Headlights - keeps blowing globes

[jsp]

I have the standard non xenon lamps in my early run TD6. Without fail its down to about one globe a month, low dip beams.

I have used a range of globes, cheap and expensive narva's, phillips, repco branded and supercheap auto branded. Now I am just buying the cheapest.

At the moment when one goes I just pull out a high beam and pop it in untill I buy another pair and then keep one in the car as spare. No pattern to left or right, its fairly random. No other globes are going, altenator seems to be happy at 13.7v, and I put in a new battery last weekend after the orriginal one dropping dead on the spot. No other known eletrical issues on the car, and its a problem I have had in the 2 1/2 years I have had the car except its getting worse - IE globes lasted about 3-4 months when I first got it.

Am I missing something obvious? Lots of stuff comes up about xenon failres on google/other forums but the H7's seem fairly robust.

[BigJon]

What do the failures look like? I am sure I have seen (online, perhaps Hella or Philips website) a chart showing different failure types and causes.

[bee utey]

You could install an 0.1 ohm 5 watt resistor into the supply wire to each low beam globe, making it run about 0.5 volt lower.

[Dougal]

You could install an 0.1 ohm 5 watt resistor into the supply wire to each low beam globe, making it run about 0.5 volt lower.

Oh the irony. The rest of us are trying to get more volts to the bulbs.

[jsp]

beeutey, hmmm I see the idea and the electrical guys at work also suggested a capacitor across the globe as well. I don't know I wish them to be a bit dimmer, I am a bit disappointed with the light output as it is compared to my last daily driver being a P38.


What do the failures look like? I am sure I have seen (online, perhaps Hella or Philips website) a chart showing different failure types and causes.

Thanks for the idea :) a bit of googling found http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a235199.pdf

looking at some of the pictures and having a very brief read it looks like the gas/vacuum escaped from my last globe - here's a shot of the blown filament

Seems to lead to vibration, or grease on the glass causing fractures. I usually put them in with a lint free cloth also doing my best not to touch the glass with the cloth either, and I have replaced a few with disposable rubber gloves and thought maybe the talc powder is bad for them also.

[bee utey]

Oh the irony. The rest of us are trying to get more volts to the bulbs.
Haha, of course a single voltage alternator on a RRC needs all the help it can get. The L322 must have variable charging as that filament looks melted from overvoltage.

Perhaps a better answer would be to go LED:

H7 Led bulbs (http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Pair-50W-Car-H7-White-High-Low-Beam-HeadLight-Lamp-CREE-Led-Bulbs-1512-1800LM-/181225638357?pt=AU_Car_Parts_Accessories&hash=item2a31e3c9d5)

They're multivolt 12 to 24V so should handle anything that doesn't fry the L322 ECU.

[harlie]

the TD6 is constant voltage. Variable came in with TDV8.

13.7v seems about right for L322 and is definitely not too high. Either the voltage is spiking (problem with regulator) which should be recording somewhere as multiple system are monitoring voltage, or more likely voltage too low at the globe.

I had the same issue with the D2 several years ago, low beam globes lasting about 2-3 months. Didn't bother checking anything, just fitted relays (bypassing factory switching & loom) which gave better light and no blown globes since, which must be 10-12 years now.

I then had this problem with the wife's Golf. Was a dirty earth (voltage too low), driver side globe (low beam or parker light) used to last about month, haven't had to replace one in over 3 years since I pulled all connectors and earth point and cleaned them up. the 2 globes had one point in common, earth connection for driver side light cluster. Others don't see the hours to be effected. And that 3 years is a lot of hours for the low beam globes, it has DRLs turned on so that globe is running when ever the engine is running. "Common problem" says our VW specialist when I asked him....

VW have the same LCM system as L322.

If you have issues with both low beams, I would be looking at connectors providing power to the LCM. The low beams will be affected because they are the highest drawers apart from the high beam, but the high beam don't see the hours. From the LCM each low beam globe has it's own wire, so the common connector is power supply to the LCM - or dare i say it the LCM itself. Pull all the connectors (3) off the LCM, clean re-seat. then move up the line. Connector to the fuse box behind glove box & the fuse itself. While you're there, do the headlight plugs just for fun.

