Headlight Replacement

mendonsy

Member
Obviously that depends on exactly what your problem is.
There is a list of replacement lamps in the T1N Database section. The low beam is the most common problem. It is an H7 bulb.
Changing them requires a bit of dexterity. Here are the instructions:
 

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bc339

New member
How much do you want to spend?
What's wrong with the headlight, one light out? If you replace the headlight, you'll still have to swap all the bulbs over.
If the lens isn't broken or crazed, I'll be happy to take your old one........

Bolbs are alot cheaper and easier. Slide the big clip off the back, remove the back access cover , and replace the bulb.
As a preventative measure, I replace the other side when one goes out. The other side usually goes out in a short time anyway.

Bruce
 

david_42

Active member
Just the bulb and it's no big deal. You remove the cover, pull the holder and change the bulb. I've only replaced two bulbs (both times the passenger's side) in six years and I run with the headlights on.

If you forget the bulb number, just buy the most expensive bulb the store has :bounce:
 

WAYNERODD

Member
I've only replaced two bulbs (both times the passenger's side) in six years and I run with the headlights on.
David,

Who makes the bulbs that you use?

It seems that all 3 of my vans go thru atleast 2 each a year and each one is driven less than 40,000 a year.

I am just thinking that one manufacturer might be better than the other.

Thanks, Wayne
 

mendonsy

Member
Wayne:
We have been using the standard Sylvanias. Two per year is about right for them. I put in the "long life" the last time. We'll see how that works.
Dick--
 

glasseye

Well-known member
With daytime driving lights (mandatory in Canada), constant headlight failure is a PITA. I had both low beams fail within a few hours a few nights ago on a freeway in Vancouver.

Talk about "limp home" mode.:rolleyes:
 

ohlsonmh

Grumpy Member
The bulbs are available on eBay for a LOT less than at the auto parts stores - where they are exorbitant.

I got several for less than a single one bought locally.

And - whatta' deal: my Mini-Cooper uses the same bulb.

-Oly
 
I put it in this morning, took 10 minutes (very easy job), and that was being very careful and taking my time.

Despite it's ease, it IS a job that the local grease jockey could screw up (the guy at the inspection place wanted to do it, I told wife to let me do it), so I'm glad I did it myself.

Thanks all!
 

rheckert

2006 Hightop extended
After replacing a few sets of bulbs ( being very carefull not to touch the bulbs as it will shorten the bulb life ) with replacement bulbs from the local parts store which never had much of a life before needing to be replaced again, i finally replaced them both with oem bulbs from the dealer. The oem bulbs are still working and for me were the cheaper option.
 
After replacing a few sets of bulbs ( being very carefull not to touch the bulbs as it will shorten the bulb life ) with replacement bulbs from the local parts store which never had much of a life before needing to be replaced again, i finally replaced them both with oem bulbs from the dealer. The oem bulbs are still working and for me were the cheaper option.
I would tell you how long my bulds last, but that would make them die the next dark night, at 75 MPH, downhill,in the rain.

When I replace those bulbs, or any expensive bulb, I wipe the surface with an alcohol based solution.
 

220629

Well-known member
After replacing a few sets of bulbs ( being very careful not to touch the bulbs as it will shorten the bulb life ) ...
I've been taught that it can stress the glass, but I always thought it would fail either right away or catastrophically. A quick search showed me that is not necessarily true.
****
Debunker

Many years ago I worked on Navy display equipment. One of these was a large screen projector that used a xenon arc lamp (used today on IMAX projectors, among others). We were experiencing a larger than expected amount of catastrophic lamp failures. Analysis showed oils from fingers would create hot spots on the glass that caused the glass to crack so that there was no vacuum inside. I don't think they exploded, per se, just died. We had to change the replacement instructions to include a caution about avoiding touching the lamps with bare fingers. Once that was in place, the failure rate was reduced significantly.
__________________
"Nothing is ever what it seems but everything is exactly what it is." - Buckaroo Banzai
****
http://message.snopes.com/showpost.php?p=999797&postcount=11

I purchased some H7 lamps from J.C. Whitney. The first one I installed over a year ago is still in service. (So now that I posted this they will no doubt fail one after another.:bash:) I buy them when they have the "no shipping fee" deals. I find them much less expensive than those at typical parts stores. vic
 

glasseye

Well-known member
Halogen bulb replacement was a big part of my life in cameraman world. SOP was not to touch the envelope.

