ZUKIWORLD Online | Suzuki 4x4 Editorial and Forum
ZUKIWORLD Discussion Forum => Suzuki 4x4 Forum => Topic started by: beercheck on October 11, 2008, 06:28:15 AM
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Last night I discovered both of my headlight bulbs' low beam filaments blew out. Brights were fine. All other bulbs are fine. I don't know if it happened right then, or if it happened sometime throughout the day (with the daytime running lights).
Anybody got a theory for an electrical gremlin that could be responsible? The bulbs were less than a year old, both replaced at the same time (so I had a still-good spare bulb in the glovebox, since only one bulb had actually gone bad before), and it's been dry here for days.
I've had both headlights burn out within a day or so of each other before, but never, ever, both at once. It's freakin' me out.
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I have had it happen to me before! Unexplained and it was fine after. Prob a spike or something????
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I have had it happen to me before! Unexplained and it was fine after. Prob a spike or something????
I'm leaning toward that explanation, but I still can't wrap my head around two bulbs blowing instead of a fuse.
Come to think of it, is there even a headlight fuse? Maybe the bulbs are their own fuses?
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I've had everything blown, both low beams, then while driving with the high beams on to get home, one blew.... then the other.
I replaced the bulbs and all was fine. One year later, I noticed something green on the passenger side inner fender well wire harness - it was fuzzy corrosion. Not sure if it was related, but I was having a horrible time with my headlights turning on by themselves whenever there was a hard rain. Haven't had a big rain yet to find out if it was the exact problem.
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This would be a good time to measure, even monitor, your battery charging voltage. A small, cheap Digital Volt Meter (DVM) will work. Harbor Freight frequently has them on sale for $3. The life of tungsten filaments is very sensitive to applied voltage. That means even a 10% increase in applied voltage results in only one-third of the design life (it's a 12th power relationship!). The charging voltage should be between 13.5 and 14.5. It's possible a bad sense wire or regulator is causing the alternator to run uncontrolled.
Of course, this may not be it, but it is a good place to start. Headlight bulbs have a well-defined wear-out mechanism and generally fail within a short time of each other. When the first one blows, the second is not far behind -- replace both, as you did.
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This would be a good time to measure, even monitor, your battery charging voltage. A small, cheap Digital Volt Meter (DVM) will work.
I've got one. Is there a preferred circuit in the cabin where I should wire it?
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I think he means to check the running voltage, right at the battery first, while running, than at the lights themselves, while running.
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Ooookay. An update...
I've found that high-performance bulbs burn out damned quickly on my truck ('02 XL7 for this conversation). If I get 6-months, I'd be surprised. I haven't had both go out at once again, but I continue to burn through 'em. Normal halogen 9003s last pretty long.
I'm currently of the belief that it's been happening because of the automatic-on (light-sensor) feature.
If I turn the headlight switch 'ON', then turn on the brights, the low-beams turn off. BUT, if the headlights (low-beams) are on due to the light sensor turning them on automatically, and I don't turn 'ON' the headlight switch manually, when I turn on the brights, the low-beams also remain on.
What I think is happening is that I'm cooking the hotter high-performance bulbs by running the brights with the lows remaining on. I love the extra brightness, but damn, expensive bulbs get expensive!
Anybody else notice this?
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I ran into the same issue with the bulb burning out. Your probably correct in that the driving lights take a lot of the life out of your bulbs, there have been a few write-ups on how to disable the running lights. I believe the relay is under the dash.
I just ordered a pair of bulbs from Summit Racing for 11 per bulb. We'll see how they hold up.
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Ooookay. An update...
I've found that high-performance bulbs burn out damned quickly on my truck ('02 XL7 for this conversation). If I get 6-months, I'd be surprised. I haven't had both go out at once again, but I continue to burn through 'em. Normal halogen 9003s last pretty long.
I'm currently of the belief that it's been happening because of the automatic-on (light-sensor) feature.
If I turn the headlight switch 'ON', then turn on the brights, the low-beams turn off. BUT, if the headlights (low-beams) are on due to the light sensor turning them on automatically, and I don't turn 'ON' the headlight switch manually, when I turn on the brights, the low-beams also remain on.
What I think is happening is that I'm cooking the hotter high-performance bulbs by running the brights with the lows remaining on. I love the extra brightness, but damn, expensive bulbs get expensive!
Anybody else notice this?
Yes - the "high performance" bulbs do have a shorter life span, the higher perfomance is achieved by designing the lamp filament to run at a lower voltage so that it is overdriven at the nominal 12V.
Regarding that "auto light" feature - there may be something incorrectly wired somewhere, it is supposed to do it's on/off magic through the #1 headlight relay, which is the same relay that switches the lights on from the manual switch, so the low beams & high beams should operate exactly the same no matter how the lights are turned on.
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Regarding that "auto light" feature - there may be something incorrectly wired somewhere, it is supposed to do it's on/off magic through the #1 headlight relay, which is the same relay that switches the lights on from the manual switch, so the low beams & high beams should operate exactly the same no matter how the lights are turned on.
Hmmm. I hadn't considered a miswiring possibility. I'm 99+% sure I transferred all the wiring over faithfully as stock from the donor truck, but it also had an aftermarket remote starter (which rocks) installed. I suppose that installation may have mildly boogered something up. I can look into that. Thanks for the suggestion.
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this doesnt really fix your problem, but I recommend you buy "eurodezigns" headlights, I ran them in my focus since I bought it in 2002, one set, lasted 5 years, and they were VERY bright, I was/am pleased with them.
Best thing, if they do blow out, you put one bulb in a regular letter sized envelope and put duct tape around the sharp edges, put a money order for 6 bucks in it, a letter with your name on it, and they send you a new set.
You cant beat it, I would get some for my sammy, but theyre sealed beam.