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Headlight keep dying

Fanatical Meat

Fanatical Meat

Lifer
I have a 2012 sonic, the right headlight keep blowing out. This will be the third change in 24 months. The light is in a sealed compartment and always looks clean when removed.
I do not touch the bulb, I do not use lithium(?) grease. I have been buying cheaper brand name bulbs.

Should I use the grease stuff? I don’t like it because it makes a mess and from the factory it didn’t have any
Are lower cost brand name lights that much worse than higher cost?
Have I simply had bad luck?
 
RLGL said:
Never use that product, instead use Die-electric grease. Maybe buy better quality parts.
Click to expand...

I’ve been using the low end Phillips parts. I can’t remember the name but definitely Phillips part.
Just is really strange that suddenly headlights keep burning out.
 
Are you buying high output bulbs? That is about what I was getting from the high end Philips bulbs (+30/50 whatever % the top one was at the time), the tradeoff of light output for bulb life was worth it for me. But I also ran my headlights all the time which certainly didn't help.

Viper GTS
 
Viper GTS said:
Are you buying high output bulbs? That is about what I was getting from the high end Philips bulbs (+30/50 whatever % the top one was at the time), the tradeoff of light output for bulb life was worth it for me. But I also ran my headlights all the time which certainly didn't help.

Viper GTS
Click to expand...

That is possible. I don't remember.
 
Is your headlight in there solid? I've seen situations where bulbs kept burning out and it would turn out some tab on the headlight assembly had broken, allowing the assembly to rattle around. The extra rattling was killing the filaments.

Also, have you looked really close at the bulb you're pulling and the connector inside? Some designs are just bad. For instance, my Oldsmobile Intrigue had turn signal bulbs as the inner most bulbs on each headlight assembly. They were 3157 Amber wedge style connectors. Only about 30 watts. However, that tiny wedge connector got hot enough consistently to cause the bulb base to actually melt inside, eventually breaking the connection. This is not unique to just the Oldsmobile. If you look for "3157 melting" you'll see that it's a fairly common problem across all those implementations.

I actually kept a couple of extra bulb bases from a Rockauto Closeout, and went through 4 of them in the 8 years I had the car. Others noted that simply switching to the little 2-5 Watt LEDs resolved the issues for them. Since at the time LED lights were pretty expensive, and this was just a beater car, I just kept swapping out those bases as they'd melt on occasion until I got rid of the car last year.

If you have a multimeter, put that on the headlight contacts and confirm the filament is actually broken. If it's not, it's not the bulb that's the problem, but something else.

Last thing to keep in mind is that when it comes to OEM headlights, the factory bulbs are very long life oriented, and dimmer on top of that. That's not necessarily a bad thing. If you seek out the OEM bulbs from your dealer or a place like CandlePower, you'll get a much longer lasting bulb. A Philips X-treme Vision H11 might last 300 hours, whereas an OEM Bulb is designed to last anywhere from 500-1000 hours+. Light output is usually what's sacrificed to make those numbers.
 
thecoolnessrune said:
Last thing to keep in mind is that when it comes to OEM headlights, the factory bulbs are very long life oriented, and dimmer on top of that. That's not necessarily a bad thing. If you seek out the OEM bulbs from your dealer or a place like CandlePower, you'll get a much longer lasting bulb. A Philips X-treme Vision H11 might last 300 hours, whereas an OEM Bulb is designed to last anywhere from 500-1000 hours+. Light output is usually what's sacrificed to make those numbers.
Click to expand...

I suspect this is the issue. In the aftermarket there's a big emphasis on brighter bulbs, you'd really have to go out of your way to find one that was life oriented like the OEM bulbs.

Viper GTS
 
I don’t know for a fact the housing isn’t loose however it would be unlikely for me not to notice that simply because the way I have to remove the back cover to access the bulb. I have inspected them coming out and it’s always a burned, broken filament.
As far as the assemble it is pretty smart basically you can’t put the bulb in wrong or not twist to secure it
I’m starting to think they are high brightness lights I am surprised those lights can burn out so rapidly.
 
What bulbs are you purchasing? I agree with Viper. If you want the longest life just buy the cheapest bulbs the parts store has.
 
Is your particular car known for blowing bulbs? I recall one of my prior cars was known for blowing the passenger side bulb...but the driver side was fine? Nobody could figure out why. I guess as a "last resort" you could buy an OEM bulb and see if it makes any difference. Would make for an interesting experiment.
 
NutBucket said:
Is your particular car known for blowing bulbs? I recall one of my prior cars was known for blowing the passenger side bulb...but the driver side was fine? Nobody could figure out why. I guess as a "last resort" you could buy an OEM bulb and see if it makes any difference. Would make for an interesting experiment.
Click to expand...

I’ll try that after this replacement.
This could be a mystery on the same level as windshield wipers.
Every new car or fairly new car I’ve owned the factory wipers work great and last a long, long time. The instant you change them you are buying wipers every 16 months minimum and those replacements rattle, bounce or streak bad. Doesn’t matter which brand or which model.
Never could figure this out. Why are factory wipers superior in every way but impossible to find as a replacement.
 
