[enzo]

hi just wanting a collective input on what is available for insignia parts.


apart from k&n with their induction kits and

h&r with their lowering springs is there anything else out there.







www.insignia-enthusiast.org

[thermalactivity]

well i eventually picked up my car this morning and im over the moon with it!! :D the first thing i did was change the daytime running light bulbs from the horrid yellow looking standard ones to some "piaa extreme white" ones. attached is a photo of one changed and one left as standard, spot the enormous difference even in bright sunshine! i have to say the DLR's now look like a superb LED copy....

[lewisburglin]

Right im getting me some of them.... (looks for the link!)

[thermalactivity]

Right im getting me some of them.... (looks for the link!)

the photo doesnt do them justice lewis they really are as white as the led lights! if you private me your email i will send you the original size photo as i cant upload it on here for some reason? :confused: LOVE my car by the way!

heres the link from where i got them
http://www.lkperformancestyling.co.uk/product.php?ctn=piaabulbs&product=H226

[lewisburglin]

the photo doesnt do them justice lewis they really are as white as the led lights! if you private me your email i will send you the original size photo as i cant upload it on here for some reason? :confused: LOVE my car by the way!

heres the link from where i got them
http://www.lkperformancestyling.co.uk/product.php?ctn=piaabulbs&product=H226

Pm sent mate, they look mint, so much better.

Glad your liking your car mate I get mine back tomorrow, hopefully i can start enjoying it:rolleyes:

Get some more pics soon mate. enjoy,

[thermalactivity]

I get mine back tomorrow, hopefully i can start enjoying it:rolleyes:

hope its all fixed and you have many thousands of miles trouble free motoring from now on mate!

[cameron66]

I have a a pair of PIAA sidelight bulbs here, which came out of my Insignia. PM me if anyone interested. Also have sets of upgraded headlamp bulbs.
Nightbreakers etc.

[lewisburglin]

I have a a pair of PIAA sidelight bulbs here, which came out of my Insignia. PM me if anyone interested. Also have sets of upgraded headlamp bulbs.
Nightbreakers etc.

Damn! Just bought some!

[thermalactivity]

Damn! Just bought some!

when you come to fit them only do partly what the manual says! turn the cover anti clockwise to reveal the bulb holder then DONT do as the manual says and try to turn that anti clockwise as it just needs a good pull straight out! had me bamboozled for minutes :confused:

[cameron66]

when you come to fit them only do partly what the manual says! turn the cover anti clockwise to reveal the bulb holder then DONT do as the manual says and try to turn that anti clockwise as it just needs a good pull straight out! had me bamboozled for minutes :confused:

There's actually 2 small plastic clips... one either side of the holder which you are supposed to squeeze in between your fingers as you pull it out.

It just snaps back into place when putting it back in. Make sure the bulb is pushed right in to the holder. Last thing you want is the bulb falling inside as happened to a member on another forum... no idea how he got it out but he did manage it somehow.

[thermalactivity]

There's actually 2 small plastic clips... one either side of the holder which you are supposed to squeeze in between your fingers as you pull it out

oops yes forgot to mention those thanks cameron! i must have been squeezing them when pulling oooerrr!!

[rosco]

http://www.klasen-motors.com/shop/product_info.php?cPath=1_195_198&products_id=141

off i trot only 100 miles and i get it tax free :D

[Rockh]

Nice, I had read somewhere that Vx were checking the Insignia for remaps if any warranty work was to be carried out. Probably something to do with the poor DMF / Clutch and finding something else rather than themselves to blame.

[rosco]

my servicing is done by opel so no worries :D

[Rockh]

:) :)

[lewisburglin]

There's actually 2 small plastic clips... one either side of the holder which you are supposed to squeeze in between your fingers as you pull it out.

It just snaps back into place when putting it back in. Make sure the bulb is pushed right in to the holder. Last thing you want is the bulb falling inside as happened to a member on another forum... no idea how he got it out but he did manage it somehow.

Got my PIAA's today, got 2 packs for some reason.lol.Pics to follow ;-)

[thermalactivity]

Got my PIAA's today, got 2 packs for some reason.lol.Pics to follow ;-)

have you fitted them yet lewis? i can guarantee that you will be very pleased with the results....get some pics up ;)

[lewisburglin]

have you fitted them yet lewis? i can guarantee that you will be very pleased with the results....get some pics up ;)

Yeah I fitted them mate, look great.... problem being my cars fu*ked again! No power under 4k Revs. Totally un driveable.
So its back in the garage for the 3rd time in 500 miles.
Doesnt give vauxhall a good name really does it.

