How long should bulbs last?

Wammer

I bought 2 Extreme Brilliance bulbs from Halfords in January. They were £24.99 and BOGOF. I could have bought ordinary bulbs for about £11 each. Both bulbs have just blown.

There is no other auto parts shop locally so I had no choice but to go there.

Under the Sale of Good Act, goods should last "a reasonable amount of time". Halfords say that there is no warranty on bulbs and they will only replace them within 28 days.

These bulbs have only actually been used for 3 months as it was over the summer when I don't do any night driving.

What is a reasonable amount of time you can expect a bulb to last? Is it in time, miles driven or something else?

tim9966

I think it's a 1000 hours use. You can't do it in miles as you don't have your lights on all the time (unless you have daytime running lights, but these are normally LED's)

However it also seems to depend on the car as my Dad seems to get through them every few months, but on my last car I had the replace them once in 3 years, and my current car which I've had for a year no bulbs have ever gone.

vikingaero

I stopped using Hi-Power bulbs after exactly the same problem. The standard bulbs last years, but I was replacing the Hi-Power bulbs every 3-9 months depending on the car. The bulbs run hotter for more light output and claim to use Xenon gas to cool them. But as you're finding out there is a cost to the extra light in the short lifespan.

Wammer

Thanks both. I've worked out that they were used for less than 100 hours.

I've just replaced them with Osram Night Breaker Plus bulbs which are also the extra bright bulbs so I hope I don't have the same problem with these ones. It does say "Extra lifetime", but I guess that means nothing.

reeac

I bought some Philips hi output [80% extra] bulbs about 3 years ago and they're fine but I can't estimate how many hours they've done. I fitted them to the dipped lamps only [4 headlamp car] and they're noticeably whiter than the ordinary main beam.

anotherbaldrick

The old Volvo's used to eat headlight bulbs , and some were a right [EMAIL="s@d"]s@d[/EMAIL] to get at to change.

oscarward

I sort of watched a 5th gear program the other day, if I understood correctly they were comparing a volkeswagen (polo?)to renault (clio?) headlamp bulb change.

V/W 5 mins, usual reaching from inside engine bay etc.. Renault 40 mins involving removing inner wheel arch liner and going in from there.

I used to have a citroen xsara picasso, in the end I got the dealer to change the bulb as I couldn't reach the unit from within the engine bay.

avantra

You should get one of these long life bulbs

I had a pair made by Phillips (I think they meant to go in Volvos and such that has daylight running headlamps) and they were rubbish as they gave a very short beam but lasted over 4 years in the Rover.

I replaced them with the above Osram which give much stronger beam, so far touch wood they are in for almost two years.

Changing a bulb in a Fiesta is a 2 minutes job and this is how it should be in any car, not sure what were the French thinking when they made these essential items impossible to replace alone.

forgotmyname

A lot of the + bulbs dont last as long as standard bulbs. Extra heat kills them.

Stephen_Leak

This time of year is always bad for bulbs. The cold weather and the extra "thermal shock" when they're switched on, and the inevitable happens.

I've got OSRAM NightBreaker Plus bulbs, and these have (So far. Touch wood.) lasted much longer than my previous original NightBreakers. The originals were getting a reputation for unreliabilty, which obviously prompted OSRAM to upgrade them. The Plus version has a thicker filament, a better mix of gas, and even gold plated contacts. The body doesn't even have the rough edges the old one did. They just look and feel more "up to a quality, not down to a price" than the old ones.

However, this will be their first winter.

PS. I always carry at least one spare headlight bulb. Not only does this mean that I can replace them without delay, but also, when I do need a new pair, I have time to shop around for the best price.

avantra

Stephen_Leak wrote: »

PS. I always carry at least one spare headlight bulb. Not only does this mean that I can replace them without delay, but also, when I do need a new pair, I have time to shop around for the best price.

That is if you don't drive a modern Reanult/Nissan/Citroen etc', if you do you will need to carry an extra set of skin for your hands to graft it on top, post bulb installation.;)