blinded by the (lack of) lights

[Kent McLean]

I must have pissed off the Audi gods again. A few days
ago, in the rain, I drove to the used car dealer to pick
up the check I had left as a deposit on the S4 I decided
not to buy. I left my 200 TQ idling by the door. While
inside, I took a look at a pretty black Miata he had in
the shop. On returning to my car, I noticed one of my
headlights was out. I was being punished for ogling the
Miata.

Yesterday I was taking my my fiancee, her kid, and his
friend into Boston for the Celtics game. In preparation
I got gas, checked the oil (down a quart), and then
remembered my headlight. So I stopped at the FLAPS to
pick up a replacement bulb. As I have Euro headlights,
I wasn't sure what I'd find. They had "100W" H4 bulbs.
There was a little note on the box that said they were
55/60W, but the output of the Xenon light was comparable
to 100W. I needed something, so I bought them and put
them in the trunk.

So around 4:30, in the snow/rain/freezing rain, we went
to pick up the kids. As it was lousy weather and near
dusk, I put on my headlights. It took a while for us
to figure out that the headlights weren't working.The
Audi gods remembered my looking at the Miata. I tried
the high beams. Real 100W of power. They worked, but of
course I was blinding everyone coming my way.

When we got to the kid's house, I confirmed it. No low
beams. High beams showed a high beam on one side and
both high and low beams on the other. I was pleased
that I had picked up the bulbs. I opened the hood to
replace the bulb. But it was dark, it was freezing rain,
and I couldn't figure out how to get the bulb out. Do
you twist it? Pull it? Was there a holder? I was brain
dead. I'd save it for a better day.

My half-arsed solution was to duct tape over one of the
high beams, giving me an 80W low beam on one side and a
100W high beam on the other. It got us to the game on
time.

Kent McLean,
monkey lad