[lewisburglin]

Yeah I fitted them mate, look great.... problem being my cars fu*ked again! No power under 4k Revs. Totally un driveable.
So its back in the garage for the 3rd time in 500 miles.
Doesnt give vauxhall a good name really does it.

Oh and spoke to Ash (EssexAsh) and his car hasnt even moved yet no clutches in the country!, terrible.

[Rockh]

Not good :(
I spoke to Vx today about my colour display and all the dealer could say was it's been escalated higher through Vx customer services and they can't give me a date...
So, no sat nav and stuck with listening to the radio as I can't select tracks on the usb stick.
Starting to get very Pi**ed off.........
I'll be speaking to fleet tomorrow.....

[para999]

Yeah I fitted them mate, look great.... problem being my cars fu*ked again! No power under 4k Revs. Totally un driveable.
So its back in the garage for the 3rd time in 500 miles.
Doesnt give vauxhall a good name really does it.

think i may have mentioned somewhere i work for a well known motoring breakdown organisation. we get to know the hints and tips for various cars and the insignia has been flagged up recently for going into ' limp home mode'.

now here's the solution...........................
start with engine off and handbrake on now keep your foot on the foot brake and turn the ignition as to start the car but keep it turned to that postion for about 15-20 secs. don't worry the starter will not remain engaged for this length of time. once you've done this the car should have come out of ' limp home mode' it does work seen it done.... simples!!
happy motoring !

[lewisburglin]

think i may have mentioned somewhere i work for a well known motoring breakdown organisation. we get to know the hints and tips for various cars and the insignia has been flagged up recently for going into ' limp home mode'.

now here's the solution...........................
start with engine off and handbrake on now keep your foot on the foot brake and turn the ignition as to start the car but keep it turned to that postion for about 15-20 secs. don't worry the starter will not remain engaged for this length of time. once you've done this the car should have come out of ' limp home mode' it does work seen it done.... simples!!
happy motoring !

You seem to know more than the dealers matey, have a chat to Vauxhall for me!LOL. Thanks for the advice matey keep this in mind for when it goes wrong again!.lol

[para999]

yes you crank the car and hold it in that position, the starter motor will not keep engaged.
i will sort out the article asap and post the precise wording but after speaking to 1 of my colleagues he said that this is right

[PRO-INSIGNIA]

yes you crank the car and hold it in that position, the starter motor will not keep engaged.
i will sort out the article asap and post the precise wording but after speaking to 1 of my colleagues he said that this is right

All this procedure does is put the car in and out of transport mode. :(

[para999]

All this procedure does is put the car in and out of transport mode. :(

yes but its to get out of transport mode if you find yourself in iti.e limp home mode you see :D

[para999]

All this procedure does is put the car in and out of transport mode. :(

yes but its to get out of transport mode if you find yourself in it i.e limp home mode you see, which someone on here found themselves in

[cameron66]

As previously stated it is to get it out of transport mode.

Ie. if you hold the key in position 2 (engine start) for more than 10 seconds it will go into 'Transport mode' where everything closes down.

There has been a re-work fix issued by VX where the ignition barrel was sticking slightly, resulting in some vehicles going into this 'transport mode' due to this sticking barrel problem. It just involves the dealer lubricating with grease the barrel assy. Obviously the recovery companies have come across owners experiencing the issue.

[Rockh]

Some of the guys at work have experienced this and been to the dealers to get it sorted, thanks to the info on various forums. One has had it fixed but now the radio, parking sensors and a few other things have shut down and Vx have no idea how to get it working again. He's a bit cheesed off to say the least.

The saga of my colour display should end this week, apparently the part is in at the dealers, now just got to let them rip the car apart for a day....

[lewisburglin]

Sounds Like more people on this forum plus there friends have more issues than the amount of people that are happy with their cars.
'He's a bit cheesed off to say the least' ......I know how he feels!

[higgsy]

my radio packed in on day 5. everything worked except the radio reception on my 800 nav unit and they told me that it needed to be replaced. a week later they replaced it and all seems well (touch wood).

