Driver's side headlamp low beam keeps burning out
02-18-2013, 04:06 AM
#1
Driver's side headlamp low beam keeps burning out
OK, it's not like every week or even month. However, I never get more than 6 months on the low beam. The passenger has lasted two years.
I do drive quite a bit and have an hour and half pre-dawn morning commute. I've really like the Silverstar Ultra, but have tried normal 9004 bulbs too. Six months tops either way. Usually about 3 months.
Again, ONLY the driver's lamp. Never the passenger.
And yes, I make sure there's no oil on the bulb. The bulb is fine, it's the filament that burns out.
Any idea what I should check?
I do drive quite a bit and have an hour and half pre-dawn morning commute. I've really like the Silverstar Ultra, but have tried normal 9004 bulbs too. Six months tops either way. Usually about 3 months.
Again, ONLY the driver's lamp. Never the passenger.
And yes, I make sure there's no oil on the bulb. The bulb is fine, it's the filament that burns out.
Any idea what I should check?
02-18-2013, 05:59 AM
#3
Maybe you have a grounding problem that is exacerbating what may be a 4th gen slight weakness.
Case in point: my car. I've had regular 9004 bulbs in them. When they died, it was usually the left side 1st. I just replace them both anyway even though the right side was always OK.
Than one day I really tried to go hard core and get the most out of my 9004. I bought GE nighthawk Platinums. I also got an upgraded wiring harness and added a grounding kit. So the combination of wiring harness , grounding kit and nighthawk bulbs are AWESOME. They were so bright that people thought I had my high beams on when they weren't. I did not adjust the beam pattern one iota. One weakness: the platinums fail. Often.
About 4 months into my loving the nighthawks and guess what? Left side dies. Not only did it die, it died spectacularly. In regular bulbs, usually the low beam dies and hi beam is OK. Not so with the nighthawks. When it died spectacularly;
1. The left side low beam died.
2. The left side high beam died.
3. The left side rear tailights, both bulbs, parking light AND brake light, died. 4 filaments in all.
All the on the left side. One cool thing I learned is that the circuitry of the car is smart when it tries to warn me. The blue high beam indicator on the dash stayed on all the time, no matter what.
Perhaps the upgraded light harness and grounding kit could have "helped" distribute the excessive electricity better and played a part in killing the rear left bulbs. Who knows.
Anyway, I went back to regular 9004 bulbs and was happily surprised to find the the upgrade harness and the ground kit makes even regular bulbs a bit brighter too.
My suggestion. clean all your grounds and/or get a grounding kit. In the engine bay, any wire you see attaching to the body or motor is a ground. You can clean them simply by unscrewing and screwing them back in again. You could also be more thorough and use a metal toothbrush to scrape all the rust away on your ground connections.
Hope this helps.
Case in point: my car. I've had regular 9004 bulbs in them. When they died, it was usually the left side 1st. I just replace them both anyway even though the right side was always OK.
Than one day I really tried to go hard core and get the most out of my 9004. I bought GE nighthawk Platinums. I also got an upgraded wiring harness and added a grounding kit. So the combination of wiring harness , grounding kit and nighthawk bulbs are AWESOME. They were so bright that people thought I had my high beams on when they weren't. I did not adjust the beam pattern one iota. One weakness: the platinums fail. Often.
About 4 months into my loving the nighthawks and guess what? Left side dies. Not only did it die, it died spectacularly. In regular bulbs, usually the low beam dies and hi beam is OK. Not so with the nighthawks. When it died spectacularly;
1. The left side low beam died.
2. The left side high beam died.
3. The left side rear tailights, both bulbs, parking light AND brake light, died. 4 filaments in all.
All the on the left side. One cool thing I learned is that the circuitry of the car is smart when it tries to warn me. The blue high beam indicator on the dash stayed on all the time, no matter what.
Perhaps the upgraded light harness and grounding kit could have "helped" distribute the excessive electricity better and played a part in killing the rear left bulbs. Who knows.
Anyway, I went back to regular 9004 bulbs and was happily surprised to find the the upgrade harness and the ground kit makes even regular bulbs a bit brighter too.
My suggestion. clean all your grounds and/or get a grounding kit. In the engine bay, any wire you see attaching to the body or motor is a ground. You can clean them simply by unscrewing and screwing them back in again. You could also be more thorough and use a metal toothbrush to scrape all the rust away on your ground connections.
Hope this helps.
02-18-2013, 02:24 PM
#6
Am I missing something? That looks like it's just an "extension" cable, like it plugs into the existing bulb connector...
Or does it tap in to power through other wires I can't see on the amazon pics?
02-18-2013, 02:33 PM
#8
How could this be an upgrade when it is plugged in series with the existing harness?Apparently the main weakness of most headlight harnesses is the connection/soldering point at the very end of the wires just before reaching the 9004 bulb. With this upgrade you get thicker wires AND a thicker soldering endpoint.
It made a difference with me. Also keep in mind that halogen bulbs are extremely sensitive to voltage changes. A 0.1 volt increase results in a dramatically increased light output. Also a factor is how halogen bulbs get weaker over time. A 5 year old, perfectly functioning halogen bulb will be significantly less bright than a brand new one of the same exact bulb.
You ever see those cars driving around with headlights that look dim? I bet most of the time its due to 10 year old halogen bulbs that never failed.....but they did get weaker.
Last edited by dwapenyi; 02-18-2013 at 02:40 PM.
02-18-2013, 02:42 PM
#9
A cheaper way to do the 9007 upgrade would be to use 9004s and leave your high beams on all the time......if that's what you like.
Last edited by dwapenyi; 02-18-2013 at 02:45 PM.
02-18-2013, 02:52 PM
#10
If its worth anything, get an ANALOG volt meter, take the bulb out, find positive and negative for the low beam(there's 3 prongs inside the connector, low and high share the same ground connector), turn your low beams on, and check for a voltage spike.
Not likely you have one, but worth a shot.
Not likely you have one, but worth a shot.
02-18-2013, 02:55 PM
#11
I'm sorry but 9007 upgrades are for selfish drivers who only think of themselves. They are brighter because they have a completely different beam pattern. Putting 9007 bulbs into a 9004 system is like putting a bulb in that is half low and high beam, and that's why they seem so "great."
A cheaper way to do the 9007 upgrade would be to use 9004s and leave your high beams on all the time......if that's what you like.
A cheaper way to do the 9007 upgrade would be to use 9004s and leave your high beams on all the time......if that's what you like.
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