by Ethan Melandri

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.

The Times You Use Your Headlights Affect their Usage

The typical expected lifespan of a standard halogen headlight bulb is around 350 to 400 hours, so if you are driving a lot during the long winter nights or even if you keep your headlights on during the day it is possible that your bulbs could only last 2 to 3 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?

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

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

Do You Have Electrical Issues In Your Car?

In the headlights there are electrical connectors which supplies power to the bulb. You will need to make sure these metal connectors are in the right place and secure to avoid a short circuit or burning of the bulb.

You also want to check that the alternator is not providing too much power to the battery, which offers a higher voltage than the bulb can handle. Volts for a headlight bulb are 13.2 as a maximum.

Do You Have Quality Light Bulbs for Vehicles?

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.

About the Author:
Replacing your Headlight Bulbs can be quite time consuming and fiddly, so you should always invest in high quality Car Bulbs which have been stringently tested, will last a long time and will produce an optimum performance throughout there lifespan.

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