[thermalactivity]

the photo doesnt do them justice lewis they really are as white as the led lights! if you private me your email i will send you the original size photo as i cant upload it on here for some reason? :confused: LOVE my car by the way!
heres the link from where i got them
http://www.lkperformancestyling.co.uk/product.php?ctn=piaabulbs&product=H226

im biking and paragliding up in scotland at my sisters at the moment and just HAD to go to raf lossiemouth and take this pic!
i really think he should get some new bulbs like i did for his daytime running lights! :D

[thermalactivity]

im biking and paragliding up in scotland at my sisters at the moment and just HAD to go to raf lossiemouth and take this pic!
i really think he should get some new bulbs like i did for his daytime running lights! :D

ok i did photoshop it but i was parked on the other side of the road when i first pulled up to watch the tornadoes practicing touch and goes grrrrr here are both pics before the touch up!

[essixash]

Right im getting me some of them.... (looks for the link!)

Oooh i think im getting me some of them aswell

[lewisburglin]

Oooh i think im getting me some of them aswell

Cam's got some mate he's selling.

[cameron66]

Cam's got some mate he's selling.

Yes... still have the PIAA Super White side lamps, I paid dear for mine around £30, but if anyone wants them... yours for a tenna inc p&P

Also a pair of H7 Nightbreakers ... same deal.

Only fitted to car for 3 weeks before it was sold.

Also have unused VX boxed spare bulb replacement kit which includes a set of spare fuses in it. Which came in the VX protection pack with the car. I suspect however these are a generic VX bulb kit rather than one specific for the Insignia, though of course they should be for the Insignia as it came with the car. Dirt cheap.. see pic below.

PM me if anyone interested.

[higgsy]

im after some bright lights (when v/x have fixed them) so ive sent you a P/M

[cameron66]

im after some bright lights (when v/x have fixed them) so ive sent you a P/M

Replied to your PM, so PIAA bulbs are your's matey.

[thermalactivity]

Also a pair of H7 Nightbreakers ... same deal..

hi cameron are these H7 nightbreakers road legal and if so do they produce as white a light as our modified new DLRs do?

if so where did you get them from and how much were they as ive noticed how yellow the headlights look now in comparison to my DLRs...:o

[cameron66]

hi cameron are these H7 nightbreakers road legal and if so do they produce as white a light as our modified new DLRs do?

if so where did you get them from and how much were they as ive noticed how yellow the headlights look now in comparison to my DLRs...:o

100% legal matey, they are just a replacement for the original bulb which alegedly gives up to 90% improvement in brightness, the light is certainly much whiter, and noticably brighter. They are the same voltage and wattage as the original bulbs but tend to use a xenon gas hence the reason they give out a much whiter light. Some users claim they have a shorter life than the original Philips bulbs and that may well be true, though the ones I put in my old 56 plate vectra 150 diesel were still going strong after 2 years. Just make sure you dont touch the glass of the bulb when fitting them. IOW make sure the glass is 100% clean, a greasy finger mark will cause a hot spot and will likely shorten the life of the bulb.

I've been using these high performance bulbs quite a while now, its one of the first upgrades I do when I buy another car, they really do make a difference if you do a bit of night driving.

I changed the whole set of the front bulbs on the Insignia in one go, ie. DLR/sidelights, main beams and the dipped bulbs. I've done the same on this BMW.

A lot of forum members tend to go for the Nightbreakers mainly because they come in both H7 and H1 types and also because Osram who make them claim upto a 90% whiter/brighter light, which may be a optimistic claim, they also tend to be a touch cheaper than the Philips alternatives.
One thing is sure they are certainly noticable much whiter and brighter than the standard bulbs.

I've bought most types of these bulbs and IMO there is little difference between the Philips Extreme +80% bulbs and the Night Breakers, I suspect that its possible the Philips may last a touch longer, but no foundation for stating that... other than the fact AIS the ones in my old vectra were still going after 2 yrs, and they cost a little more...lol

The Philips Extreme bulbs are only available in H7 and are not made in H1 type. As my BMW uses H7 bulbs in both the dipped and mainbeam I have these fitted to both dipped and mainbeam.

Later VX cars including the Insignia use H7 for the dipped and a H1 bulb for the main beam.

