What's new

Blowing Headlight Bulbs

Grayedout

Members
Messages
658
Reaction score
170
Location
South Ayrshire
I know Mk7's have a tendency for blowing headlight bulbs and mine has been through plenty in the last few years but this weekend took the biscuit !!

Set off for Scotland on Friday night when noticed the lights were a bit dim and so stopped to check and yes NS bulb gone. Thought would change it before we set off back today but when we were about to go out last night I put the lights on and poof the OS then blew so ruined any plans we had for going out !!

Changed them both today and they lasted the trip home but getting silly. Does anybody know why they blow so easily and any solutions for it?

Would an LED H1 withstand whatever voltage pulses are going on better?
 
A few older threads on this forum about this if you search google for "mk7 accord headlight bulbs keep blowing".
Unfortunately a few possible causes too.
 
I've bought brands and no brands. I now just buy no brands in bulk from aliexpress. Friends have tried LED's, none of which were good enough throw a decent beam, but then again none forked out for "brandname" bulbs. (I'm not going to be the first either). The solution is aftermarket HID. Pick a temperature that mimics halogen, and be prepared to fit halogens for MOT. BTW my friend's Subaru is also burning through H1's, so it is not just Honda.
 
If it is not mechanical (vibration / potholes or a loose headlight shell) then it is going to be electrical (regulator/alternator, or dodgy earth point somewhere)

You could try changing the fuses that are in the circuit for the beams if no other lights on the car are blowing
 
As while mine don't keep blowing they are worse than candles compared to my previous car's HID. Hopefully they will be better output and I will not have to change them anytime in a hurry. [/QUOTE said:
bulbs blowing doesn't seem to be a problem on the mk8 but common on the mk7, had my mk8 for 4 years now and haven't changed a bulb yet
 
In five years (about 18k miles) I have replaced five, perhaps six at most, and they have been mainly side light bulbs.

Mine shows signs of a previous repair to the front L/H side -replacement headlight shell plus bodywork - earthing terminals show signs of corrosion and I've also run two years with a non standard battery that was charged more times than I remember.

I certainly wouldn't call bulb blowing common at all in the design.
 
You can also check if it's because of compatibility issues. I replaced my headlight with LED bulbs from auxito years ago, and so far no issue at all. These bulbs I bought with built-in intelligent IC driver and high wattage close to stock bulbs’, make them better compatible. Besides the beam pattern is great, and the cutoff is lower on the left, so they don't blind oncoming drivers as many other bulbs do.
 
You can also check if it's because of compatibility issues. I replaced my headlight with LED bulbs from auxito years ago, and so far no issue at all. These bulbs I bought with built-in intelligent IC driver and high wattage close to stock bulbs’, make them better compatible. Besides the beam pattern is great, and the cutoff is lower on the left, so they don't blind oncoming drivers as many other bulbs do.
I’ve used Auxito for all internal and external lights except high/low beams & fogs on two cars for the last couple of years and haven’t yet had to replace any.

It’s worth noting that the above link is for the U.S. only accord, which uses different high/low beams and fogs, possibly others too. The Acura TSX should be the same. Other point worth noting is that in the U.K. you run the risk of failing your MOT by installing LEDs in projectors designed for halogens, depending on how thorough the testers are.
 
Check and clean the earth straps where they mount to the body.
Any verdigris and corrosion should be removed and the wire brought back to a bright shiny finish. Then coated with dielectric grease or petroleum jelly.
I never had to change the headlight bulbs on my Mk7, only one sidelight bulb failed.
Inadequate earthing is a major cause of premature bulb failure so clean all exposed wiring and battery connections or replace the earth straps with new ones if necessary.
Electrons flow on the outside of wires so any dirt and corrosion will increase resistance dramatically, and resistance = heat = failure modes.
 
Top