Replaced high beams halogens (old ones melted??)

[rcy]

So my 10yr old daughter says to me (after driving to ski resort and home at night, once in my 2006 RX400h and once in Mom's 2010 Equinox), Mom's high beams are brighter than yours.

Now, I know that bulbs deteriorate over time, and these are probably the original (since March 2005) high beam bulbs, AND we have daytime running lights here in Canada, so the bulbs are on continuously, so I decide to swap in some new bulbs. I have HID low beams, but the high beams are 9005. I grabbed some Sylvania Xtravision (cheaper than Ultravision, Nighthawk Platinums etc etc.)

When I took the old ones out, I quickly discovered why the output was so low.

Any idea why both bulbs would have done this, or is just and age/heat thing (or maybe when they were installed, someone's oily fingerprints were left on the bulb- I know that's a big no no with these bulbs, so I used gloves putting my new ones in)

Don't think I need to point out which are new and which are old...lol

 

[UNC017]

This is why high-beam DRL's are a bone-headed, stupid, idiotic idea. That and the fact that they glare.

When the high-beams are operated at less than full voltage, the bulb capsule may not be hot enough for the halogen cycle to work. The halogen cycle depends on the bulb's glass capsule being hot enough to prevent metal halide deposition onto the glass. If the bulb is operated cold for long enough, a black film (metal evaporated from the filament in the halogen atmosphere) deposits on the glass... THEN, when the bulb is operated at full brightness the black film captures enough heat to OVERheat and partially melt the capsule, permanently embedding the metal in the glass and leading to what you've got here.

This, unfortunately, is exactly what you can expect from high-beam DRLs.

And by the way, whenever I find bulbs like this I treat them like little unexploded bombs. The weakened glass can burst with handling. The pressure isn't high enough to blow your fingers off or anything, but if the glass does burst you could get some shards in you. I wrap them in paper or rags immediately when they come out of the headlamp and then toss the whole wad in the garbage... often stuffed into the box the new lamps came in.

 

[Quattro Pete]

It wouldn't be the first time I've seen stuff melt due to being used as DRL, although it's usually the housings and not the bulbs themselves that melt. This definitely looks weird.

440: thanks for the explanation. I didn't know the details.

 

[bepperb]

It's the DRL useage that does that. Melts Highlander Headlight lenses all the time.

 

[rcy]

440Magnum, thanks for the explanation. Maybe some vehicle manufacturers have realized this as I sees lot of newer model cars using the fogs as drl. Personally, I'd be happy with all the lights (front and rear) on all the time, like my 1990 Accord did. Easier for the drones that don't put their full lighting system on in rain, snow and other inclement weather.

Any idea of how long it takes for the bulb to get ruined like that?

 

[bepperb]

I changed mine out at 60,000 and they were ballooned out pretty badly and opaque black on the sides. It starts out as a pinkish/orangeish deposit on the glass that you can see as early as 10,000 miles if you take the time to look. I'll just be replacing bulbs every 30~40,000 miles now.

 

[rfeir]

Thank the old GM for this dumb use of high beam bulbs. I don't think they are allowed outside of North America. Nor are bright amber front DRL's. (Outside of North America amber is reserved for flashing turn indicators.)

Also thank GM for the lack of amber rear tail lights, etc. But why did all the German makes have to take advantage of this odd loophole in safety regulations?

 

[nleksan]

Clear tails and corners look better. I replaced my 328Ci's with OE Euro Clear LED tailights and corners/sidemarkers with clears and use "stealth" bulbs that cannot be seen in the housing but light up a stronger orange than stock. The tails also light orange where they should, but the LEDs look so much better and are actually brighter, significantly so. Combined with projectors (headlights), new OEM Euro glass covers for headlights and fogs, projector fog lights, 5000K 55w HIDs in Headlights and 35w HID Foglights, HIR high beams, and 200-LED (per ring) 5000K Angel Eyes, I am very noticeable. I have the Angel Eyes ("Halos") wired with the DRLs and at night I drive with my lowbeams (HIDs), foglights (HIDs), and the Angel Eyes on. Beam is perfect with razor sharp cutoff and zero glare, and I have never once had anyone flash their lights at me (except for the few times I forgot my highs were on). So long as it is done right, it is the best you can get for street legal. Do it wrong and you become a hazard.

 

[rcy]

Originally Posted By: rfeir
Thank the old GM for this dumb use of high beam bulbs. I don't think they are allowed outside of North America. Nor are bright amber front DRL's. (Outside of North America amber is reserved for flashing turn indicators.)

Also thank GM for the lack of amber rear tail lights, etc. But why did all the German makes have to take advantage of this odd loophole in safety regulations?


