Has anyone else changed the headlights bulbs on your car as frequent as 2 times per year? Ive been using Honda and several aftermarket bulbs but they all seem to fail at around the 6 month point. Im bringing it into the dealer to see whats the real reason but just wanted to see if another owner has had the same problem.

 

You're wasting $$$$$$ on the bulbs then. I never had to change the bulb once on my last car and it was 15 years old when I sold it. Although my Silver Star bulb that I installed on my motorcycle only lasted for 6 years. I do believe motorcycle bulbs don't last as long car bulbs though for good reason.

 

I understand that you can not "touch" the bulbs with your fingers. The oil damages the bulb in some way??? So next time put on a pair of rubber gloves. I had the Misfortune of buying a set of blue super bright bla bla bla and they lasted about 7 months. I put my originals back in and they are fine. I think if we want something other than factory bulbs we will be spending alot of $. And others are brighter than stock and draw more amperage which burns up the wiring. China manufacturing is not worried about what these bulds do to the car just we buy them....

 

That's correct. Avoid touching the bulb glass itself with your fingers as the oils from our skin get transferred to it and make it more prone to breaking - the same applies with any halogen bulb, not just car headlights. When handling the bulb you should be holding it by its plug, behind the metal shroud.

Fortunately, if you do touch the bulb glass for some reason, you can clean it off with denatured alcohol before installation.

With halogen headlights you trade brightness for bulb life. Super-bright bulbs won't last too long. Personally I have a fondness for all-weather bulbs with a yellowish beam glow, because in my experience they give off really usable light (unlike blue or white) and seem to last pretty well - 2-3 years or so in my hands (note that I use my headlights more often than the average Joe).

 

Thanks for all the input. Ive actually had the dealer replace the bulbs themselves several time and they still go out. And everytime i change the bulbs, I make sure Im wearing gloves and no oil is on the bulb what so ever. The car is at the dealer now. We'll see what they say. I hope its an electrical issue and not me going crazy.

 

Well I would like to know what they find out keep us posted please

 

That is a lot of changes. If I run general electric bulbs they last years, and my rule is if the engine is on, the headlights are on (well it was until I switched to independent fogs).

I got sick of sylvania bulbs. Changing bulbs every six months was not cool.

 

Bulbs should last several years even while turned on as DRL's.
2 possibilities that I can think of:

1. You drive very rough roads and the bulbs are shaking themselves to death. make sure they are mounted correctly and not loose in any way. I know it is hard to screw up a bulb change, but we all make mistakes.

2. More likely I suspect an over voltage condition in the lighting circuit. This wouldn't trip the fuse since this tests for load, but would shorten the life of the bulb.

Next time you have a bulb out, put a meter on the contacts in the socket and check the voltage. It may be as high as 13.5-ish but any higher and this indicates a problem in a regulator on the lighting circuit. When you do the test run the engine at different RPM to see if there is a problem at high speeds while the alternator is putting out more power.

I had a similar issues in a snowmobile, but not in a modern car.

 

If its any help, GE headlights lasted usually 2-3 years on the civic, and that was 4 miles of clay washboard roads everyday between me and the paved stuff.

I've always wondered if the AC cycling and the resulting visible voltage drop affected the headlamp life.

 

knock on wood, but i've had the same headlight bulbs in my car since i got it 62,500 miles ago.

and now that i've jinxed myself, what's a good brand to use?

seriously, check the draw like the poster above suggested. something doesn't sound like it's hitting right if it's consistently having to be replaced.

 

So i got my car back and they tell me its that i use my lights too ?!?!
Seriously? So i talked to American Honda CS and they are investigating the situation. I think this is pretty funny. Any suggestions on bulbs or LEDs?

 

I use mine every time I am driving. It's just a habbit that I got into when working nights. Ever since then I just get in start the car and turn on the headlights. I now have 65,000 miles in 2.5 years and still on the original bulbs.