Headlight Burnt Out Again...?

Hey, I was just wondering if anyone else is experiencing frequent burnt out headlight bulbs on their '05? Back in early March I picked up a higher mileage Outback for my Mom and it seems like the low beams just keep burning out... First it was the drivers side and then the passenger side and now the drivers side again. Three bulbs in 6 months is not a very good track record by my standards. I've always been very careful not to touch the bulbs with my fingers when installing them, the headlamps are in good shape, clean and with no visible moisture in them. I've even tried the more expensive Sylvania bulbs at Napa and they burn out just as fast the cheap ones. Is anyone else having similar problems? I was thinking maybe Subaru just didn't get all the bugs worked out since '05 was the first year of the new body style with projector headlights. Or maybe since the low beams are used as DRL's as well, their life span is dramatically shortened? Maybe I'm just so used to my retrofit now that halogen bulbs just frustrate me. LOL Any input would be greatly appreciated.

There's a TSB for 2005s burning headlight bulbs.

Any dealer should have the correct replacement bulb. Since I bought two of them back in late 04 they have lasted until one stopped 3 days ago. I seem to recall I paid about $22.00 each.

 

I just ordered;

 

Name Code Qty Each Options

-----------------------------------------------------------

H7 bulbs: Osram Rallye 64217 2 18.00

65w Ultra High Output H7

Special-Service Bulb

Subtotal 36.00

Shipping 5.81

Tax 0.00

Total 41.81

 

From;

https://order.store.yahoo.net/OS/stat?yhst-

91565365470012+14088+50b36955cc93ab82f6aa

 

 

This is where I found out about them;

http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php/daniel-stern-lighting-and-subaru-headlight-options-45991.html

Or you could swap for HID at $80 a set from a forum vendor here.

 

Personally, I've changed my left bulb twice in a year (sylvania xtra-vision I think)

There's a TSB for 2005s burning headlight bulbs.

 

Any idea where to find this?

There's a TSB for 2005s burning headlight bulbs.

 

I've searched and searched with no luck so far as to a list of TSB's for 2005. I found several threads regarding burnt out headlight bulbs but that's about it. Any ideas as to where I might find it?

 

Any dealer should have the correct replacement bulb. Since I bought two of them back in late 04 they have lasted until one stopped 3 days ago. I seem to recall I paid about $22.00 each.

 

I just ordered;

 

Name Code Qty Each Options

-----------------------------------------------------------

H7 bulbs: Osram Rallye 64217 2 18.00

65w Ultra High Output H7

Special-Service Bulb

Subtotal 36.00

Shipping 5.81

Tax 0.00

Total 41.81

 

From;

https://order.store.yahoo.net/OS/stat?yhst-

91565365470012+14088+50b36955cc93ab82f6aa

 

So are you saying that if I were to get these particular bulbs they will last longer then any of the Napa bulbs?

 

Or you could swap for HID at $80 a set from a forum vendor here.

 

Personally, I've changed my left bulb twice in a year (sylvania xtra-vision I think)

 

Yes, while it's true that HID's would be brighter, when you install a plug and play HID kit in the OEM halogen projectors that are not designed for that kind of light output, you end up with hotspots/scattered light. Plus then you run into problems with blinding oncoming traffic, which is never a good idea. If I were to go the HID route then I would do a full Bi-Xenon retrofit from TRS like this one. Also, by going this route you end up with an additional high beam to go along with the stock halogen reflector lens.

 

http://www.theretrofitsource.com/product_info.php?products_id=254

 

But this is my Mom's car and she doesn't want to spend that kind of money on lights at this point.

The dealer will have the correct long lasting bulb, just bring your VIN in to them. There is a thread here some where with the OEM part number. I posted it back in late 2004 or early 05

 

I got the bulbs in the mail yesterday. Based on what I've read on here, the Osrams seem to be a good bulb. No one said they burnout like most aftermarket.

H7s aren't really known for their bulb life and then when you couple it for double duty as daytime running lights.. yeah, it becomes a pain. After I went through my first few pairs of bulbs, I disabled my daytime running lights (unplugged one wire under the dash by the footrest) and ordered the Osram Ralleye 65w bulbs that Lifeisgood posted above. They're rated for 500 hours of use and I just recently burned out my first pair that I ordered.. maybe about a year ago (it's been long enough that I can't remember when I got them).

 

Oh, in case you're looking, I ordered them through: http://store.candlepower.com/

That's where I just ordered mine.

 

I got them yesterday, Thursday. Ordered them Tuesday. I'll put them in tomorrow, Saturday.