The other SOP advice to replace both bulbs at once seems faulty, given my near-simultaneous failures the other night. Both bulbs died within hours of each other. They lasted exactly 20K miles or six months of driving each.

I paid $10 each for the H7s at the autoparts counter of a department store.
 

autostaretx

Erratic Member
The other SOP advice to replace both bulbs at once seems faulty, given my near-simultaneous failures the other night. Both bulbs died within hours of each other. They lasted exactly 20K miles or six months of driving each.
"faulty"?
Yours is a good example of -why- you also want to replace the (apparently) "not dead yet" bulb when one dies.
In many wiring systems, the abrupt death of one high-current incandescent bulb can send a voltage spike to the remaining bulb(s), which can drastically shorten their remaining lifetime.... as yours so aptly demonstrated.
--dick
 

glasseye

Well-known member
Interesting. What you say about voltage spikes makes sense. I guess we have to add 2 bulbs a year to our Sprinter operation costs. My Asstros never used one bulb. Ever. Each of them did 300K kms before I unloaded 'em. Probably weren't halogen, though:idunno:
 

220629

Well-known member
"faulty"?
Yours is a good example of -why- you also want to replace the (apparently) "not dead yet" bulb when one dies.
In many wiring systems, the abrupt death of one high-current incandescent bulb can send a voltage spike to the remaining bulb(s), which can drastically shorten their remaining lifetime.... as yours so aptly demonstrated.
--dick
I'm not so certain the voltage spike theory holds for predicting headlamp failure. The battery makes a very good cushion to smooth out the system voltages. The computers are much more sensitive to voltage spikes than any resistive filament lamp is. I would expect any spike bad enough to take out resistive lamps would have more effect on those computers.

I have been changing out just the headlamp that fails forever. I have not noticed that one side fails immediately afterward if the other side finally goes bad to cause a spike. That said, my experience is not a scientific study. FWIW. vic
 
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220629

Well-known member
...

I paid $10 each for the H7s at the autoparts counter of a department store.
Not bad. I think when I bought my H-7 55 watt lamps they were around 6 bucks, but now they are listed at $8.99. Hardly worth the effort now to save just a buck. That said, our TTW folks would say that it's worth it if you calculate percentage savings.:thumbup:

As an aside. The TTW name was assigned during one of our many group excursions. Our group wanted my wife and I to pay admission to the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum at Whitefish Point in Upper Michigan so we could report back for them to know whether to spend the 9 bucks to go in themselves. (and people think I'm cheap!) I said they were all just a bunch of Touring Tightwads and that name for our group has stuck to this day.:bounce: vic
 

autostaretx

Erratic Member
I tend to -not- proactively change headlamps (hey! i'm cheap! (penny-wise, pound-foolish))
(my wife is a dedicated believer in the "spike theory", but her primary (and repeated example) are the house chandeliers... it's pretty much assured that losing one bulb will be followed by a 2nd bulb within a few days... then months will go by before the next one-two burnouts)
(adjacent lamps in household light fixtures don't have the buffering effect of a battery)

On our old Nissan wagon (halogens), the bulbs sometimes went "as pairs", and sometimes didn't.
But i do try to have a spare bulb on hand, so i tend to buy the new replacement spare on the same day i replace the dead one.

--dck (frequently in the dark)
 

220629

Well-known member
...
(my wife is a dedicated believer in the "spike theory", but her primary (and repeated example) are the house chandeliers... it's pretty much assured that losing one bulb will be followed by a 2nd bulb within a few days... then months will go by before the next one-two burnouts)
...
--dck (frequently in the dark)
dck,
The chandelier theory is one I can't argue with. It does seem those decide to fail in succession. Since they started selling dimmable (is that a word??) compact fluorescent pointed shape candelabra base lamps we've gone to those to replace the old incandescent fancy ones. They don't look as good, but they last long (fewer ladder uses) and now we can claim we're being "green". vic
 
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