[donrover0]

I didn't have an issue with my original Qh bulbs, but wanted more light so fitted cheapie HID from China ( no error stated) and they work fine these last 5 months.
Can buy a set for less than $100 including postage from Ebay.
From memory, 35W set abt $65 and 55W set abt $90.
There is a delay first firing up but the light output is great.

[fraser130]

As another thought, the LCM can be programed to run the headlights as DRL's at a reduced setting, are your headlights on while driving, but dimmer, even if turned off at the switch?

Fraser

[harlie]

I didn't have an issue with my original Qh bulbs, but wanted more light so fitted cheapie HID from China ( no error stated) and they work fine these last 5 months.
Can buy a set for less than $100 including postage from Ebay.
From memory, 35W set abt $65 and 55W set abt $90.
There is a delay first firing up but the light output is great.

If you are going to encourage people to do this on the dipped beam, you should at least mention that it is illegal in all states and insurance companies are looking at vehicles in the event of an accident. Not to mention downright rude, and ****ing annoying to all other road users.

[donrover0]

Strange? Aren't RR L322's with factory HID fitted with this on low/dipped beam? I think so.
we previously had a Citroen C5 and a Peugeot 407; both had original HID on low beam. AND this was stated on insurance company "features" list(s).
are you saying that these car companies were selling illegal cars in Australia?
I believe that ( at least in Qld) it is only illegal to fit HID to cars/models that did NOT come with HID as standard or an option.

If the lights are adjusted properly they do NOT shine in eyes of drivers of oncoming traffic.
The HID's I fitted have definite "cut-off" line at top of beam , so easy to adjust according to manual.

[Dougal]

One vital component of HID lights is levelling of the head-lights or the vehicle to keep them pointing where they should.

All air suspension rangerovers do this already.

[jsp]

Hey guys thanks for all the good comments.

I guess its just personal taste but HID's are not for me. I don't wish to get into the various debates about legality, lamp housings self leveling etc.

One thing I have noticed in my plug cleaning frenzy is how thin the wiring is inside the headlamp assembly itself, the last foot of cable. I have put in a new globe, if it gloes again soon I might look at swapping this bit of cable out for something meatier.

I have measured 12.7 volts at the lamp as opposed to 13.6 at the LCM, this might be due to the transistors in the LCM though which do the switching, I might check them out and see if they have a regulator in them. I had to swap out some of these mosfet's in my P38's BECM a few times - not the funnest of jobs.

Also I don't know that pinging a voltage accross the globe for 1ms every 32seconds is good for the globe in the long run, then again none of the other globes or the high beams are blowing and they get the same treatment.

[Homestar]

Mine has always done the same thing, so always carried a spare globe. Changed to some cheapy Chinese HID's and All's been well for a year now.

[harlie]

Strange? Aren't RR L322's with factory HID fitted with this on low/dipped beam? I think so.
we previously had a Citroen C5 and a Peugeot 407; both had original HID on low beam. AND this was stated on insurance company "features" list(s).
are you saying that these car companies were selling illegal cars in Australia?
I believe that ( at least in Qld) it is only illegal to fit HID to cars/models that did NOT come with HID as standard or an option.

....



Once again, if you are going to encourage fitting of these at least have your facts correct.

In ALL states the law is simple – the light must be ADR approved and have the globe it was approved for fitted - a different globe no longer makes it ADR approved.

The ADR is simple - If the globe is more than 2000lm (does not specifically say HID as some other globe types are also >2000) then it must have
* a projector lens - the most important point - it is a completely different lens and reflector.
* self leveling of the light - the light leveling operates a lot faster than the air suspension, responding to acceleration changes which suspension doesn't. plant the foot at the lights, the car leans back, the lights do not move up.
* washer system for the lens - apparently to prevent the lens refractive properties from changing with dirt/dust on it.

The halogen mirror light was not approved with a HID globe. In all states, it is illegal to fit HIDs to a halogen mirror housing. It is perfectly legal to fit HIDs if you fit the whole system.