I've had good luck with Bosch (no frame type). But generally yes, for whatever reason OEM ones do tend to last a long time and they're not terribly expensive.
 
NutBucket said:
Is your particular car known for blowing bulbs? I recall one of my prior cars was known for blowing the passenger side bulb...but the driver side was fine? Nobody could figure out why. I guess as a "last resort" you could buy an OEM bulb and see if it makes any difference. Would make for an interesting experiment.
Click to expand...

14 months later and now I am changing the drivers side.
I just ordered some LED bulbs from amazon. Good reviews on them, slightly less power and *whatever you call the light rating* than the other LED bulbs.
I am really getting tired of replacing lights every year.
NutBucket said:
I've had good luck with Bosch (no frame type). But generally yes, for whatever reason OEM ones do tend to last a long time and they're not terribly expensive.
Click to expand...

Picked up some Bosch Icons in September. So far they have been fabulous. Thank you for this tip.
 
Fanatical Meat said:
14 months later and now I am changing the drivers side.
I just ordered some LED bulbs from amazon. Good reviews on them, slightly less power and *whatever you call the light rating* than the other LED bulbs.
I am really getting tired of replacing lights every year.


Picked up some Bosch Icons in September. So far they have been fabulous. Thank you for this tip.
Click to expand...

What LED bulbs did you buy? I've been using Hikari Ultra and they've been alright. They allow 90 degrees of rotation so you can orient them the most optimal way for more light on the road and less glare to other drivers.

Although in general putting LEDs into a reflector housing is suboptimal for both of these factors. Is it a reflector or projector housing? I've got projectors with a solid cutoff and have checked to make sure there isn't glare for other drivers on my setup
 
Justinus said:
What LED bulbs did you buy? I've been using Hikari Ultra and they've been alright. They allow 90 degrees of rotation so you can orient them the most optimal way for more light on the road and less glare to other drivers.

Although in general putting LEDs into a reflector housing is suboptimal for both of these factors. Is it a reflector or projector housing? I've got projectors with a solid cutoff and have checked to make sure there isn't glare for other drivers on my setup
Click to expand...

These:
Amazon.com: HONCS H11 LED Headlight Bulbs, 300% Brighter 6500K Cool White LED Low Beam/Fog Light Conversion Kit, IP67 Waterproof : Automotive

If they suck I'll pull them out.
 
"Extended Life" category

2012 CHEVROLET SONIC 1.8L L4 Headlamp Bulb | Shop Now at RockAuto

Electrical-Bulb & Socket Parts and More for Your 2012 CHEVROLET SONIC at Reliably Low Prices. Fast Online Catalog. DIY-Easy. Your Choice of Quality. Full Manufacturer Warranty.
www.rockauto.com

Agree with others, is either the brighter, shorter life bulbs, or bad (not springy enough) contacts in the bulb socket, or some other intermittent electrical connection causing repetitive, intermittent change in power state so the filament is wearing out from the high # of expansions/contractions.

LED bulbs in incandescent housings are illegal, and I fully support vehicles being stopped, then owner warned not ticketed the 1st time (let's be fair, even Amazon sells the effin' things which is disgraceful) but then towed away if owner can't change to legal bulbs on the spot to legally drive away. Towed to a preferred destination, not impounded... or escorted to a very nearby lot to park until daylight hours. The point needs to be gotten across to owners without getting too ridiculous about it, but DOT needs to step up and act on this issue as it is only getting worse.
 
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mindless1 said:
"Extended Life" category

2012 CHEVROLET SONIC 1.8L L4 Headlamp Bulb | Shop Now at RockAuto

Electrical-Bulb & Socket Parts and More for Your 2012 CHEVROLET SONIC at Reliably Low Prices. Fast Online Catalog. DIY-Easy. Your Choice of Quality. Full Manufacturer Warranty.
www.rockauto.com

Agree with others, is either the brighter, shorter life bulbs, or bad (not springy enough) contacts in the bulb socket, or some other intermittent electrical connection causing repetitive, intermittent change in power state so the filament is wearing out from the high # of expansions/contractions.

LED bulbs in incandescent housings are illegal, and I fully support vehicles being stopped, then owner warned not ticketed the 1st time (let's be fair, even Amazon sells the effin' things which is disgraceful) but then towed away if owner can't change to legal bulbs on the spot to legally drive away. Towed to a preferred destination, not impounded.
Click to expand...

Great input which I didn’t realize and great find on the extended life bulb.
Order is already shipping. I will install and inspect the brightness carefully.
 
Some of the potential intermittent power state causes can be a bit unexpected, for example some vehicles have a lamp out module, to tell you when lights go out, but do so by measuring current through a sense resistor, which even though low-ohm to minimize losses, ends up running hot and so the solder joints or traces/pads can fail, can cause the lamp failure... irony!
 