I've experimented with both Night Breakers and the Philips Extremes and I cannot see any difference between them, the Philips Vision Plus +50% is also a good bright bulb, but not quite such a white light as its still based on Halogen, but its still whiter than the standard bulbs.

The Philips Extreme Blue range of bulbs actually have a blue glass and give a whiter light but IMO are not so bright, I have a new set here which I tried for 30mins one night but I thought they were not so good as the Night Breakers or the above mentioned Philips bulbs.

Whatever you get, you need a set of H1 type for the MainBeam, and a set of H7 for the dipped. A bit of useless info the outermost 2 bulbs are the dipped, with the 2 innermost bulbs being the mainbeams this is the standard arrangment on most modern car lights.

I bought all mine off Ebay... loads of dealers selling them, though I tend to personally keep away from a few on there which mention in the small print that the item may be a customer return/or over order stock etc.
They are probably okay, but for the sake of a couple of quid why risk it...eh.

Nightbreakers are usually less than £15, the Philips tend to be a touch more expensive.

HTH

[cameron66]

In addition to above.. though those DLR PIAA white bulbs are indeed much whiter, due to the blue glass they do lose some of their brightness just a little, probably a small price to pay for the better looking light. JMO.
However when fitting the high performance dipped and mainbeam bulbs, as long as you keep away from the Blue Vision type which again uses a blue glass to give its whiter light appearance, its really all plus's and a mod well worth doing IMO. You will end up with brighter and much whiter looking headlamps, it may not be the percentage improvments that the manufacturer claims, but well worth fitting for the improvment you do get.

[thermalactivity]

In addition to above.. though those DLR PIAA white bulbs are indeed much whiter, due to the blue glass they do lose some of their brightness just a little, probably a small price to pay for the better looking light. JMO.
However when fitting the high performance dipped and mainbeam bulbs, as long as you keep away from the Blue Vision type which again uses a blue glass to give its whiter light appearance, its really all plus's and a mod well worth doing IMO. You will end up with brighter and much whiter looking headlamps.

as always many thanks for such informative answers cameron - you know your stuff and like me do a lot of research into things before handing over that coin!
my colleague and i were discussing my lights today as i was following him and he did say that the new piaa dlr lights look MUCH brighter and whiter than before though my headlamps were very yellow when the came on. i like the pure white light look so ive just bought these from ebay http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=360199681539&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT - not the cheapest i saw though this seller gives you free sidelights so i may as well change those also! :D

[cameron66]

as always many thanks for such informative answers cameron - you know your stuff and like me do a lot of research into things before handing over that coin!
my colleague and i were discussing my lights today as i was following him and he did say that the new piaa dlr lights look MUCH brighter and whiter than before though my headlamps were very yellow when the came on. i like the pure white light look so ive just bought these from ebay http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=360199681539&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT - not the cheapest i saw though this seller gives you free sidelights so i may as well change those also! :D

Those will do nicely, however you won't be able to use the W5W lamps for your side lights.
Why... you may ask ?

Well the Daylight running lamps you fitted have 2 filaments in them, one filament the 5watt one is for your sidelights and the other 21watt one is for the Daylight running lamps. IOW the original DLR lamps are 5w/21w LW or large wedge, thats why they had 2 wire contacts each side... outer pair for 1 filament and the inner pair for the other filament..
IOW they are also your sidelights as well as your DLR lamps.

The PIAA bulbs you are currently using are actually slightly higher wattage 8w/28w if my memory serves me right. PIAA slightly increased the wattage to make up for the loss due to the Opaq Blue Glass of their bulbs, but its such a small difference its of no concern.
A lot of the new Fiat 500 owners use these too, as their DLR lamps use the same bulb as the Insignia.

The free W5W lamps will fit Vectra's and BMW cars however plus many others. In fact its the most common type of sidelight bulb in use by most cars... except the Insignia unfortunately.

[InsigniaNige]

Lads I've just read this piece about Piaa bulbs -- what do you think ? :confused::confused::confused:

nige



In the very first post about alternatives for the OEM DRL bulbs, I mentioned that those bulbs could be either replaced by PIAA Mirror White T20 double 580 large capless 27/8w (stock code H366) bulbs or by LEDs.

Checking out the PIAA website, PIAA 7443 Miniature Xtreme White bulbs are now available. Well, no matter which PIAA 7443 27/8W bulbs you are considering to use, please be aware that it is NOT recommended.

