# Headlight life

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/headlight-life/25218>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Created:** [January 20, 2009, 3:54am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/headlight-life/25218 "2009-01-20T03:54:09Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![cokomo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@cokomo](https://community.cartalk.com/u/cokomo)\
**Post date:** [January 20, 2009, 3:54am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/headlight-life/25218/1 "2009-01-20T03:54:09Z")

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My son has a 1996 oldsmobile cutlass supreme. The car goes burns out headlights every two months or so. We have switched manufacturers of the lights but still have the problem. What causes this?

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**Author:** ![Joseph\_E\_Meehan](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/joseph_e_meehan/32/21_2.png) [@Joseph\_E\_Meehan](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Joseph_E_Meehan)\
**Post date:** [January 20, 2009, 11:19am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/headlight-life/25218/2 "2009-01-20T11:19:47Z")

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If you touch the lamp when installing it that can cause early failure. Leave the plastic wrap on it until it is in.

Other likely issues:

- High voltage Have the voltage checked.
- Vibration (fore than normal)
- Moisture

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**Author:** ![Whitey](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/whitey/32/24680_2.png) [@Whitey](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Whitey)\
**Post date:** [January 20, 2009, 10:41pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/headlight-life/25218/3 "2009-01-20T22:41:18Z")

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I agree with Joseph that if these are halogen bulbs, it could be oil from your skin that is making them burn out prematurely. Either find a way to change them without toughing them, wipe them with alcohol swabs to remove oil left from your skin, or have them installed professionally.

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**Author:** ![cokomo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@cokomo](https://community.cartalk.com/u/cokomo)\
**Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 3:23am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/headlight-life/25218/4 "2009-01-23T03:23:32Z")

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Joseph  
These are sealed units, lens, reflector and lamp in one. Plug has rubber gasket and we have used vasaline sometimes for gasket seal. Yet no moisture has ever been noticed. Cant tell what is normal vibration with this car but ride seems smooth and it has done it since we bought it. We will have voltage checked. Question on this. What could spike voltage to lamps?  
Thanks  
Rod

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**Author:** ![JayWB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e480ec/32.png) [@JayWB](https://community.cartalk.com/u/JayWB)\
**Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 4:36am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/headlight-life/25218/5 "2009-01-23T04:36:00Z")

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Slamming the hood, the doors or hitting bumps hard can make a headlamp fail prematurely.

Especially slamming the hood.