Re bulbs in cars.

Sunnyisland

Just wondering here ,My front headlamp bulb went today,No big deal but why does just one side go ? Why does not the two of them go together as there used the exact same time with no extra pressure on either one separately:) Anyone got an bright idea

CiniO

realies wrote: »

Just wondering here ,My front headlamp bulb went today,No big deal but why does just one side go ? Why does not the two of them go together as there used the exact same time with no extra pressure on either one separately:) Anyone got an bright idea

Probably for the same reason bulbs at your house go in random times in different rooms.

colm_mcm

Cos they're not 100% the same despite being mass produced

Sunnyisland

CiniO wrote: »

Probably for the same reason bulbs at your house go in random times in different rooms.

The headlights on your car are switched on together always, never just singular .

okane1

What side did it go on? Passenger side? Rougher side of the road, more vibrations going through the bulb!

You can ask the same question on multi bulb house lights. They are on for the same amount of time but never all blow at the same time.

Sunnyisland

okane1 wrote: »

What side did it go on? Passenger side? Rougher side of the road, more vibrations going through the bulb!

You can ask the same question on multi bulb house lights. They are on for the same amount of time but never all blow at the same time.

Drivers side.

Suppose, just wondering really,

CiniO

realies wrote: »

The headlights on your car are switched on together always, never just singular .

I'd say it has something to do with chaos theory.

Bulb is not like battery, which is supposed to give f.e. 2000mAh of energy.

Say bulb according to manufacturer should last for 1000h of lighting, but it might vary between 600 and 1400h.
That's why it's random.

The same with any other part of a car.
Like why your left bearing might go faster than right one? They travel the same distance, unless you are turning more right then left, which is unlikely.

101sean

Only time I've known the two go together was in my son's Corsa when he was he was over visiting, local flooded roads killed them but not straight away.

They were fine when he got on the ferry but driving down the M4 near Reading several hours later as it was getting dark he realised neither were working. Of course the last thing you can buy in most service stations is bulbs :rolleyes:

meercat

just as well they dont blow together
you could be in a lot of trouble on the road and the lights go out

(if they both went together it might stop the amount of drivers out there with one light though)

Sunnyisland

meercat wrote: »

just as well they dont blow together
you could be in a lot of trouble on the road and the lights go out

(if they both went together it might stop the amount of drivers out there with one light though)

And there are lots out there

Nforce

Also,when replacing the bulbs,if someone has handled the glass part oils from the skin will cause a "hot spot" leading to the bulb failing in a shorter time period.

Berty

Bulbs are impacted heavily by the weather, the light, the road surface(vibrations) and how well they were put in the cluster in the first place.

Bulbs are a filament that effectively burns brightly as power is run through it. It eventually burns out.

You cannot expect both to have the equal life as each other. The disparity between their lives is as comparable to watching two pieces of string burn. Which will burn faster? Who knows?

OldmanMondeo

Ok, I replaced both my bulbs just after I bought my current car in August 2010, put Phillips extreme, meant to last 30% longer...:rolleyes:

Anyhoo, last Sunday, bing goes the dash, "low beam fault", sure enough the passenger bulb blown, no problem, change the bulb on Monday when I got home, what goes this evening, yip the Drivers side.

Answer, take her car tomorrow and put the night breakers in on Saturday. Wonder how long these will last.

mfceiling

Thank your stars you're not driving a 5 series beemer.
Fcukin bulbs blow every week.
Saturday past and the sidelight comes up on the control panel...then goes off..back on Monday. 20 mins ago I go to the shop...bing....left reversing light.
Should have bought shares in osram...

bazz26

OldmanMondeo wrote: »

Ok, I replaced both my bulbs just after I bought my current car in August 2010, put Phillips extreme, meant to last 30% longer...:rolleyes:

Anyhoo, last Sunday, bing goes the dash, "low beam fault", sure enough the passenger bulb blown, no problem, change the bulb on Monday when I got home, what goes this evening, yip the Drivers side.

Answer, take her car tomorrow and put the night breakers in on Saturday. Wonder how long these will last.