A member of Insignia Club in Greece has done it and he noticed that the upper part of the DRL reflector has melted. This is even more worrying if you consider that the car had very little use with the PIAA bulbs.

I believe that this due to the power difference, as the OEM bulbs are 21/5W, while th PIAA ones 27/8W.

Also, another interesting issue is that even with the PIAA bulbs, there is warning in the dash about the bulbs (same as with the LEDs).



UPDATE:

Except the PIAA bulbs, do NOT use any other aftermarket 21/5W halogen bulb, since there are some with whiter light, since you can end up again with the same problem... it happened.

[Melbury]

Some of the guys at work have experienced this and been to the dealers to get it sorted, thanks to the info on various forums. One has had it fixed but now the radio, parking sensors and a few other things have shut down and Vx have no idea how to get it working again. He's a bit cheesed off to say the least.

The saga of my colour display should end this week, apparently the part is in at the dealers, now just got to let them rip the car apart for a day....

People at some VX dealers have no idea of what to do about a lot of the ongoing problems that we see on this site.
In the case of the above mentioned problems it may be that you can fix them yourself if you have a look for 'Vehicle Settings ' in the menu.
Scrolling through until you see 'Restore to factory settings?'
To go for it turn the knob to get the dot in the appropriate circle, then press.
If at first you cant get this on the menu, then turn the ign key another notch or even just start-up.

[Rockh]

People at some VX dealers have no idea of what to do about a lot of the ongoing problems that we see on this site.
In the case of the above mentioned problems it may be that you can fix them yourself if you have a look for 'Vehicle Settings ' in the menu.
Scrolling through until you see 'Restore to factory settings?'
To go for it turn the knob to get the dot in the appropriate circle, then press.
If at first you cant get this on the menu, then turn the ign key another notch or even just start-up.

Tried that, needed a new HU. Took 3 months to get but as a bonus he now has DAB.

[svpworld]

anyone having heat probs with the replacement PIAA sidelight/DRL bulbs? I really fancy some to replace mine which now look so yellow since Ive replaced the main beams. I dont want to melt the light fittings...... would like to hear from experiences.

[a15htn]

Sorry for being daft... but what IS a PIAA lamp???
Are the led bulbs that seem to be very easily available on ebay etc any good? As they do look VERY white & bright.... us paupers with Exclusiv 130's would quite like something like that!!!!

Thanks,
Jim

[Rockh]

Piaa (http://www.piaa.co.uk/bulbs/bulbs.asp)

[Powerod]

anyone having heat probs with the replacement PIAA sidelight/DRL bulbs? I really fancy some to replace mine which now look so yellow since Ive replaced the main beams. I dont want to melt the light fittings...... would like to hear from experiences.

Hi svpworld
I replaced the original sidelight/DRL bulbs with the PIAA bulbs when I first collected my car in December 2009. I have now covered 15000 miles with the PIAA bulbs with no problems what so ever.:)

[svpworld]

Awesome, any ideas where I can order a set... the original link posted no longer works for me.

Simon

[Powerod]

Sorry for being daft... but what IS a PIAA lamp???
Are the led bulbs that seem to be very easily available on ebay etc any good? As they do look VERY white & bright.... us paupers with Exclusiv 130's would quite like something like that!!!!

Thanks,
Jim

LED lights will not work correctly as they are not dual filiment, the can bus system will also think that the bulbs are blown due to the low wattage, so you would get check daytime running lights appear on your information centre.
HTH.

[Powerod]

Awesome, any ideas where I can order a set... the original link posted no longer works for me.

Simon

These now seem hard to come across now. I purchased mine from PIAA Racing Ltd, but they no longer seam to stock them.
Rockh as added a link above to the site that will supply these bulbs but it looks like they don't do internet ordering so you will need to phone them direct.
Here is the direct link to the page you require for the bulbs: http://www.piaa.co.uk/bulbs/bulbshow.asp?ID=xtwhitestop.
You will require the H226 bulb / T20 DOUBLE 580 LARGE CAPLESS 27/8W.
If the price of £14.47 per pair is correct this is a good price even if the VAT gets added its still cheap.

Daz

[InsigniaNige]

Try www.demontweeks.com they should have the full range of Piaa bulbs http://www.pic4ever.com/images/wind14.gif

nige