Low beams burning out

Maintenance/Repairs
1

I am having a problem with headlights going out. My first low beam lights lasted 7 years, and now the low beams only last 3-4 months. Have tried three repair places, and all go out, and I am now changing the bulbs myself. There appears to be moisture in the lamp areas, but the bulb is behind lenses.



2 years ago, when they first went out, I had several front and rear lights go out within 1 week. After changing these lights, they all have lasted except the low beams.



Any suggestions on what to check?

Old Aurora 01 3.5

2

Fingerprints on the headlight bulbs will lead to premature failure. You’re not touching the bulbs with your fingers are you?

I’d look for corrosion in the bulb sockets/connectors, and check where the wiring grounds to the chassis.

If there’s moisture inside the headlight housing it could be part of the problem. Perhaps you could dry the headlights with a hair dryer or some other similar device.

3

Thanks for the reply.
I do not know about the others, but I did not touch the bulb. I even made sure that the NAPA person did not touch the bulb. It has been -20 to 20 degrees for the last few days. when it warms up, I will try the hairdryer idea. Will this extra heat on the plastic effect it on these cold days?

4

I’d wait until the temperature is above freezing. It’s hard to get moisture out of the headlight assembly, but it’s worth a try. I’ve had to remove headlight assemblies in the past to dry them out. The moisture could be corroding the connections.

5

You could drill a hole in bottom of the lens housing to drain the water.
Since the air expands and contracts in the lens volume, I don’t think you can seal that volume after it drys out: but, it might work if you put a piece of tape over the drilled hole. When the air expands, it will push out of the lens housing. When it cools, the air will contract; thus, the tape over the drilled hole would allow a lower air pressure inside the lens to develop. Now, the question becomes, “Will the air pressure inside the lens become too low?” This could be a science project for your / their kid.