If you find your headlight bulbs are blowing on a regular basis, then there could be several reasons why it is happening and by identifying what the cause of the problem is, you will save yourself the cost off continually buying replacement bulbs, and the hassle of needing to constantly change them.

Are You Using Your Headlight Bulbs For Long Periods?

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.

Its important to note that if you have fitted upgrade xenon bulbs they will normally last only around 200 hours, because they have been in effect tweaked to improve their light output. For drivers who do use their headlight bulbs for long periods you can reduce the amount of time between changes by fitting long life headlight bulbs.

Heavy duty components for headlights, which last longer than regular halogen bulbs, provide you the same performance as halogen bulbs.

Do You Wear Gloves to Change the Headlight Bulbs?

If you touch the glass section of the headlight bulb with bare hands, the natural oils within your skin will leave a small residue of grease behind. Once the halogen bulb is illuminated this oil patch will create a hotspot within the bulb and lead to it failing early. Therefore it is a good idea to wear latex gloves when installing new halogen bulbs.

Moisture or Vibration: Are Your Bulbs Affected?

Whilst most of the major bulb manufacturers used toughened glass in the construction of their headlight bulbs, they are still vulnerable to the effects of thermal shock. This means that if they come into contact with water that has leaked into the headlight unit, then it is very likely that the bulb will be damaged. It is also important to ensure the bulb is securely installed as otherwise the extra jolts and bumps it will be subjected to can damage the filament

Is Your Wiring System Correct?

When installing the bulbs make sure that the electrical connectors from the lights power lead are firmly joined to the metal connectors on the base of the headlight bulbs, otherwise it is easy to get a short circuit and blow the bulb.

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.

Are You Buying Good Quality Headlight Bulbs?

Inexpensive is something you tend to look for because you want to save money, but it is not always better. Quality of the materials used to create the light bulbs has a direct effect on how long they will last. Osram and Philips are two top manufacturers of light bulbs. The highest rating for bulbs is called the E1 mark, which Osram and Philips have. It means testing and quality has been found to be the best.

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