I have not normally carried a bulb pack while driving in Europe, which I know is illegal in some countries, as I have worked on the theory that you can always get a spare bulb at a petrol station.
During my current trip I found this not to be the case as the mk3 brake/rear bulb is not the standard offset bayonet type that we all probably know and they are impossible to get other than in a Mazda garage and even then they weren’t sure what type I needed.
So this is just a warning to be prepared with one of these bulbs when traveling in Europe.
I just wonder how ND owners stand with regard to “Spare Bulbs” as all the lights, other than indicators, reversing & fog lights and number plate lights, are LED units. I guess the French attitude would be to carry spare bulbs for the lights that use bulbs!
Just been told by a friend who drives on the continent a lot is that the requirement is that you carry the approved set, irrespective of whether they fit your car or not!
As I understand it, the relevant laws (in France at any rate) are not worded so as to require spare bulbs to be carried - with the proviso that if a bulb fails and you don’t have a replacement on hand, you must stop driving there and then.
Since my first car ( Ford Anglia ) I have always carried spare bulbs and basic tool kit. Whilst I know chances are I will never need them at least I know they are there, for the sake of a few quid it’s worth it.
the requirement to carry spare bulbs on the continent seems to just be an urban myth so far as i can tell! You no more need to do that in France than you do in the UK. So I have never bothered. I have relied on the handy AA guide to compulsory kit you need that you can find here;
Dealers are wonderful eh? Yes, it’s an unusual bulb, but a quick look in the handbook should have answered the question for them. W21/5W or 7443. It’s a push fit bulb, also know as a 580, not to be confused with the bayonet fitting 380 which is the more common bulb. They are shown on Halfords website and are available from various internet sources, not just Mazda. As for the ease of changing bulbs on modern bulbs I hate it when the instruction book says ‘contact your dealer’. Even changing one of these on the Mazda needs tools to get the boot liner trim clips out.