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  #1  
Old 01-20-2020, 12:02 PM
Innocent Bystander
 
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: AZ
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W123 headlight

About 3 months ago the right side headlight bulb burned out (low beam only). This is an H4 that was only a couple years old. I found an old spare bulb around the garage and put it in and it worked fine. It just burned out this week.


bad wires, bad plug socket, bad relay?

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  #2  
Old 01-20-2020, 12:23 PM
Hogweed's Avatar
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i would start with the possibility of two burned out bulbs....i replaced two lights in my bathroom and \both lasted only a couple months....they don't make stuff that lasts much anymore.
get a new one and see how long it lasts
Quote:
Originally Posted by mark82 View Post
About 3 months ago the right side headlight bulb burned out (low beam only). This is an H4 that was only a couple years old. I found an old spare bulb around the garage and put it in and it worked fine. It just burned out this week.


bad wires, bad plug socket, bad relay?
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  #3  
Old 01-21-2020, 09:43 AM
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Yep, probably two older/bad bulbs. Also, if you touch the glass part of a halogen bulb with your fingers, the oil from your skin will drastically reduce the life of the bulb.
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Old 01-22-2020, 12:24 AM
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Yes, I know about not touching the bulb, been at this for about 40 years with H4s.


No, they werent old bulbs, the replacement was but had zero time on it while the first one to blow was maybe less than 2 years. These things usually last well over 10 years.


Also forgot to mention that the right side brake light went out about a month ago. Probably just coincidence...
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Old 01-22-2020, 08:41 AM
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Ok, I just mentioned that about the bulb because surprisingly, not a lot of folks know about that. As for the bulbs blowing......it almost sounds like an issue I once had with a bad voltage regulator. It was allowing too much voltage (about 14.5 if I remember right) out and the car was blowing bulbs regularly.

Hopefully yours is just a small batch of bad bulbs. As was mentioned earlier, get a couple new ones and see how long they last and go from there.
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  #6  
Old 01-22-2020, 11:42 AM
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Buy only h4s made in Germany. Not expensive either. You will find the country of manufacture on the package. I would also do a quick check of the battery voltage at idle.

If you want long lifespan German manufactured H4 bulbs give you the best chance. Suppliers are well aware of this. As are many h4bulb buyers. I carry a spare Chinese bulb that costs a dollar delivered out of China in each car. Just in case I lose a bulb on a trip. I do not use Chinese bulbs because of their know short life charactaristics.

The way this works in the real world. If you have a spare bulb chances decrease of one burning out. Do not ask me why or how. I really do not believe that is a factor. At the same time I would not bet against it.

If you had a high resistance anywhere in the bulbs supply current it would increase the bulbs lifespan. Plus in most cases the light would be dimmer in comparison to the other side.

Last edited by barry12345; 01-22-2020 at 11:54 AM.
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  #7  
Old 01-26-2020, 12:05 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mark82 View Post
About 3 months ago the right side headlight bulb burned out (low beam only). This is an H4 that was only a couple years old. I found an old spare bulb around the garage and put it in and it worked fine. It just burned out this week.


bad wires, bad plug socket, bad relay?
I've had bulbs unexplainedly burn out way too soon for no apparent reason. Had a car in the past which would consume its drivers side foglight bulb twice a year, the passenger side lasted for years without issue. I just chalked it up to electrical gremlins, LOL



Also, just noticed you're in AZ, whereabouts?



Quote:
Originally Posted by barry12345 View Post

The way this works in the real world. If you have a spare bulb chances decrease of one burning out. Do not ask me why or how. I really do not believe that is a factor. At the same time I would not bet against it.

Truer words have NEVER been spoken! I can drive cross country and back again and never have a flat tire if i'm carrying a serviceable spare or two. But just running up to the local store with no spare tire or a heretofore unknown bad spare tire, and i'm nearly guaranteed a flat. It's just the way Murphy's law works I suppose.

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