Really...isn't it weird how with some manufacturers the same model elsewhere will have amber turn signals/lights at the rear, but they switch to all red for North America. Why bother making two sets of tail lamps? Just stick with the amber - I wish N.A. governments would mandate some of the things that are required in Europe.

 

[UNC017]

Originally Posted By: nleksan
Clear tails and corners look better.


Or not. I think they look ridiculous, personally. I always associate clear taillamp lenses with late 1980s land-yacht Cadillacs. They look ok on those, but absolutely silly on a modern car.

As for amber vs. red, I've had this discussion with Dan Stern about a hundred times. He's right, amber has been statistically shown to be a little safer overall than red rear turn signals. I think "red means rear" is a paradigm that amber turn signals break. But what is really the most awful thing is HOW red rear turn signals sometimes get implemented. If you have the red rear brake light GO OFF and start flashing as a turn signal, that's almost as safe as an amber rear turn signal. What's much less conspicuous is "dualling red lights," where there are two independently wired rear lamps- one for brake and one for turn, which operate independently just like amber rear turn signals do. At a distance when the brake light is on, the second flashing red lamp right next to the brake lamp is FAR less conspicuous than either a single flashing red, or a red brake + amber turn.

 

[nleksan]

I may have been unclear, but turn signals light up "amber", there is just no "amber" lenses anywhere on my car, as the bulbs themselves (and LEDs in rear) provide the color.

 

[UNC017]

Originally Posted By: nleksan
I may have been unclear, but turn signals light up "amber", there is just no "amber" lenses anywhere on my car, as the bulbs themselves (and LEDs in rear) provide the color.


No, I understood. I just respectfully disagree about the appearance. I don't like clear lenses on the rear because it looks either old fogey or ricer to me. Front signals- that's a different story because lots of manufacturers do that.

I do appreciate that you like your mods, and that's cool. You probably wouldn't like some of the things I do to my cars ;-) I especially respect that you stuck to legally allowed colors when the lights are on.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted By: 440Magnum
No, I understood. I just respectfully disagree about the appearance. I don't like clear lenses on the rear because it looks either old fogey or ricer to me.

Same here. Especially on a darker-colored car, clear tails stick our like sore thumbs and make the car look cheap. Alas, that's just my personal opinion.

 

[nleksan]

Well I do appreciate your respectfully disagreeing

Many people would not attend to the "respectful" part.

Despite the extremes I have gone to with my car, the bodywork has always been done as an "OEM Plus" look, using higher-end OEM parts wherever possible and even keeping the non-OE (i.e. Vorsteiner Carbon Fiber hood/trunk/roof/mirrors/etc) manufactured parts limited to "replicas" of actual production pieces, although often slightly less expensive, lighter, and with Vorsteiner at least, extraordinarily high quality.

Same goes for lighting. My LED tails were purchased from a dealership in Germany, and are specced for a '03 to '06 M3. All 3-Series got LED tails in 03, but the M3 design is slightly different which meant zero modification to either expensive lights or an extremely expensive dry carbon fiber CSL trunk.

Point being, they actually are as OEM as you can get, having been delivered to my door from BMW Munich and Manufactured in Germany

Also, I am not so sure I wouldnt like your cars... I have my own tastes, but I respect anyone who puts their heart and soul into their car (so long as they know what they are doing). It is like art, different opinions from everyone but most agree it is beautiful and, well, a work of art

 

[Garak]

Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Same here. Especially on a darker-colored car, clear tails stick our like sore thumbs and make the car look cheap.


Okay, I thought it was just me. One neighbour has an S-10 that's grey, and the clear tail lights look great. Another neighbour has a black one with clear tail lights, and that looks awful.

 

[HerrStig]

The '98-2000 Camry has "DRLs" which consist of running the low beam of the H4 at about 2/3 voltage. Easy enough to disable the circuit. I just make point of running the parking lights all the time. The H4 last a whole lot longer when it gets full voltage. In 2001 Toyota went to a different light set up which does not drop voltage to an H4. Running the parking lights (which are now LED) takes much less power than 2 H4 bulbs at "DRL power".

 

[Hokiefyd]

I disabled the DRL on my CR-V by pulling a fuse (thank you, Honda, for making it so easy).

It runs the H4 bulb's main beam segment at reduced power, which is bad enough because that's already the shortest-lived segment compared with the dip beam segment. But what's worse is I go through an access control point every morning for work, even with the DRL running, it's in the main beam segment with light everywhere, so the security guards still get glare in their faces.

 

[lexus114]

I have two drl fuses on my RX. I thoght about pulling one, but I believe they saved me from an accident more than once.