There have been discusssions here regarding battery life and a lot of those who advocate replacing an automobile battery when it reaches a certain age, just as a preventive. What about headlight life? It occurs to me that I have never had to replace the headlight bulbs on my seven year old Dodge van. What is the average life span of a headlight. Does anyone here replace at a certain time frame as a preventive? Perhaps I should start thinking about carrying a spare.
Replacing headlights, just because?
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Bulbs are a funny thing as far as life span , it's a coin toss . I've had some last what seems forever and others not very long (or so it seems) . I always carry a spare and the tools (if needed) to change .
Right.
Some bulbs do last the life of the car, while others don't, for no special reason.
It might not be a bad idea to do a change as part of PM if the bulbs are really hard to swap out.
If they're pretty easy, such that you wouldn't mind doing a change on a cold winter day, just leave them be until they burn out.
Some bulbs do last the life of the car, while others don't, for no special reason.
It might not be a bad idea to do a change as part of PM if the bulbs are really hard to swap out.
If they're pretty easy, such that you wouldn't mind doing a change on a cold winter day, just leave them be until they burn out.
Like everything else today,bulbs seem to be getting cheaper and cheaper.No way you will get 7 years out of todays lamps.I have seen 2012s with burnt out bulbs already.Carry 2 spares so when one goes change them both,but be prepared to get 1-2 years out of todays stuff.
They recommend replacing in pairs because bulbs dim over time. Personally, I hate wasting a bulb, so I leave 'em til they die.
I've got a 12 year old bulb in my Geo and the other one is brand new because it burned out recently. The old bulb is noticeably dimmer. So maybe that is a reason you would want to replace early.
I've got a 12 year old bulb in my Geo and the other one is brand new because it burned out recently. The old bulb is noticeably dimmer. So maybe that is a reason you would want to replace early.
I usually just replace them when they burn out and always in pairs. If I can find a good deal on them and the old ones are well, old then I've replaced such lights in the past just because.
I tried a series of Sylvania Halogens in my wife's Accord several years ago and had problems with a very short bulb life, i.e. a month or 2, instead of years. I though I got some bad bulbs so I kept trying them and later found out that others with Hondas were having the same problem. I switched to Wagner BriteLite Halogens in 2007 and I recently replaced my first one in her car. That's good enough for me, they are cheap, bright and durable. The Wagner headlight assemblies in my Cutlass have lasted many, many years. I don't drive it everyday anymore (stopped in March 2009)but they are still kicking!
I replace them whenever they fail, unless you get the very rare bulb that goes to an obvious dim, which is also a fail.
Speaking of head lamps, I took the family to the movies about six months ago and I had one fail right when I got out of the theater. This was about 30 minutes from where I live, and even in a different state. I immediately drove to a WM to get a replacement bulb, but the air box prevented me from changing it in the WM parking lot. Sure enough, a Barney Fife was working that night and pulled me over and gave me a warning fix-it ticket because of the headlamp bulb. He wanted to write me up with a monetary fine, but I offered to show him the new bulb and the freshly dated receipt in the trunk. He let me go, but I had to show back up at his police station within 48 hours with a signed statement from a cop from my state that it had been fixed. (Luckily, my niece is a state trooper and she happened to be visiting me the next day and I didn't have to go out of my way to find a cop) The signed statement still really didn't satisfy him as I show up the next morning with the signed fix-it ticket and he wanted to see for himself that it had been fixed. I told them that I had driven a different vehicle that day and the my ticketed vehicle was at home. By the look on his face, I'm really surprised he didn't make me drive home and bring back the fixed vehicle. He told me to hit the road.
Speaking of head lamps, I took the family to the movies about six months ago and I had one fail right when I got out of the theater. This was about 30 minutes from where I live, and even in a different state. I immediately drove to a WM to get a replacement bulb, but the air box prevented me from changing it in the WM parking lot. Sure enough, a Barney Fife was working that night and pulled me over and gave me a warning fix-it ticket because of the headlamp bulb. He wanted to write me up with a monetary fine, but I offered to show him the new bulb and the freshly dated receipt in the trunk. He let me go, but I had to show back up at his police station within 48 hours with a signed statement from a cop from my state that it had been fixed. (Luckily, my niece is a state trooper and she happened to be visiting me the next day and I didn't have to go out of my way to find a cop) The signed statement still really didn't satisfy him as I show up the next morning with the signed fix-it ticket and he wanted to see for himself that it had been fixed. I told them that I had driven a different vehicle that day and the my ticketed vehicle was at home. By the look on his face, I'm really surprised he didn't make me drive home and bring back the fixed vehicle. He told me to hit the road.
Consumer Reports suggested to replace before they fail because of light output I think.
It is true that over time halogen bulbs will gradually dim and that it is not noticeable until you replace them with new ones.
I's say that after 6 years or so of regular use (less of course if you don't use your lights that much) you should replace them even if they are still working.
I's say that after 6 years or so of regular use (less of course if you don't use your lights that much) you should replace them even if they are still working.
Are all the cars in the US using the headlights as running lights during the day ? This is the case in Canada , we have to have headlight running lights or some of the new cars have LED's and the like . Having that of course puts a lot more hours on your bulbs then just using when you need them so the life varies .
I do think the quality of bulbs has dropped as I have noticed a lot of cars with burnt out tail and stop lights which to me didn't seem as common some years back so I'm thinking.... made in China ?
I do think the quality of bulbs has dropped as I have noticed a lot of cars with burnt out tail and stop lights which to me didn't seem as common some years back so I'm thinking.... made in China ?
Halogen gas in the bulb is to keep the metal atoms that boil off of the filament from depositing on the glass, and to cause those atoms to deposit back onto the filament. That way the diameter of the filament wire remains fairly constant, and the filament resistance remains fairly constant, and the filament last a very long time.
