Low beam Headlights

Greetings, I’m having to replace my low beam lightbulbs about every 6 months. Is this a common problem and at what point does a reoccurring issue become a recall?

 

What bulbs are you using?

 

Thank you for responding. I’m not 100% sure, however I know I usually pay about $25 for each bulb. I’m heading to auto zone to purchase later today.

Sylvian rings a bell and brand possibly. Do you have a brand suggestion?

 

Make sure not to touch the glass with your bare hands…

Are you using a regular bulb or one of those “Ultra” bulbs ?

 

Umm, if touching the bulb is the problem, I’m so guilty of that. I’ll handle and install today with a rag. Thank you

 

Use latex gloves

 

Oils from your skin shorten bulb life significantly. Wear a rubber glove or avoid touching the glass portion of bulb. You could consider swapping out to a LED bulb.

 

I had no idea about this, thank you very much.

 

Another thing to consider is Sylvania has like 3 different levels of the same part number bulb starting with OEM equivalent and then brighter from there. If you are getting the bulbs that have a brighter output, their lifespan is significantly reduced.

I have since gone back to ‘normal’ output on my Sequoia because the higher output ones were barely lasting 6 months. I can’t really tell a difference in output, only price.

And yes, don’t touch the glass on bulb.

 

If you’re using anything other than the very basic Sylvania bulbs, a year or less may be typical if you run the lights a lot.

I always wipe my bulbs off with an alcohol swab before installing. And wear rubber gloves.

 

The Philips +60 bulbs are great. No blue coating on the glass (blue coating makes them whiter but actually reduces output). And they’re not overdriven to the point of becoming a 6 month bulb.

A nice compromise. Slightly brighter than a standard bulb and I got 2 years out of my last set (ymmv).