Last edited:
mindless1 said:
"Extended Life" category

2012 CHEVROLET SONIC 1.8L L4 Headlamp Bulb | Shop Now at RockAuto

Electrical-Bulb & Socket Parts and More for Your 2012 CHEVROLET SONIC at Reliably Low Prices. Fast Online Catalog. DIY-Easy. Your Choice of Quality. Full Manufacturer Warranty.
www.rockauto.com

Agree with others, is either the brighter, shorter life bulbs, or bad (not springy enough) contacts in the bulb socket, or some other intermittent electrical connection causing repetitive, intermittent change in power state so the filament is wearing out from the high # of expansions/contractions.

LED bulbs in incandescent housings are illegal, and I fully support vehicles being stopped, then owner warned not ticketed the 1st time (let's be fair, even Amazon sells the effin' things which is disgraceful) but then towed away if owner can't change to legal bulbs on the spot to legally drive away. Towed to a preferred destination, not impounded... or escorted to a very nearby lot to park until daylight hours. The point needs to be gotten across to owners without getting too ridiculous about it, but DOT needs to step up and act on this issue as it is only getting worse.
Click to expand...

Some OEM factory LED headlamps are worse than aftermarket LEDs installed in halogen housings. Not to diminish the nasty, blinding LEDs many people are using these days.

I thoroughly checked my headlamp projector aiming, cutoff, and glare before using the LED lamps and I also carry the old halogen bulbs in the trunk in case a cop decides to pull me over. (Or other drivers start to flash me or otherwise signal my lights are too bright. So far, neither)

Whether the OP has headlamp housings that could be suitable for quality LEDs, or was going to be this rigorous is another question, I suppose.

Let's be real, not all headlamp housings are suitable for LEDs but also not all LED halogen replacements are designed correctly to emulate the light placement and dispersion of halogen bulbs. There are combinations that work as well or better than halogens, however they are few and far between and when some jerk with a 1995 Honda Civic has the brightest LEDs in the fogged over factory headlamps blasting full brightness 6500k white light into every drivers eyes, that's definitely a hard no.

My (not legal advice) is reflectors? No. Projectors? Get bulbs that are configurable like the Hikari Ultras and make damn sure you don't spew glare above your projector cutoff, and that your projectors are aimed correctly.

I don't like violating the FMVSS but the rare occasion I do I try to make sure it's as close to the original intent as possible. In this case, not to have excessive glare to blind oncoming drivers, and to throw the light in the most beneficial pattern.
 
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Just changed one. While it is bright out the led light is more of a white light than the previous yellow light. Daytime glare is marginally more than the halogen when looking straight into it. Not a lot and this type thing is hard to describe but I have certainly seen trucks with more glare than my car has.
I’ll take a peek tonight when it is dark.
@mindless1 has an excellent safety point I did not think of.
 
Fanatical Meat said:
These:
Amazon.com: HONCS H11 LED Headlight Bulbs, 300% Brighter 6500K Cool White LED Low Beam/Fog Light Conversion Kit, IP67 Waterproof : Automotive

If they suck I'll pull them out.
Click to expand...

My first instinct is to say don't buy that garbage but I haven't done any research on it.

What I can say is that when it comes to bulbs, keep it simple and go Sylvania basics.
Also, if your housings are getting cloudy just bite the bullet and polish the lenses. It's worth it.

Sylvania Basics
Low beam is an h11
High beam is 9005
 
pauldun170 said:
My first instinct is to say don't buy that garbage but I haven't done any research on it.

What I can say is that when it comes to bulbs, keep it simple and go Sylvania basics.
Also, if your housings are getting cloudy just bite the bullet and polish the lenses. It's worth it.

Sylvania Basics
Low beam is an h11
High beam is 9005
Click to expand...

Yeah this or the previously suggested long life bulbs will be plan B.
The one I just installed got good reviews and I am encouraged by their packaging. Packaged like a high end smart phone, perfectly cut foam, solid well fitting box and came with some white cotton (yes 100% cotton on the tag) gloves to handle the bulbs.
Housing is still very clear, I had to use that remove yellow stuff on last car and it sucked. I have never noticed water droplets in there either.
 
Fanatical Meat said:
Yeah this or the previously suggested long life bulbs will be plan B.
The one I just installed got good reviews and I am encouraged by their packaging. Packaged like a high end smart phone, perfectly cut foam, solid well fitting box and came with some white cotton (yes 100% cotton on the tag) gloves to handle the bulbs.
Click to expand...

Reading through the reviews sorted by most recent...I walked away with a very different impression

"I’m really disappointed and was happy with how clear the Led lights were during the night i would really like a replacement as it didn't even go past 90 days only 78 days."
"These were decent lights until they just went out. Bought them 7 months ago. And today one of them just started going off and on. Then stayed off. Then came back on. Very disappointed "
"One of the bulbs didn’t last, bought on 08/26/22 "
"The only problem is that at least for me they only lasted 4 and a half months. "
"The problem for me was longevity. I bought two sets of these, one for my wife’s 4Runner and one for my SIERRA HD. Both sets completely burned out within 6 months, so I’m going back to halogen bulbs. "

Reviews are filled with comments about short lifespan
 
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