Originally Posted By: JimPghPA
Halogen gas in the bulb is to keep the metal atoms that boil off of the filament from depositing on the glass, and to cause those atoms to deposit back onto the filament. That way the diameter of the filament wire remains fairly constant, and the filament resistance remains fairly constant, and the filament last a very long time.
That's interesting and makes sense, I have found that I do see a slight carbon film on car halogen glass capsule glass, and I do believe that they all have quite a few hours on them.
Halogen gas in the bulb is to keep the metal atoms that boil off of the filament from depositing on the glass, and to cause those atoms to deposit back onto the filament. That way the diameter of the filament wire remains fairly constant, and the filament resistance remains fairly constant, and the filament last a very long time.
That's interesting and makes sense, I have found that I do see a slight carbon film on car halogen glass capsule glass, and I do believe that they all have quite a few hours on them.
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Originally Posted By: JimPghPA
Halogen gas in the bulb is to keep the metal atoms that boil off of the filament from depositing on the glass, and to cause those atoms to deposit back onto the filament. That way the diameter of the filament wire remains fairly constant, and the filament resistance remains fairly constant, and the filament last a very long time.
True, but UNDERvoltage kills halogen bulbs. The filament doesn't get hot enough to support the cycle. I would suggest people having trouble with short headlamp bulb life ought to measure the drop in their headlamp wiring. 12.5 V with the engine on is right on the edge. (The car "12 volt" system is actually about 13.8 while running) Undervoltage doesn't hurt non-halogen bulbs, folks who run their dash lighting, for example, on "low" find they last the life of the car.
Halogen gas in the bulb is to keep the metal atoms that boil off of the filament from depositing on the glass, and to cause those atoms to deposit back onto the filament. That way the diameter of the filament wire remains fairly constant, and the filament resistance remains fairly constant, and the filament last a very long time.
True, but UNDERvoltage kills halogen bulbs. The filament doesn't get hot enough to support the cycle. I would suggest people having trouble with short headlamp bulb life ought to measure the drop in their headlamp wiring. 12.5 V with the engine on is right on the edge. (The car "12 volt" system is actually about 13.8 while running) Undervoltage doesn't hurt non-halogen bulbs, folks who run their dash lighting, for example, on "low" find they last the life of the car.
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Originally Posted By: brentalan
They recommend replacing in pairs because bulbs dim over time. Personally, I hate wasting a bulb, so I leave 'em til they die.
If I'm not satisfied with their performance anymore, or they dim noticeably, I replace them. I do replace them in pairs, too, unless one dies a week after replacement.
They recommend replacing in pairs because bulbs dim over time. Personally, I hate wasting a bulb, so I leave 'em til they die.
If I'm not satisfied with their performance anymore, or they dim noticeably, I replace them. I do replace them in pairs, too, unless one dies a week after replacement.
I replaced mine with Service Pro bulbs. Noticeably brighter. Will keep the old ones for emergency spares.
If I repl one and it's noticeably better I'll repl both, otherwise it a one shot at a time deal for me...
I'd just as soon have bulbs replaced at different times as both aren't likely to fail at the same time(don't laugh happened to a friend with the OEM bulbs in a 'Yota)...
I'd just as soon have bulbs replaced at different times as both aren't likely to fail at the same time(don't laugh happened to a friend with the OEM bulbs in a 'Yota)...
Originally Posted By: Kruse
I replace them whenever they fail, unless you get the very rare bulb that goes to an obvious dim, which is also a fail.
Speaking of head lamps, I took the family to the movies about six months ago and I had one fail right when I got out of the theater. This was about 30 minutes from where I live, and even in a different state. I immediately drove to a WM to get a replacement bulb, but the air box prevented me from changing it in the WM parking lot. Sure enough, a Barney Fife was working that night and pulled me over and gave me a warning fix-it ticket because of the headlamp bulb. He wanted to write me up with a monetary fine, but I offered to show him the new bulb and the freshly dated receipt in the trunk. He let me go, but I had to show back up at his police station within 48 hours with a signed statement from a cop from my state that it had been fixed. (Luckily, my niece is a state trooper and she happened to be visiting me the next day and I didn't have to go out of my way to find a cop) The signed statement still really didn't satisfy him as I show up the next morning with the signed fix-it ticket and he wanted to see for himself that it had been fixed. I told them that I had driven a different vehicle that day and the my ticketed vehicle was at home. By the look on his face, I'm really surprised he didn't make me drive home and bring back the fixed vehicle. He told me to hit the road.
sounds a little tough to me.
I replace them whenever they fail, unless you get the very rare bulb that goes to an obvious dim, which is also a fail.
Speaking of head lamps, I took the family to the movies about six months ago and I had one fail right when I got out of the theater. This was about 30 minutes from where I live, and even in a different state. I immediately drove to a WM to get a replacement bulb, but the air box prevented me from changing it in the WM parking lot. Sure enough, a Barney Fife was working that night and pulled me over and gave me a warning fix-it ticket because of the headlamp bulb. He wanted to write me up with a monetary fine, but I offered to show him the new bulb and the freshly dated receipt in the trunk. He let me go, but I had to show back up at his police station within 48 hours with a signed statement from a cop from my state that it had been fixed. (Luckily, my niece is a state trooper and she happened to be visiting me the next day and I didn't have to go out of my way to find a cop) The signed statement still really didn't satisfy him as I show up the next morning with the signed fix-it ticket and he wanted to see for himself that it had been fixed. I told them that I had driven a different vehicle that day and the my ticketed vehicle was at home. By the look on his face, I'm really surprised he didn't make me drive home and bring back the fixed vehicle. He told me to hit the road.
sounds a little tough to me.
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