I JUST WANNA BITCH

Blog number 146                                               Jan 23, 2008

So the left headlight went out on our '94 940 turbo Volvo.  I bought a new bulb, took the right headlight bulb out because Teresa told me the right one was the one that was bad, but the right one was the wrong one.  That one was good.  It was the left one that was bad.

Her right was from the front of the car looking towards the windshield, my right was seen from the driver's seat.  I think I was more right (no pun intended) than she was.  But I digress.

I had the good bulb out, so I tried to put it back and it wouldn't go.  Now, the bulb capsule contains the bulb and the accruements which enable the bulb to be connected to the rest of the automobile.  It would only go in so far, not far enough to twist the lock that holds the whole thing in place.  It's a simple arrangement, a cylinder with three notches and that's it. Fit the notches together, push in, and lock.  Simple.

I jiggled, twisted, cursed, pushed and prayered, all to no avail.  Just then, the damn thing slipped into place. I could feel it going in that last quarter inch, and sure enough, the lock easily twisted into place, locking the bulb capsule into place.  Whew!

So now that I was on a roll, I took the bad capsule out, but could not get the new one in no matter how much I tried. I tried putting the old one back in, thinking maybe something was askew with the new one, but I could not get the old one back in again either. 

I called the Volvo people and asked them if there was a trick to it.  They assured me there was not.

I finally wound up taping the damn thing in place with duct tape.

I hold a faint hope that driving the Volvo will result in the capsule jiggling itself into place. 

Good luck with that, huh?