Headlight bulbs burning out every month or two(Low Beam/DRL)

#11

On 27 Nov 2006 12:54:43 -0800, jmcentire (AT) gmail (DOT) com <jmcentire (AT) gmail (DOT) com> wrote:

Quote:

I have a 2001 Outback, about a year after I bought it one of the
headlight bulbs burned out, I replaced both bulbs with the exact same
brand/model bulb. Those only lasted about two months before one burned
out, I bought another thinking maybe I got a bad bulb and about a week
later the other one burned out. So I tried a different brand with the
same results. I have now tried three different brands of bulbs now and
still they only last a month or two.

To save money I have not been replacing the bulbs as a pair anymore,
and I notice this seems very random. Sometimes the both Driver and
Pass burn out at the same time, sometimes the D will burn out twice
before the P and sometimes opposite.

FWIW, Subaru just told my wife that they've had a run of bad
headlight bulbs from their supplier, explaining why she had
hers start burning out after a year.

- Rich

--
Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabis, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam.

#12

fish6525 (AT) yahoo (DOT) com wrote:

Quote:

On Nov 27, 2:54 pm, jmcent... (AT) gmail (DOT) com wrote:
I have a 2001 Outback, about a year after I bought it one of the
headlight bulbs burned out, I replaced both bulbs with the exact same
brand/model bulb. Those only lasted about two months before one burned
out, I bought another thinking maybe I got a bad bulb and about a week
later the other one burned out. So I tried a different brand with the
same results. I have now tried three different brands of bulbs now and
still they only last a month or two.

To save money I have not been replacing the bulbs as a pair anymore,
and I notice this seems very random. Sometimes the both Driver and
Pass burn out at the same time, sometimes the D will burn out twice
before the P and sometimes opposite.

If you are handling and touching the glass part of the bulbs during
installation with your bare fingers, then that may be the source of
your trouble. Skin oil deposits from your fingers will cause hot spots
to form on the bulb glass. The over heating will cause the bulbs to
burn out quickly. Suggest in the future to use rubbing alcohol on a
kleenex to clean the glass part of the bulb prior to installation. Once
cleaned, do not touch the glass part with your hand or fingers. I hope
this solves your problem. Bulb manufacturers should advise the buyer of
this potential problem, but no, I guess they want to sell more bulbs.

Really? I've yet to see a bulb (packaged for US sale) that doesn't
come with a warning that the glass should be kept clean and possibly
cleaned off with rubbing alcohol if in doubt. They also warn that the
halogen bulbs are pressurized and could burst if handled improperly.

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Headlight bulbs burning out every month or two(Low Beam/DRL)

Subaru Subaru vehicles (alt.autos.subaru)

Re: Headlight bulbs burning out every month or two(Low Beam/DRL) - 12-03-2006 , 08:48 AM

Re: Headlight bulbs burning out every month or two(Low Beam/DRL) - 12-04-2006 , 04:38 PM