Osram Nightbreakers like the Phillips Extremes are more intense than standard 55w bulbs, this means they have a shorter life. I got 9 months out of a set of nightbreakers. I have Osram long lifes fitted now as it is a right PITA to change a bulb in my car, Osram guarantee them for 3 years, not as bright as the nightbreakers though but still good enough.

YouTookMyName

I find nightbreakers will dim a lot before they blow.

Berty

YouTookMyName wrote: »

I find nightbreakers will dim a lot before they blow.

I attest to this. I took the nightbreaker from the main beam when it went and put that in the dipped. The dipped and the other dipped are different so I changed them both instead.

OldmanMondeo

mfceiling wrote: »

Thank your stars you're not driving a 5 series beemer.
Fcukin bulbs blow every week.
Saturday past and the sidelight comes up on the control panel...then goes off..back on Monday. 20 mins ago I go to the shop...bing....left reversing light.
Should have bought shares in osram...

Check all bulbs in the car are correct, same thing happened a mate of mine, bulbs kept blowing, turned out 1 bulb was replaced wrong and caused the lot to blow 1 x 1.

OldmanMondeo

bazz26 wrote: »

Osram Nightbreakers like the Phillips Extremes are more intense than standard 55w bulbs, this means they have a shorter life. I got 9 months out of a set of nightbreakers. I have Osram long lifes fitted now as it is a right PITA to change a bulb in my car, Osram guarantee them for 3 years, not as bright as the nightbreakers though but still good enough.

Place I work for imports them, so I get them at a very good price.

Berty

Have had the same set of Nightbreakers in car since February this year and I drive with my lights on for around 25+ hours per week(do about 1400kms per week). 1 Bulb only went last week. Not bad.

L1011

mfceiling wrote: »

Thank your stars you're not driving a 5 series beemer.
Fcukin bulbs blow every week.
Saturday past and the sidelight comes up on the control panel...then goes off..back on Monday. 20 mins ago I go to the shop...bing....left reversing light.
Should have bought shares in osram...

Or a Citroen.

Had a C4 Van. Completely indestructible except the headlights. Went through one every 20k more or less. Never blew a different bulb though!

Astravan that's replaced it has done 90k+ without needing a single bulb replaced.

mathepac

I've just put the original 7-year old German (?) bulbs back in my car. I've had both Osram Nightbreakers & Phillips Extreme in the car and neither set lasted an entire winter.

Bebo stunnah

colm_mcm wrote: »

Cos they're not 100% the same despite being mass produced

bingo!

you never asked why all of your lights didnt go at the same time, for instance, your rear lights are on the longest out of the lot of them! theyre on from parking light-full headlights... different quality bulbs have a variable shelf life

mfceiling

MYOB wrote: »

Or a Citroen.

Had a C4 Van. Completely indestructible except the headlights. Went through one every 20k more or less. Never blew a different bulb though!

Astravan that's replaced it has done 90k+ without needing a single bulb replaced.

Just to bump this with a head wrecking story...

Reversing light gone on car...nct on Saturday morning.
Put in new bulb (€5.49) outside nct centre before test.
Car is tested and passes.
Tester says car is parked outside and is ready to go.
Jump into car, engage reverse and "bing" - computer tells me bulb is gone again....WTF....how can it go after one to two uses??
Fcuk I hate this car...

E39MSport

mfceiling wrote: »

Thank your stars you're not driving a 5 series beemer.
Fcukin bulbs blow every week.
Saturday past and the sidelight comes up on the control panel...then goes off..back on Monday. 20 mins ago I go to the shop...bing....left reversing light.
Should have bought shares in osram...

2 bulbs in 4 years for me - one brake and one angel.

Gophur

OldmanMondeo wrote: »

Check all bulbs in the car are correct, same thing happened a mate of mine, bulbs kept blowing, turned out 1 bulb was replaced wrong and caused the lot to blow 1 x 1.

That's not possible.

mfceiling

E39MSport wrote: »

2 bulbs in 4 years for me - one brake and one angel.

Fancy a swap:D:D

cjt156

mfceiling wrote: »

Just to bump this with a head wrecking story...

Reversing light gone on car...nct on Saturday morning.
Put in new bulb (€5.49) outside nct centre before test.
Car is tested and passes.
Tester says car is parked outside and is ready to go.
Jump into car, engage reverse and "bing" - computer tells me bulb is gone again....WTF....how can it go after one to two uses??
Fcuk I hate this car...

