Dem Bones: Halogen/HID Bulb troubleshoots
When God created the sky, earth, wind, and fire, he specifically made a point that all halogen and HID bulbs fail at some point in its life. However, it isn't always the failure of the bulbs, but may be due to some other factors. (For this blog, we will only deal with halogen and HID bulbs)
First, check the fuse. Yes, sometimes, the most simple action is the best solution. A simple action of replacing the bad fuse can solve the problem altogether. Then, you can stop reading this blog from henceforth. However, if that is not the case, here are some tips in troubleshoots.
(Very boring diagram of auto headlight blueprint)
Toe bone connected to the foot bone,
Foot bone connected to the heel bone,
Heel bone connected to the ankle bone,
Ankle bone connected to the shin bone...
Remember the song, "Dem Bones?" A stupid song that every kid under the age 7 sings. However, it does have a "connection" (Get it?) to the topic. Whether you have a premium brand like Philips or Osram or some cheap bulbs, the reason for the failure may be the connection of the bulb to the wire to the power source. If you happen to have a good working halogen bulb, insert it into the bad side and see if the bulb lits. If the working bulb works on the problem side, then it's the problem with the bulb. If it doesn't (And, the fuse is good), then you should check the wiring condition and the power source as well.
It's really elementary. However, there are other problems that may occur.
1) Your car's headlight fuse just keeps on blowing out: Turn on the light switch without the bulb. If the fuse blows out, then you probably have a wiring issue.
2) The headlight bulb keeps on burning out: No, it isn't a bunch of tiny HIDCONCEPT.COM crew in your car, blowing out the bulbs so that you shop more at our site. There may be an underlying issue other than a defective bulb. A) No matter how tempting, never touch the glass part of the bulb with your bare fingers. The oil can cause the bulbs to burn out fast. That is one of the reasons why we wear those cool latex black gloves, B) it could be the incorrect installation, C) unsecured installation, D) and/or your bulb sockets have signs of corrosion. In which case, you'd need to replace the sockets.
3) Flocker on and off: This problem is related to the bad connection issue that I mentioned above. Just check the connections, but also the battery clamp connections too. This flickering may occur to those of you who use high wattage for the headlights.
4) Ballast: Not relevant with the halogen bulbs, but in order for the HID bulbs to work, you need to have ballast. For the obvious reason, the bad ballast will certainly not turn on your HID bulbs. In that case, you will need to replace the ballast. This is something that you might be able to do, but in most cases, you may need to have your trusty mechanic to perform the job.
There is no 100% way to prevent bulb failures. That is why you should always get the quality brand bulbs and ballasts like Philips, Osram, Valeo, Mitsubishi, Hella, Dama, Matsushita, and Denso. Have I mentioned those brands so that we can sell more of it? Yes. However, it's an age-old saying, "You get what you pay for."