Please shine some light on my maddening problem: The flippin’ bulbs in my headlights only last about two or three months before they go out, usually when I start the car but sometimes while driving. Have tried multiple brands, wattages and price points, they all go dark far sooner than they should. My mechanic is stumped. Google reveals it’s a common problem in CR-Vs of certain years, but I’ve never found a solution. If you can, then thank you!
umm… i’m sorry for maybe a stupid response but maybe it’s the headlights problems. It may be because of the car’s entire electric system as well. have you checked your electric system? checking headlights’ status is a good start. as long as there’s a problem with your electricity or headlights, changing bulbs won’t solve it.
Are you touching the bulbs with your skin when you install them? If so, you’re generally not supposed to do that.
Check that voltage doesn’t exceed 14.5V.
while you’re right that is generally not recommended to touch them with bare hands, i did touched them on almost all my cars when changing them and once even after eating appetizers (had oily hands) and yet, they are good enough for years without problems.
i had a car which had a headlight problem and because of that i had a similar problem to OP. changed the headlights - solved the problem.
Assuming you’re staying away from the extra bright bulbs, which tend to have shorter life, I would check for voltage spikes from your charging system. They can wreak havoc on bulb life.