What's up with newer cars having blown bulbs?

[mclasser]

Driving around I see quite a few newer cars, from BMW's to Nissan's, having blown taillight, fog light and headlight bulbs. What's the deal? I've had cars that have gone 10 years on factory bulbs. I'd be pretty upset if my 6 month old Benz already needed a new HID bulb.

 

[bdcardinal]

People don't realize they can be covered under warranty?

 

[mclasser]

Originally Posted By: bdcardinal
People don't realize they can be covered under warranty?

A lot of people don't realize it until they get pulled over or fail state inspection and get charged $50 to change a $2 taillight bulb.

 

[bdcardinal]

Originally Posted By: mclasser
Originally Posted By: bdcardinal
People don't realize they can be covered under warranty?

A lot of people don't realize it until they get pulled over or fail state inspection and get charged $50 to change a $2 taillight bulb.


We don't have safety inspections here.

What bothers me is Prius and even Bentleys that have no rear lights on when they have the headlamps on.

 

[Charlie1935]

Originally Posted By: bdcardinal
Originally Posted By: mclasser
Originally Posted By: bdcardinal
People don't realize they can be covered under warranty?

A lot of people don't realize it until they get pulled over or fail state inspection and get charged $50 to change a $2 taillight bulb.


We don't have safety inspections here.

What bothers me is Prius and even Bentleys that have no rear lights on when they have the headlamps on.



Thanks to daytime running lights and people not having sense to turn on their lights when needed.

 

[WiskyBadger]

Originally Posted By: mclasser
Driving around I see quite a few newer cars, from BMW's to Nissan's, having blown taillight, fog light and headlight bulbs. What's the deal? I've had cars that have gone 10 years on factory bulbs. I'd be pretty upset if my 6 month old Benz already needed a new HID bulb.
Ive noticed this lately too. This along with bulbs getting harder and harder to change. Its a joke, some newer vehicles you have to take half the front end apart to change a stupid bulb.

 

[mclasser]

Originally Posted By: Charlie1935
Thanks to daytime running lights and people not having sense to turn on their lights when needed.

These people probably have their lights set to "auto" and are too stupid to manually adjust them in inclement weather.

 

[KingCake]

Originally Posted By: mclasser
Originally Posted By: Charlie1935
Thanks to daytime running lights and people not having sense to turn on their lights when needed.

These people probably have their lights set to "auto" and are too stupid to manually adjust them in inclement weather.


Uh well the whole point of Auto is you don't need to manually adjust them. I'll let you think about it.

 

[bdcardinal]

Originally Posted By: KingCake
Originally Posted By: mclasser
Originally Posted By: Charlie1935
Thanks to daytime running lights and people not having sense to turn on their lights when needed.

These people probably have their lights set to "auto" and are too stupid to manually adjust them in inclement weather.


Uh well the whole point of Auto is you don't need to manually adjust them. I'll let you think about it.


The auto lights don't always work as intended. Sometimes you have to switch to manual control.

 

[NHGUY]

The "future" of lighting was thought to be a light generator with light fixtures fed with fiber optic lines from the generator...this was to ensure long life.Never happened.Then came LEDs.The way everything is cheapened today,I doubt even LEDs will outlive the "old" incandescents of 10-20 years ago.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

A friend of mine has a 2005 Accord (not new) but that thing is CONSTANTLY blowing head lights, tail lights, turn signal lights ... interior ones never blow, oddly enough.

The Jetta rental I had to go to NYC (2013) blew 2 or 3 lights on the trip. One head light, one front marker and one tail light

 

[JHZR2]

Originally Posted By: bdcardinal
People don't realize they can be covered under warranty?


Ill be honest, I havent needed to read a warranty book enough to note that... I always figured they were "consumables"... But Ive never lost a bulb, even a headlight, during warranty period, personally.



As to the OP question - Ive figured it is due to greater fluctuation on the dc bus, due to more electric vehicles, electric actuation, courtesy lighting, etc. The more fluctuation, the more thermal cycles, the more chance that when a load that starts up is dropped, that there is a DC spike...

 

[oldmaninsc]

I just replaced the low beams headlights in our 2005 Camry. We bought the car new in Oct. 2004. Only one burned out, but since it wasn't much more to buy 2 instead of one, I replaced both sides. I have never replaced any lights on the Grand Marquis. None on the Impala - yet.

The Grand Marquis does have auto lights, but a cool feature (that I didn't figure out until 3 or 4 years ago) is when you turn the windshield wipers on the headlights come on even if it's daytime. The Grand Marquis does not have daytime running lights.

 

[Cadenza]

I think the answer is more and more Chinese bulbs.

 

[slo town]

What I notice is the late model, full-sized GM vehicles with one of their front running lights out. I see this all the time. A good friend of mine is a corporate executive with Auto Nation and he says this is a known problem with these late model GM vehicles.

Scott

 

[gathermewool]

Originally Posted By: KingCake
Originally Posted By: mclasser
Originally Posted By: Charlie1935
Thanks to daytime running lights and people not having sense to turn on their lights when needed.

These people probably have their lights set to "auto" and are too stupid to manually adjust them in inclement weather.


Uh well the whole point of Auto is you don't need to manually adjust them. I'll let you think about it.


Most auto-lights are controlled by light sensors. It's not always dark enough to actuate them when relative visibility is low (rainy and not night time.)

I'll let you think about it.

 

[skyactiv]

My VW has a blown bulb dash light indicator and tells you which bulb is blown in the info cluster when you start the car. Uses very low voltage I'm guessing. Playing with VAG-COM, I discovered VW has a factory setting for lowering the voltage to different bulbs to extend bulb life. I can adjust the voltage up in down in 1/10 volt increments. I've never fooled with the settings. I have only blown one bulb since buying my car new. It was a German made Osram. I think GM vehicles burn bulbs out quicker than any other manufacture. I think GM voltage regulators output higher voltage vs other car makers.

 

[bdcardinal]

It was sprinkling on the drive home today. In California you are required to have your headlights on anytime you have the wipers on. I was amazed at how many people did not have headlights on.

 

[HTSS_TR]

Originally Posted By: mclasser
Originally Posted By: Charlie1935
Thanks to daytime running lights and people not having sense to turn on their lights when needed.
These people probably have their lights set to "auto" and are too stupid to manually adjust them in inclement weather.

The 2006 Volvo V70 has full strength low beam as DRL, also the instrument light is on all time so that after you started the engine at night you may forget to turn on headlight (to turn on other lights such as rear parking light, side markers ...)

 

[Vern_in_IL]

Originally Posted By: Cadenza
I think the answer is more and more Chinese bulbs.


OEM bulbs made in China are non existent. Blown bulbs are warranty issues, you will find German, Japanese, and USA made bulbs in new cars. Brand names such as Phillips, Toshiba and Sylvania. Long Life bulbs are used(simply the filament is under driven)

Simply put, light bulbs are being utilized more, like mandatory use when wipers are on, using them as a economical "DRL"


...but Halogen is on the way out big league! LED's are on the scene!