Burning through headlights at an alarming rate, what gives?

T

Trbo323

New Member
2005 4x4 TRD off road

So, in the last 4 months I have gone through 4 and possibly 5 headlights (memory is a little fuzzy on the first one or two)

I've owned this taco for 6 years now and it has never chewed through headlights like this before. I've been using Sylvia silvers so not their top of the line stuff but probably less life than the dimmer stuff as well

My daily commute is 15 min each way so the headlights in an average week are only on for 2 hours or so and that's assuming I'm driving around on the weekends

I know these are not the best headlights but even still, not getting 2 months out of a single bulb is worrisome and I don't want to put a better, more expensive headlight in the truck just for it to burn out as well

Anything I should look into?


O, also, before anyone asks, no, I'm not touching the bulb. I know how to change a bulb
 
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Get a scangauge or ultragauge and watch your voltage for spikes maybe.

Save receipt for headlight bulbs and read the package for warranty info.... Many have 1yr warranty on em.
Fwiw, i always turn off my ac, and have my heaights off when starting the truck.

Maybe it's pointless.... But I subscribe to the idea of on/off spikes and electronics not being friends. I've also turned the volume down on audio equipment before turning it off for decades.... Even now with technology I keep my "on volume" setting (if avail) set very low.
 
Three things will kill them fast. In no particular order, vibration, high voltage, and intermittent contact. Before you say you don't have intermittent contact, drive towards someone from a distance with your lights on and have them tell you if they see a flicker. Test on low and high beam.

My neighbor had headlight flicker that I saw when he was driving up the street. The flicker was so fast that he didn't see it when driving. He saw it when I drove towards him in his truck tho.

The intermittent contact turns the bulb on and off hundreds of times per minute, shortening the life dramatically. The contact trouble can be from the hot or ground wire.
 
Joisey said:
Three things will kill them fast. In no particular order, vibration, high voltage, and intermittent contact. Before you say you don't have intermittent contact, drive towards someone from a distance with your lights on and have them tell you if they see a flicker. Test on low and high beam.

My neighbor had headlight flicker that I saw when he was driving up the street. The flicker was so fast that he didn't see it when driving. He saw it when I drove towards him in his truck tho.

The intermittent contact turns the bulb on and off hundreds of times per minute, shortening the life dramatically. The contact trouble can be from the hot or ground wire.
Click to expand...
Good point, I never thought about that connection issue
 
I found it thru dumb luck. Probably hundreds of times per second it causes the bulb to flicker on a road that isn't perfectly smooth.
 
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