 

 

Yes, while it's true that HID's would be brighter, when you install a plug and play HID kit in the OEM halogen projectors that are not designed for that kind of light output, you end up with hotspots/scattered light. Plus then you run into problems with blinding oncoming traffic, which is never a good idea. If I were to go the HID route then I would do a full Bi-Xenon retrofit from TRS like this one. Also, by going this route you end up with an additional high beam to go along with the stock halogen reflector lens.

 

http://www.theretrofitsource.com/product_info.php?products_id=254

 

But this is my Mom's car and she doesn't want to spend that kind of money on lights at this point.

 

The HIDs that typically blind oncoming traffic are in headlights that are improperly aimed. On the legacy, there is a vertical cutoff that is visible when you aim the car at a wall. Choosing the appropriate color temperature is also important (something around 3000-3200K is what a normal halogen outputs).

If you want longer life from the bulbs, make sure the headlamps are off before starting the car. Also make sure the handbrake is set. I believe the surge during starts will take out those bulbs very quickly.

The HIDs that typically blind oncoming traffic are in headlights that are improperly aimed. On the legacy, there is a vertical cutoff that is visible when you aim the car at a wall. Choosing the appropriate color temperature is also important (something around 3000-3200K is what a normal halogen outputs).

 

While it is true that in most cases blinding lights are due to improper aiming, you still can't get away from the hot spots & light scatter that comes with running HID's in a housing designed for halogen bulbs. Some OEM light housings are better than others though, like any projector will have less glare than a standard reflector lens due to the sharp cutoff shield, but once you've driven with a proper Bi-Xenon HID projector retrofit for a while you'll never go back. The output difference is absolutely amazing, and I've had my share of HID set ups on multiple vehicles over the last 7 years or so. At the moment I've probably got around $1500 invested in lighting on the front of my car and that's with doing all the retrofitting labor myself.

 

I'm not sure what you mean when you say vertical cutoff... I've always looked at a projector cutoff shield as horizontal with a small step up to the right so as to not blind on coming traffic but still provide enough coverage of the ditch.

 

Also, most OEM car companies use a 4300k bulb because they provide the most amount of lumens. The higher you go in the kelvin temperature (the bluer they get) the less light output the bulbs have. A 3000k bulb is actually a 4300k with a special coating on it that allows only the yellow wave length to pass through. Great in auxiliary lighting for foul weather but not suitable for primary lighting, trust me I was told this before but had to try it first hand... I lasted about a month before going back to the 4300k's.

 

Check out http://www.danielsternlighting.com or http://www.hidplanet.com/forums/ for more info.

 

Don't get me wrong, I'm not putting down anyone that runs HID's in their stock housings, it's is definitely a valid mid point between running upgraded halogen bulbs and doing a full blown Bi-Xenon retrofit. Right now I'm running McCulloch 3000k HIDs in my OEM fog lights in addition to my retrofit and I love them to death, especially in the rain. They are definitely brighter and as long as you can avoid endangering other drivers then by all means go for it. I'm just saying that there are better ways to go about running HID's in a car that didn't originally come with them then a cheap eBay PNP kit, especially for primary lighting purposes. Unfortunately they do tend to cost a bit more, but prices have really been coming down a lot lately. Talk with the guys at TRS for more info, Nate has been very helpful in answering any questions I've had in the past. They have excellent customer service and sell some great products.

If you want longer life from the bulbs, make sure the headlamps are off before starting the car. Also make sure the handbrake is set. I believe the surge during starts will take out those bulbs very quickly.

 

You bring up a good point... Maybe I should just disable the DRL's on her car and that would help increase the bulb life.

 

I'm assuming that all of you who have switched to a PNP HID kits for your low beams, disabled your DRL's first, right?

I can yes, disable the DRL's you don't need them.

getting rid of the DRLs is the easiest way to stop blowing bulbs.

Same as above. Disabling the drls definitely helped a ton for me. That and I also run Osram bulbs.

Out my Osrams in today. We'll see how they work tonight.

Frequently burning of bulbs is usually caused by one of two things:

 

• Overvoltage, and that means that your alternator is "nuts". The cranking can't cause overvoltage surges that kills your bulbs. Check the voltage when the car is running.
  
• Vibration, and that means that a different brand or wattage of the bulb will help since the filament and filament support will have a different resonance frequency.
  

If the voltage is OK, then it's only vibration left as a culprit. What the vibration comes from can be hard to tell, and high frequency vibrations are the cause.

 

I had the vibration issue on a motorcycle, and going from 55/60W H4 to 80/100W H4 solved the problem there.