That's not normal; I'd guess either someone (;)) is changing them with greasy paws or you've an earthing issue somewhere.

OldmanMondeo

Gophur wrote: »

That's not possible.

Might not be possible, but once the correct bulb was replaced, no bulbs had blown since, nor before the wrong one was put in....

Must also say, I have the night breakers in now and I think the Phillips extreme gave a better light....

si_guru

MYOB wrote: »

Or a Citroen.

Had a C4 Van. Completely indestructible except the headlights. Went through one every 20k more or less. Never blew a different bulb though!

Ditto. We have a C4 GP that went thru' a phase of blowing dip and side light bulbs.. and those side light bulbs are €7! I think 6 in 6 months... now now in 1 year.....

Nightbreakers are a waste of cash... I had a Berlingo. first 2 years on standard bulbs. Put in NBs.. 3 months and both went within 1 week. Put back the orignal bulbs and sold the car 2 years later with them still in.

hidinginthebush

meercat wrote: »

just as well they dont blow together
you could be in a lot of trouble on the road and the lights go out

(if they both went together it might stop the amount of drivers out there with one light though)

I saw someone drive past me yesterday who compensated the fact that his head lights were gone by having his fogs on

Also, I went to change a bulb last week, went out, took the bulb out and all, got called for dinner so I put the dead bulb back in and ran inside for food. Came back out to change the bulb, but it now worked?! Positively ghoulish! I know it was probably a loose conenction, but I'm putting it down as supernatural.

mfceiling

Bump....

Front indicator bulb yesterday...

OldmanMondeo

hidinginthebush wrote: »

I saw someone drive past me yesterday who compensated the fact that his head lights were gone by having his fogs on

In fairness when my bulbs went I used the front fogs until I got to change the bulb.

_Kaiser_

Changed the dipped bulbs in my 06 Passat yesterday for new Osram Nightbreaker Plus (the latest and greatest - apparently) and as usual I cut the hand off myself trying to do it.

Seriously, whoever the genius in VW's design team that decided putting the water bottle directly behind the right headlight unit was a good idea should be shot!

Is there an easier way to do this or can the headlight be even partially removed or something - short of taking the whole bumper off.

langdang

Her Mini has 3 sets of nightbreakers. 2 h7, 1 h3. Dips need 1 set per year, full beams last nearly 2years and spots haven't been ever replaced. Hard suspension, Irish roads. Lights all built into bonnet so they get a bang every time bonnet is closed. Plus surges and dips in voltage as electro hydraulic powersteering comes in and out - not bad really!

GerardKeating

okane1 wrote: »

What side did it go on? Passenger side? Rougher side of the road, more vibrations going through the bulb!

You can ask the same question on multi bulb house lights. They are on for the same amount of time but never all blow at the same time.

My kitchen has a dozen GU50 lights, all switched on/off together and half them are three years old, the other half seem to need replacing every year.

Same in the hall, there are six, and the same two keep going.

mfceiling

Bing...front drivers headlight 10 minutes ago.
Beyond a joke now.
Going to send BMW an email to see if this is a known fault or have I been sold a dud.

bcmf

mfceiling wrote: »

Thank your stars you're not driving a 5 series beemer.
Fcukin bulbs blow every week.
Saturday past and the sidelight comes up on the control panel...then goes off..back on Monday. 20 mins ago I go to the shop...bing....left reversing light.
Should have bought shares in osram...

mfceiling wrote: »

Bing...front drivers headlight 10 minutes ago.
Beyond a joke now.
Going to send BMW an email to see if this is a known fault or have I been sold a dud.

mfceiling; I would get yourself a decent auto leccy and/or start a new thread and/or find a good BMW owners forum : join and ask or just search.
From my limited knowledge it sounds like a bad earth somehwere but (without srating the bleedin' obvious) to blow that amount of bulbs isnt normal.

Gophur

If bulbs are blowing because of electrical spikes you have a car that needs serious attention. Such problems could cause major ECU damage

mfceiling

^^

Thanks lads.
Will have to get it looked about definitely....costs more on bulbs than feckin diesel!!