Travel Articles

Your vehicle may be burning through your headlights too quickly, and there are usually numerous reasons for why this is occurring. If you can discover the issue you will be able to save yourself from purchasing replacement bulbs, and thus the need to change them.

What is the Frequency of Use for Your Headlights?

The life of an original halogen light bulb is typically 350 to 400 hours. If you do a lot of driving during the winter, at night, or have your headlights on during the day you could be using your lights up in two to three months.

When you update your headlights to new xenon bulbs they are meant to last for 200 hours, however their light projection is much more than the standard bulb. Drivers who use their headlights for long periods of time can reduce the need for changing out their bulbs by getting a longer life bulb.

These tougher car bulbs contain heavy duty reinforced components and so last normally three times longer than standard halogen bulbs, whilst still offering the same lighting performance as normal halogen bulbs.

When You Changed the Bulbs Did You Touch the Glass?

Headlight bulbs are touchy when it comes to your bare hands because you have oils on them which can be left behind on the glass bulb. This oil will create a hotspot on the halogen bulb where it is illuminated by light. This hotspot then burns more quickly thus a blown bulb. You should wear latex gloves when changing your cars headlight bulbs.

Moisture or Vibration Affects Light Bulbs

Light bulb creators for vehicles do use a heavier glass when they build headlight bulbs; however there are still some areas where the glass can be more vulnerable. For example thermal shock is when the bulbs meet water, which leaks into the headlight unit, thus ruining the bulb. You do need to make sure the bulb is correctly replaced, and ensuring it is secure and protected from jolts and bumps to avoid damaging the filament.

Do You Have Electrical Issues In Your Car?

The connectors in the headlight holder are electric. They are the source of power from the battery to the bulb, and these metal connectors need to be properly secured to the base on the headlights. If this does not occur a short circuit or blown bulb will result.

It is also important to check that the alternator is not overcharging the battery and delivering more voltage than the bulb is designed for. Typically the maximum voltage of a bulb is around 13.2 volts.

Have You Purchased Quality Headlight Bulbs?

Whilst cheaper car bulbs may seem like a good idea, they normally lack the high quality and precision components used by the leading manufactures like Osram and Philips, and will not last as long. High quality bulbs will be marked with the E1 mark, which indicates they have undergone the most rigorous testing and quality standards.