All cars sold in AUS with factory HIDs (bi xenon) have the above list. There are many cars sold that have the projector lens fitted with a H7 halogen globe for the dipped beam so they look like bi xenon or HID but they’re not (early base model RRS, Mazda 6 for example). our head light rules are virtually a copy of EU.

The HID globe has a completely different focal point to the halogen globe, like comparing a compact fluro to an incandescent, this is why ALL hid replacements have over glare above the cut off and why factory HID lights have a completely different mirror and lens.

What really amazes me is that with this last response, you have demonstrated a complete lack of knowledge and understanding of not only the law but also demonstrated a complete lack of knowledge of headlight technology, and you are still advising us on headlights and the law. Do you honestly not notice any difference in the lens between factory bi xenons and your halogen lights....

As I originally stated, If you are encouraging people to do this modification (in multiple threads) at least advise of the facts around performing such modifications. Then plp can at least make an informed decision.

IMO, if you are going to change the dipped beam to HID, buy the bi xenon lights. At least you satisfy the most important point and control the light output. They are available ex UK for bugger all (if you try, not much more than a chinese H7 kit). They produce much much better light than the standard light with cheap HID H7 insert, they also produce a much better high beam as the outer light changes for high beam. They don't attract attention and shine in peoples eyeballs. However it still does not satisfy that law.


One vital component of HID lights is levelling of the head-lights or the vehicle to keep them pointing where they should.

All air suspension rangerovers do this already.

No, it is leveling of the head light - the headlight must have it's own self leveling system. This statement is made often in other sections (like D2) and SLS suspension does not satisfy requirements. As an example the L322 with factory bi xenons has an ECU for leveling headlights which reacts to movement that the suspension doesn't and can't.

[Homestar]

Agree with Harlie here - although I have converted mine, and the bi xenon a were an option for my vehicle, they are not technically legal. I'm sure the bi xenon headlamps would give better light control, but the standard ones aren't bad - a lot better than some I've seen, and they don't dazzle oncoming traffic - there is a nice tight cut off line on the low beams, and once I adjusted them properly, they are good to see with and don't cause any concern to other road users.

Still not legal though....

[fraser130]

Agree with Harlie here - although I have converted mine, and the bi xenon a were an option for my vehicle, they are not technically legal. I'm sure the bi xenon headlamps would give better light control, but the standard ones aren't bad - a lot better than some I've seen, and they don't dazzle oncoming traffic - there is a nice tight cut off line on the low beams, and once I adjusted them properly, they are good to see with and don't cause any concern to other road users.

Still not legal though....

I'm with you on this one (as far as the L322 is concerned anyway).
I know they aren't legal, but mine have a perfect cut off pattern, and the globes themselves have a reflective hood covering them, so no light directly from the globe can shine straight out.
In the 3(ish) years I've owned it I have never been flashed at, and I've done a fair bit of country night driving. By the same token, I've been blinded by some absolute shockers, including modern cars legal HID's.
The high beams are just amazing too!

Fraser

[donrover0]

Agree with Fraser on this: sharp cutoff and no light above it. Similarly never been flashed by other drivers.

I suppose then that our previous factory fitted/dealer supplied Citroen and Peugeot must have been illegal ?
Citroen C5 had HID on low beam, yes had self levelling but NO projector lens and NO washer/wipe system. Car itself also self- levelling.
Peugeot had HID on low beam, yes had projector lens but NO self levelling and NO wash/wipe. Car was coil springs/no self levelling!

[harlie]

Ok, so a quick search returns details on the washer system and the self levelling system for the early Peugeot 407 with factory HID. The washer is the same as the new 405 rangie, tiny square in the bumper that extends to reveal a squirter, lovely design – washer system does not mean wiper is needed. Most wouldn’t know it’s there, also several asking how to operate it. Picture attached shows a 2006 C5 with bi xenon option, clearly able to see the projector lens, if it didn’t have projectors it was not factory HID.

