold door cards on. These inevitably broke when pulled on. Unlike with a door card, it was impossible to get behind the pod to ease the studs out without damage. To make matters worse, the mechanism of the studs had been jammed with small bits of plastic at the factory to make them almost irremovable.
Fortunately, Halfords had some studs that fitted almost perfectly and the car is back together again.
By the way, the bulbs are H1, but I'm sure some clever so-and-so will have known that already.
The moral of this tale. Don't mess about with Panda Cross lamp units unless you really need to change a bulb. When you do need to change that bulb you will break something.
Do any of you guys out there at the dealers know if I can get hold of the proper studs? Just me being obsessional but I would like to have a few.
If anyone cannot understand my description I will try to take some photos but it's pissing down here just now.

 

[Herts Hillhopper]

No help with the answer here -- other than a 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it' comment

But, do I understand from your description that the main beam is in the smaller lights nearest the grille? I'd assumed they were the fog lights, displaced from the normal position in the bumper, and that main beam was provided by the second lamp in the lower half of the headlight unit?

Pete

 

[doctorchris]

The main headlamp unit contains dipped beam (H7 bulb) and side light in the upper half, foglight in the lower half. The pods contain a spotlight that provides main beam and an excellent beam it is, much better than on the 4x4 Climbing. Finally the indicators are in the lower bumper where the fogs are on other Pandas.
However good the lights are, I'm still thinking of bulb upgrades for the dipped and main beams but the thought of breaking things on the other spotlight pod puts me off. I used to admire Fiat for the ease of bulb changing on the Panda compared with some nightmare cars. This has dented this admiration but only a little bit.

 

[Herts Hillhopper]

Ah ha. Thanks for (er...) 'enlightening me'? (hmmm)
I've just put supposedly 90% brighter but still 55/60w bulbs in the Climbing (Halfords were doing a 2 for the price of 1 deal). I don't know what "90% brighter" looks like so can't say is the claim is real. But they were a doddle to fit, and do seem brighter and light up rather more of the road ahead.
P

 

[DraigFlag87]

When i had a Cross, the inset lights or "pods" came on with the fogs too, but only sometimes?! I'm not sure why, they came on as normal with full beam, and went off when dipped, as they should. But then i pressed the fog light button and nothing happened, i tried it a few times and sometimes they came on, other times they didn't. Very confusing. Also "pod" lights came on when flashing full beam (when letting people out of junctions etc) as they should. I agree that the pods are great, especially off road etc. Oh and yea, we're all still waiting patiently for those pics! i don't care if it's raining! i wanna see it covered in Mud like a Cross should be!

 

[doctorchris]

Draigflag, there must have been a fault because main beam should not come on with front foglights with any car. The main beam reflecting off the fog blinds you which defeats the object of any other lights you may have.
I always used 50% brighter bulbs, from Lidl, on my Climbing, HH, and they were an improvement. AutoExpress tested brighter bulbs recently and found Phililps' Xtreme Power, offering 80% more light, the best. However they only come as H4 or H7 so only available for the dipped beam on the Cross.
Re the mud, I'll have to get out to Weardale to pick some up.

 

[Herts Hillhopper]

Weardale is where my late grandfather took me to teach me to drive in snow (I was 17 years and a week old at the time, so only just legally allowed to drive!). In true Robson tradition, we headed out to the old wheel at Killhope, long before its restoration. Quite magical in the snow. I can tell you that a Renault 16 coped fairly well, all things considered. But a Cross will cope so very much better!

 

[doctorchris]

There's a slope just off the Stanhope to Middleton road at Bollihope Common which I use to assess my 4x4s. Muddy, very steep, rutted and strewn with rocks, I made my son drive up it in the Climbing (he still only has a provisional licence). He nervously did it, put a few dents in the sump guard and survived to tell the tale.
The extra ground clearance of the Cross will help when I get out there.
Great place when it snows, Weardale, As you say.

 

[Herts Hillhopper]

The extra ground clearance of the Cross will help

Yes, how much extra is there? Even Fiat seem unsure, quoting two different values on the website. I was under the impression the difference was only a couple of mm, but your comment suggests that it's more significant than that.

P

 

[doctorchris]

Well, HH, now you've got me thinking. Careful examination of the information on the Italiaspeed website suggests that the Climbing and the Cross both have a minimum 165mm. clearance under the sumpguard. It is the standard 4x4, not available in the UK, that has less clearance at a minimum of 160mm.
If it stops raining, as I still have both cars here, I'll bloody-well get under them with a tape and then we'll know for sure (once I've compensated for differences in tyre wear and suspension age).