What does an indicator bulb do?

Your indicators are used to make other road users aware of your intentions making them an important safety feature. Indicator bulbs are typically located in both headlight units next to your dipped beam and main beam, rear light units and they will be located at the side of wing mirrors on many modern vehicles. Broken indicators should be fixed as soon as possible. Without them other drivers will not know your intentions on the road which could cause dangerous accidents.

Mini

Mini is a British automotive marque that has been owned by the German multinational vehicle manufacturer BMW since 2000.

The Mini brand was originally introduced in 1969 when the vehicle model became a marque in its own right, breaking away from the Austin and Morris brands under the British Leyland umbrella.

How popular is Mini in the United Kingdom?

The Mini Hatch was the 7th best selling car of 2018 in the UK. Mini is a consistent favourite among buyers with a leaning for British cultural icons and retro styling.

There are around 750k Mini cars on the roads, showing that the brand is still as popular as ever due to their compact sizing, attractive styling and its reputation as a classy and classic small car.

Mini: a premium product of British motoring

With its unique and unmistakable styling, Mini is firmly placed as a premium product. Its ownership by BMW has added advantages in production, by being able to lean on the executive luxury German marque for many of the advanced technological systems and specialist industry knowledge used in their manufacture.

A piece of British culture and a Hollywood star

Enhancing its popularity as a household name, the original British Mini became a star of the silver screen when it appeared predominantly in the gold-heist movie ‘The Italian Job’ in 1969, starring Michael Caine and Noel Coward. With a remake hitting the screens in 2003, the new Mini was called on to star once again, and a selection of Mini hatch models continued the tradition by featuring in the film.

Mini: a new competitor to the most popular 3-door hatchbacks

Despite its small footprint, the Mini hatch is providing real competition to the Audi A1 and VW Polo due to its premium quality build. And with the weight of BMW behind them, it’s easy to see why.

How often should an indicator bulb be replaced?

Generally, indicator bulbs will last around 4,000 hours, however they may stop working before this due to damage, bad wiring or water in the casing. When your indicators are broken, other road users will not be aware of your intentions which could be confusing and potentially dangerous. In the worst case scenario, not having indicators could cause a serious accident, so it’s vital to regularly check and replace them.

The law, vehicle regulations and your MOT

Indicators and reflectors are checked during an MOT to ensure they work, and that they're secure and undamaged. Their brightness, position and the flash frequency of indicator lights (60 to 120 times per minute) will be checked by the inspector. If your indicators are found to be faulty or damaged this will result in an MOT failure.

What causes an indicator bulb to break?

Indicator bulbs can break for a variety of reasons. For example, because of a blown fuse, if water has seeped into the light or over time they can simply wear out. The most important thing is that you replace the bulbs as soon as possible as it can be very dangerous to drive without them.

What are the signs of a bad indicator bulb?

Usually, there a few signs you can look for:

• If your indicators no longer light up when switched on

• If your indicators are dimmer than usual

• Your indicators work sometimes but not always

What happens during an indicator bulb replacement?

During the repair our certified mechanics will:

• Inspect all the indicators and test to see which bulbs need replacing

• They will then disconnect the indicator bulb power wires

• Unscrew the old indicator bulb(s) that need replacing

• Fit the new indicator bulbs, ensuring they’re the correct size and type for your car make and model

• They’ll reconnect the power wires and test that the new bulb is working

What is the average life of an indicator bulb?

The lifespan of indicator bulbs varies depending on how often they’re used and the type of bulb you have. Generally, indicator bulbs will last around 4,000 hours. The best way to avoid being without your turn signals is by taking the time to inspect them on a regular basis.

Can you drive with a broken indicator bulb?

No, it can be very dangerous to drive without functioning indicators. Other road users will not be aware of your intentions which could be confusing and potentially dangerous. In the worst case scenario, not having indicators could cause a serious accident, so it’s vital to regularly check and replace them.