So no, the C5 and 407 with factory bi xenons are not illegal, you just have no understanding of headlight technologies – you don’t know it there so it mustn’t be! Bit like factory bi xenons are the same as standard L322 light, except for the globe right? Some people will convince themselves of anything to support their argument.

You can convince yourself that it doesn't affect others, but stop trying to convince us it is legal.

As for the flash test being the standard for it not shining in everyones eyes. Have you guys thought that maybe people don’t bother? I figure if you are ignorant enough to spent time and money fitting lights that shine in my eye, you are not going to get any message by flashing, so I never flash anyone. It would probably just make the driver proud – Look my lights are SO good there’s another driver that can’t see, I’m so cool! There is a white L322 running around my area, he illuminates my roof lining when he's following me - how good are those mirrors that dim for us.

[Homestar]

Although not legal, the low beams fitted with aftermarket HID on my vehicle are NOT distracting or dazzling to other drivers. I don't have to convince myself - I have done a lot of testing. I have been followed by our vehicle, and have done head on drive past tests - me driving my Commodore, so a lower, standard driving hieght, and no dimming mirrors, etc. I did this as part of setting the low beams correctly and they are some of the most unobtrusive lights to pass or be followed by. Did it on flat roads, and going up and down hills. I have no fear that a Cop will pull me over for them, as the work well, and are not blinding at all to oncoming traffic, or any that I'm following.

Just because your neighbour in the White Rangie can't adjust his properly, doesn't mean we all can't.:)

It's probably not worth getting up tight over anyway - from either side of the argument, as the Police seem to do nothing about it, even on old dunny doors and falcons with crap optics that are the worst offenders IMO.

[fraser130]

Now, let me try to remember...............what was this thread about again?
;)

[Homestar]

Buggered if I know...:D. All threads are fair game for going off topic IMO.

[donrover0]

Beg to differ.
Our C5 2004; HID genuine parts as I had to replace a ballast ( Peugeot PN!)
Our 407 st V6 2007; no washer; no self levelling.

As for legal or not, ?????
I had asked our mechanic who does vehicle mod inspections and RWC's before I fitted them to L322; that's what he told me re retrofitting HID.

[Defender Mike]

I just blew the left side low beam,got a set of blue intense bulbs from a well known cheap outlet. Went to fit the bulb & the old one was jammed in place aparently the wrong type not H7. While testing to see if the new bulb worked the right side blew . Fortunately i bought a double pack. Now this thread started about bulbs blowing & i followed it for a while until it went into legality etc.
Did anyone ever work out why bulbs blow is there an easy fix without going HID . I dont like HID's personaly although i used them on my KTM in the Australian Safari & they were the only lights that work in heavy dust . Found this out during a transport section from Marble Bar to Newman. I dont like the slow start up & fade to dip. Is there any LED type replacement bulbs available now that will fit in the H7 holes.:)

[jsp]

Still don't know, bought a big box of cheapo chinese globes from aliexpress for about a buck ten each delivered, they last just as long and seem just as bright.

Still blowing about one a month. Always dip beam. Left or right.

[disco gazza]

I bought some Phillips H7 halogens off the interweb from UK.
There good light and haven't had them blow yet.I'll pm u the site when I get home from work this evening Mike.
Sent from my GT-I9505 using AULRO mobile app

[Graeme]

The only H7s that lasted any time in my D2's low beam were Phillips/Osrams. They lasted about 12 months but as I always drove with the lights on I thought that was OK. Narva globes had a very short life, presumably not able to withstand the D2's high voltage that sometimes got close to 15V.

[rangieman]

I had this problem blowing a headlight globe in my d2 when i got it only one light that kept blowing:mad:
Spoke with a sparky mate and he nailed it straight away .
I used pliers to crimp the terminal a bit where it plugs on to the globe and guess what 2 years later i have not blown a globe :D

[donrover0]

I think there's any number of LEDs available (on ebay). Been trying a few leds elsewhere in the car; better light; occasionally get a bulb failure warning on startup.
I haven't tried them ($100 plus/pair) as I'm happy with cheapie HID's, even with the slow startup- abt 5 seconds.